Quite often a person is transferred into the Supply Chain department with no previous experience in the field. What is important in training somebody who comes into the cold. My answer would be the routine but also the holistic view.
The routine because that what a lot of your time will be sent on. Using the computer system, preparing reports, handling simple and basic problems likely to come up is needed for a person to be successful in the field.
But what is unique about the field is the need for a holistic view. To be successful in this field, your actions must be in tune with making the organization successful. A plant production might scheduled around its shipping. A large customer may have an unique service need. Inbound materials need to be there when needed and not there addIMG inventory cost when it is not needed. It is important to understand the culture of the organization to be successful. Anybody in the organization will spend a large portion of their working with others. So it is more than getting that truck at the lowest cost. Your career will not be successful if you have the lowest transportation costs, but the company cannot serve its business.
The holistic concept is something important in the field and may not have been important where the person came from, so that is why it must be emphasized and taught.