Let’s start with a story!
In a large temple, devotees from neighboring villages gathered each day to offer prayers. It had a grand idol, a knowledgeable priest, great bhajan singers, beautiful gardens and fragrant flowers, filling the temple premise with a mesmerizing aroma. Every evening, the temple would be lit beautifully, and the flames of the oil lamps would glow, creating an atmosphere of spiritual serenity.
But no one ever paid attention to the man who came in quietly each afternoon to fill the lamps with oil. He would come before the crowds, clean all lamps, refill them, check the wicks and silently merge with the other devotees before the prayers start.
It all went smooth, till one day…
Years rolled by, his work unseen –
A quiet, faithful daily routine.
But one dark day, he fell unwell, and couldn’t be there.
There was no oil in lamps and nobody cared.
The lamps that once gave golden glow,
Began to sputter, dim, and slow.
The wicks burned thin,
The light gave up, the dark crept in.
The priest was flustered, chants went dry,
The children wailed, the mood ran high.
Only that day a realization occurred, the silent lamp-oiler, whom no one ever noticed, was essential to the experience they all took for granted.
That’s also the story of most support functions – especially Supply Chain.
Its often unnoticed, precisely because they work so well.
Products show up “as expected,” launches go live on time, damages stay low – all taken as business as usual.
But what’s rarely acknowledged is how these outcomes are delivered, often amidst volatile demand, constrained supplies, shifting priorities & timelines, and relentless pressure.
Behind the apparent smoothness lies a grueling engine:
meticulous demand forecasting, capacity alignments done months or years in anticipation, detailed supply planning, countless follow-ups, master-data & parameters management, and yes, a fair share of last-minute firefighting.
Yesterday was International Supply Chain Professional Day.
Here’s to the countless professionals who navigate chaos behind the scenes to keep everything running.
They are the invisible oilmen in the temple of modern business. 😊