The End of Self-Assessments: A Smarter Way to Measure Supply Chain Capability

For years, supply chain leaders have faced the same frustrating challenge: understanding the true capabilities of their teams. Traditional methods like multiple-choice assessments and self-evaluations have offered convenience—but little depth. They skim the surface, providing insights that are often too vague or too generous to be useful.

At DevLearn 2024, a major shift in capability assessment became clear. The tools are now available to go far beyond checking boxes or capturing confidence scores. Inspired by what we saw, Your Learning Academy has been working behind the scenes to create something new—something powerful.

We’ve developed a scalable, video-based skill assessment solution that can uncover not just what someone knows, but how well they understand and apply that knowledge. It’s structured, efficient, and purpose-built for supply chain organizations that need clarity on team capability—not guesses.

Why Traditional Skill Assessments Fall Short

Let’s be honest. Multiple-choice tests are easy to administer but rarely provide a complete picture. They assess recognition, not ability. They check knowledge, not judgment. And when they’re the only lens for evaluating supply chain professionals—who deal with trade-offs, dependencies, and context every day—they miss the mark.

Then there’s self-assessment. It feels empowering in theory. But in practice? It's inconsistent, highly subjective, and often inflated. It tells you how confident someone feels, not what they can actually do.

For senior leaders trying to build capability roadmaps, these methods are like trying to navigate with a blurry map. What’s needed is clear, scalable visibility into who can do what—across planning, procurement, logistics, customer service, analytics, and more.

A Better Approach: Skill Assessment Through Structured Video Interviews

At Your Learning Academy, we’ve been inspired by recent developments in learning tech—particularly tools that allow for large-scale video-based assessments. These aren't casual one-way video recordings. They are structured, curated interviews where learners speak on camera in response to carefully designed, role-specific questions.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each individual receives a tailored set of questions related to a specific skill or role domain.

2. They record short video responses, explaining how they approach problems, apply processes, or demonstrate judgment based on real-world scenarios.

3. Their responses are then reviewed and rated using a consistent, evidence-based rubric aligned to our proprietary supply chain skill definitions and driven by AI analysis and reviewed by SMEs where necessary.

The result? A high-quality, scalable snapshot of practical skill depth—delivered in a way that multiple-choice quizzes simply can’t match.

Why This Works: The Power of Verbalized Reasoning

What makes this approach powerful is not just the format. It’s what happens cognitively when someone is asked to explain what they know.

When a planner or procurement manager is prompted with, “Walk me through how you build a demand plan when data is missing or conflicting,” they have to demonstrate:

• Understanding of the process

• Experience with real-world application

• Judgment in handling uncertainty

• Communication of structured thought

All of this emerges in just a few minutes of spoken response. It’s honest. It’s specific. And it gives leaders a clear window into who’s ready for more responsibility—and who needs targeted development.

Built for the Supply Chain: Our Proprietary Skill Framework

This approach only works with a solid foundation. That’s why we didn’t start with generic interview questions.

We’ve spent years building a comprehensive library of supply chain skill definitions, mapped across planning, logistics, procurement, customer service, and analytics roles. These definitions are:

• Tiered by proficiency levels (foundation, functional, advanced, strategic, expert)

• Aligned to real job contexts

• Backed by examples of observable behavior

Whether you’re assessing a supply planner in a regional hub, a logistics analyst in a control tower, or a demand planner in a category team, we can tailor the video assessment to reflect the actual competencies required in that role.

What This Unlocks for Leaders

For senior supply chain leaders, this changes the game.

Instead of relying on gut feel, self-ratings, or the occasional 360 review, you now have a scalable, structured way to assess hundreds—or even thousands—of employees. Quickly. Objectively. Consistently.

This enables:

• Targeted upskilling: Know exactly who needs support in scenario planning, supplier collaboration, or analytics.

• Succession planning: Identify high-potential individuals who are already thinking at the next level.

• Onboarding efficiency: Benchmark new hires and understand where to focus development in the first 90 days.

• Capability heatmaps: Gain a team-wide view of strengths, gaps, and readiness for transformation.

It also builds a sense of fairness. Employees know they’re being evaluated based on how they think and respond—not just what they click.

Why This Is Different—and Why It Matters

This is not AI hallucination. It’s not automation for the sake of efficiency. This is structured, human-centered capability assessment, delivered through smart tools.

And unlike self-assessments or auto-graded quizzes, this approach respects the complexity of supply chain work. It understands that building a network design model or resolving a supplier crisis can’t be evaluated through multiple choice.

It must be spoken, explained, defended—and that’s what these video assessments are designed to uncover.

What Comes Next: Customised Skill Assessments for Your Team

We’re now offering this solution to organizations ready to move beyond outdated capability metrics. Whether you're starting a capability program from scratch or looking to refresh your assessment approach, we can help.

Here’s what you can expect when partnering with us:

• A custom-designed video assessment aligned to your supply chain roles and goals

• Skill definitions matched to your maturity model

• Turnkey deployment to teams globally

• Clear, visual reporting on capabilities by team, role, level, or geography

Let’s Build Something Better Together

If you’re ready to replace outdated assessments with something more accurate, engaging, and insightful, we’d love to help.

Contact Your Learning Academy to find out how our scalable, video-based skill assessments can give you the visibility you need to build confident, capable supply chain teams.

Your teams are already doing complex, high-impact work. Let’s create a way to measure it that finally does them justice.