These workshops will focus on specific topics. Each session will start with a brief presentation to set the stage, then move to an interactive discussion where attendees will have opportunities to ask questions and share their experiences. Come prepared to actively participate and learn from the subject matter experts!

Be Braver Sooner: The Importance of Failing Forward on Adaptation

You learn more from failure than you do from success. The growing acceptance of failure is changing the way companies approach innovation and adaptation. The need to be perfect and the fear of failure costs supply chains time and money. Companies that have learned to tolerate risk and accept imperfection have the advantage in driving change sooner. Adaptation is accelerated by a continuous feedback loop; do it, embrace the imperfections, learn, and improve. This holds true for process and product. This workshop will focus on adaptation of supply chain processes through “failing forward”.

Key outcomes from the workshop include:

A leader’s role in encouraging risk
Understanding the value of risk
Redefining failure and success
The impact of failure on adaptation
Strategies, techniques, and best practices for “failing forward”

Facilitator: Laura Peterson, vice president of planning, Beachbody

Industry 4.0 and an AI Learning Framework for Future Supply Chains

Recent advances in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have enabled Industry 4.0 in many supply chains. This workshop will provide an overview of state-of-the-art IoT applications in various industries and discuss how they help supply chains gain a competitive advantage. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) is believed to have great potential in supply chain management. As an illustration, we will introduce an emerging approach called digital twin-based learning framework that integrates IoT and AI to proactively learn and take successful actions.

Key outcomes from the workshop include:

Current trend, impact and applications of digitalization and Industry 4.0
Digital twin techniques and best practices for designing supply chains
Digital twin-based learning for achieving operational efficiency

Facilitator: Edward Huang, PhD, associate professor, George Mason University, Volgenau School of Engineering

Post-Pandemic Supply Chains: Back to Normal or Back to the Future?

For several decades, supply chain professionals have been obsessed with cost, resulting in lean supply chains and a constant drive to low-cost sourcing (invariably through low-cost country sourcing). Forecasting, always something of a statistically informed guess, caused issues, but as SCM pros, firefighting was a part of the job.

However, fundamental variability is now evident in global supply chains – especially labor shortages, capacity loss, and business collapse – similar in many respects to previous post-recession cycles. The endemic nature of COVID will stretch this cycle of variability and cause a fundamental rethink of supply chain capacity strategy.

In this workshop, participants will explore the post-pandemic supply chain world, especially focusing on strategic decision making

Key outcomes from the workshop include:

What is the COVID fallout for supply chains?
What is capacity strategy and why is it the primary strategic decision?
How do we build a new supply chain strategy?
What are the main impediments to a brave new world-class supply chain strategy?
What can you do tomorrow?

Facilitator: Simon Croom, PhD, professor of supply chain management, "Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego"

Supply Chain Talent: Today, Tomorrow, and in the Not-Too-Distant Future

Session Recording

The impact of digitalization, the increasing opportunities to work virtually, and the lack of understanding and appreciation for the supply chain profession, are creating a global talent shortage crisis. Contributing factors include: changing skill requirements; an aging workforce; companies not taking steps to create or feed their future talent pipeline; a perception that supply chain jobs lack excitement; and more. Current statistics show there is currently one highly qualified supply chain candidate for every six job openings. The demand for talent with these highly sought-after skills is high and growing fast. More technology than ever before is available for managing supply chains, including autonomous vehicles, warehouse robots, 3D printing, and handheld smart devices.

Key takeaways from this session include:

Current and future skills and attributes desired by industry
The impact of digital transformation on supply chain career paths
Strategies to make organizations more attractive to the best talent
Techniques and best practices for organizations to retain and grow talent
What’s in store for the future

Facilitator: Joel Sutherland, professor of practice, "Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego"