The new year stretches out in front of us representing new opportunities. But for many supply chain professionals, it also dashes the hope of a better 2022. Those that used to say, “I can’t wait until things turn back to normal" are now saying, “I am in the midst of a new normal.” 

That’s as uncomfortable of a scenario as it is an opportunity. We, as supply chain professionals, are at our best when disciplined, fine-tuned business processes operate within the body of knowledge and systems we understand. Sudden change and catastrophic impact to supply chains creates ... well you know, 2020 and 2021. Is the road ahead significantly different in 2022?

Look, no doubt we have all learned a great deal, but the look-back is not where supply chain lives. That’s where history lives. We learn from it, and we use it to shape the future. And you're the future shaper!

Just because the calendar indicates it’s a new year, 2022 begins with the same challenges that concluded 2021. The global demand cycle continues, coupled with the ongoing human-health impacts on labor. But taking what we have learned and turning that into an opportunity to reinvent and innovate — that’s what supply chain professionals do.

 

People leaders, who manage within the supply chain, play a vital role in recruiting, retaining and developing talent. Technology, automation, and realigned and strategic shift in supply chain strategy all take capable and competent talent to implement. Nothing happens without talent. In fact, it's no different than the saying “math is everywhere” — successful supply chains have “competent talent everywhere.”   

Smart people leaders and smart operational talent realizes that to succeed, continuous learning is paramount. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest.

I often quote one of the finest leadership gurus, John Maxwell, who shares this Chinese proverb: “To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.”

 

This year is a year of developing talent. From sharpening the fundamentals of supply chain knowledge to collecting new, cutting-edge innovations that can be obtained and implemented through new business processes and partnerships.

And that’s why CSCMP is here. As members of CSCMP, you are afforded the very best in ongoing learning, certification, peer-to-peer and leader-to-leader connections to learn and solve for the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

As your professional association, CSCMP is committed to both developing and arming supply chain professionals to be successful in their pursuit of excellence throughout their careers as well as advancing our discipline and accomplishing CSCMP’s mission of a truly integrated end-to-end supply chain. 

 

CSCMP will continue to deliver outstanding thought leadership and research in 2022, and we are already working with strategic partners to release several cutting-edge research reports, including:

CSCMP members represent every stage of professional development, from student to retiree, and each one of them has his or her own unique needs. CSCMP strives to serve them all.

Students beginning their career journey should explore networking using CSCMP’s Mentorship Program and Career Center. New managers looking to develop leadership skills are invited to volunteer with your local roundtable, and young professionals seeking credentials to secure a promotion should consider CSCMP’s SCPro^TM Certification. And if you're a senior leader looking to pay it forward, think about speaking at one of our conferences and events, writing an article for one of our publications or mentoring one of our Young Professional members.

Don't miss out on all these opportunities to engage, learn, mentor and be at the cutting edge of supply chain thought leadership! Learn more about the opportunities mentioned above at cscmp.org. And, I encourage you to take advantage of our two years of Premier membership offer below.

The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Supply Chain Quarterly (SCQ) have released the 3rd annual salary survey for supply chain management professionals. This collaborative survey focuses on collecting data to analyze the current state of salaries and overall compensation for professionals working in supply chain. Survey questions will review data that spans salary by years of experience, position, education level, certification, title and job function, geographical location, and overall job satisfaction data.

The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete, and your anonymous feedback will help us better understand the salary trends for supply chain professionals.

The results will be published in the Q2 2022 issue of CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly and on www.supplychainquarterly.com.

 

Take the new survey by CSCMP and ToolsGroup! Digital Supply Chain Planning Outlook 2022 will reveal:

Be sure to request a copy of the report at the end of the survey.

SCPro™ Certification is a three-tiered program that assesses progressive knowledge and skills across integrated supply chain activities. This process validates an individual’s ability to strategically assess business challenges and effectively implement supply chain improvements through the analysis of real-world case studies and the development of a comprehensive project plan to achieve results, such as a positive ROI.

"I joined CSCMP in 2019, looking to expand my network but mainly to be up to date on supply chain topics/news. The courses, webinars and roundtables helped me the most, and even the SCPRO certification helped me inside my company to be recognized as an expert. At a roundtable at a local university, I was able to develop a relationship with the staff, and now our team could leverage that to find new candidates (and) join forces for projects — but especially for new ideas."

Kansas City Heartland Roundtable
"We're in our second year of CSCMP membership, with the hope of meeting supply chain practitioners in the global food supply chain and commodity ag. The reports have been invaluable. I'm looking forward to more in-person events as we move past COVID restrictions. With COVID restrictions, I have been in New Zealand, but what is really valuable to me about CSCMP is the network of expertise that is available and the training and insights that it offers."

Isometric Technologies (ISO) is a collaborative SaaS and analytics solution that streamlines the data reconciliation process between large manufacturers, transportation providers and other third-party stakeholders in the supply chain, acting as a single source of truth to measure how service affects the true landed cost of doing business. By associating costs from chargebacks and service-level failures to the responsible parties, ISO surfaces actionable insights that help optimize complex business relationships. Learn more at iso.io.

It's Leah here to remind you to stay the course. Are your New Year's goals already escaping you? Keep your focus with these words of encouragement, and click below to find a new supply chain career opportunity. Don't forget, we're here to help. Reach out or visit CSCMP's Career Center for more resources.

With all of the changes we've been through within our supply chain and professional lives, now is a great time to stay connected with your supply chain peers and take advantage of CSCMP benefits.
 

Renew your CSCMP Premier membership and save $139* versus paying $299 annually when you select the two-year membership option. Take advantage by Feb. 28, 2022. Use coupon code PREMIER40 at checkout.

Invest $459 now and get two years of CSCMP membership, network and benefits!

Renew Your Premier Membership, and during the checkout process select the option to join for two years. Enter code PREMIER40 at checkout and capture the lowest price of the year. *Offer limited to two years of CSCMP Premier membership.

At a time of profound disruption, organizations are digitizing their supply chain operations, yet many of them have failed to address the human element — specifically, how employees can absorb and use all the valuable new information to make decisions. This new report from KPMG, entitled “Value of speed: Deliver on the digital supply chain promise with rapid decision making” helps companies accelerate decision-making by analyzing the challenges that need to be overcome and the benefits of establishing collaborative processes that cut across silos.

This report focuses on the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process. It explains how to begin simplifying and accelerating decision-making and outlines the tangible value of faster decisions, as demonstrated in a supply chain simulation model. Companies aiming to digitize the supply chain must start with a sound cross-functional decision-making framework, where technological innovation, organizational alignment and human intelligence intersect, the report says.

The analysis discusses a range of pressing issues when enhancing the role of S&OP. Readers will learn how to refine decision-making and create a cross-functional matrix to enable agreement on the organization’s demand and supply plans.

1. Expansion of the 5G Network – The increase of 5G handset availability and the rise of remote working on the background of consumer acceptance will fuel the expansion of the 5G network in 2022.

Join CSCMP's Member Engagement Manager, Timothy Pajak, to learn about member-to-member relationship building, professional development, local roundtables, the annual EDGE Conference, the Career Center, how to access the members-only directory, volunteer opportunities and more.

We are entering a new industrial age. Smart technologies are transforming how we produce goods, connect to customers and conceptualize the business. It’s time for supply chain executives to embrace their role as business-change agents and to implement the advanced mindsets and capabilities for leading in the age of intelligent machines.

 

Changes are happening now in supply chains that have the potential to transform the entire business enterprise. The long-sought-after holy grail of more agile and resilient supply chains with strong connections to customers is finally within reach, thanks to technology’s ability to provide end-to-end performance visibility, big data analytics and real-time information to everyone.

According to the January Logistics Manager’s Index Report^®, the overall index is at 71.9, up from December’s reading of 70. This marks 12 consecutive months of readings over 70.0, which the LMI team considers a significant rate of expansion. This is largely driven by the unseasonal spike in inventories, continued growth in price and the lack of available capacity. The lack of capacity is likely to continue to be a problem given the level of inventory currently moving through supply chains. January is generally a slower time for supply chains, with previous January LMI readings averaging 63.0, below the all-time index average of 64.8. 

 

Do you feel that? The excitement this physical event is generating is palpable! Submit your application to become an official EDGE 2022 Supply Chain Exchange Exhibitor to position your brand as a global innovator and leader in the end-to-end supply chain.

New for 2022
Startup Alley – Designed for startup companies to come together in a collaborative environment, Startup Alley will provide opportunities to discuss and learn new and innovative solutions to the many industry disruptions and demands we face today.