Supply Chain Monthly

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT AND LEARN FROM YOUR PEERS
 
For 58 years, CSCMP has hosted supply chain’s premier event, the EDGE Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition. EDGE provides attendees from all over the world with the opportunity to be empowered with new ideas and connections that can be utilized throughout their careers.
 
This year, EDGE 2021 will be one of the very first, face-to-face events of its kind in the supply chain management discipline since the COVID-19 health crisis and pandemic began in early 2020. It is simultaneously a tremendous opportunity and a great responsibility.
 
The CSCMP staff, member volunteers, and expert contributors have been working hard not only to deliver the quality content, access, and value you have known us for, but also to spotlight trends and important topics that have arisen since we last physically convened in 2019. We will discuss topics like innovation; talent; diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I); transportation optimization; digitization; supply chain visibility; and so much more.
 
Your EDGE 2021 experience will, indeed, be different than in previous years. There will be moments of social awkwardness as we greet one another. Fist bumps, hugs, or waves, I challenge you to embrace it all. Seize the opportunity to network with real people, your professional peer group, face-to-face while doing so, safely. 
 
As an organization, CSCMP exists to CONNECT, EDUCATE, and DEVELOP, but we also serve as a witness to and shaper of supply chain history. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn, to lean into the content delivered via the educational sessions, and skill up with ideas and resources that you can utilize for your own career development. It is an investment in yourself and your career. Do not underestimate the power of relationships … relationships that matter. That’s CSCMP.
 
Finally, CSCMP believes that education is the foundation of continuous improvement. We, as supply chain professionals and ambassadors, never stop learning, never stop giving. We care about you; we care about your customers. We are confident that the EDGE conference will provide you with a broader, deeper vision of the profession; an opportunity to participate in relevant learning programs and networking activities; and the inspiration to enhance your personal and organizational development.

Software selection methodologies have traditionally followed the same framework, including some initial discovery, requirement gathering, bringing multiple vendors to the table, and then iterating for weeks or even months on the decision.
 
Rather than sitting through demos of software that most likely aren’t going to be selected, couldn’t the team’s time be better spent?
 
We believe the answer is yes. A more focused approach can reduce time spent on software selection for you and your organization by 30-50%.
 
Liberty Advisor Group explores how you can:

Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the only publication covering the entire global supply chain, announces the winners of its 2021 Women in Supply Chain award.

The Women in Supply Chain award honors female supply chain leaders and executives whose accomplishments, mentorship and examples set a foundation for women in all levels of a company’s supply chain network. This year’s list includes individuals from software and service providers, consultancies and academia, trucking and transportation firms, professional development agencies, sourcing and procurement divisions, and more, all who have helped supply chain clients and the supply chain community at large prepare to meet many of today’s—and tomorrow’s—challenges.

“These women are just absolutely amazing in so many ways. They’ve re-tooled, re-innovated and revamped how the world sees the supply chain and logistics industry. They’ve paved the way for future female supply chain leaders to become a part of an industry that matters. Because women in the supply chain matter. And, some of these women are young, which means, they’re just getting started,” said Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. “I’m honored to recognize and celebrate the achievements of so many female supply chain leaders.”

Visit www.sdcexec.com to view the full list of 2021 Women in Supply Chain winners.

"Supply Chain is in my blood, as my father was a past President of NCPDM and in the Supply Chain Hall of Fame. CSCMP is the thought leader and sharing platform for our profession. I have always wanted to 'share' my unique global supply chain knowledge with our future supply chain leaders. Join the local committee. Follow your interests. Attend seminars."

"I joined in 2002. I always believe in continuous learning and development, and as the premier organization in the supply chain industry CSCMP was a shoo-in both for learning and for networking. It was just something I had to do. Since then, my company got involved in sponsoring the Bay Area Chapter of CSCMP, and we continue to contribute with board members. I believe communities only exist when there is healthy give and take, and I am committed to doing both. Be involved in your regional CSCMP roundtable. The events are engaging and fun, and I really enjoy meeting and exchanging ideas with the members in my area. From a networking standpoint it is hard to beat having a room filled with clients, potential clients, suppliers, and industry practitioners all at the same time."

Schneider has been a provider of transportation and logistics services for 85+ years─specializing in all facets of the supply chain and has the resources, knowledge and technology to tackle a wide variety of customer challenges. As one of the first asset-based carriers to formalize a logistics division nearly 30 years ago, Schneider has a reputation for going above and beyond for shippers and for providing services that improve their bottom line.

Softeon is a global supply chain software company with a broad suite of solutions anchored by their Warehouse Management System (WMS), Warehouse Execution System (WES), and Distributed Order Management (DOM) systems.

 

As the pandemic and mounting frustration over racial and social inequity came to a boil last year, our leadership team began discussing how to address the importance of diversity and the expanding need for skilled workers. As we looked at our core values as an organization, we knew that our commitment to continuing education, sustainability efforts, and global perspective were attractive qualities to our workforce. However, we knew we had to do more to increase diversity in our offices and warehouses and strengthen our upskilling programs to help our employees grow.
 
Having started at the bottom in the logistics industry at the start of my career, I understood the value of on-the-job training and the ability to move up within an organization. Millennials and Gen Z'ers may have a reputation for job-hopping. However, my observations are that if you provide a workplace that encourages learning, flexibility, and the ability to earn more money while having new experiences, people tend to stick around–no matter their generation affiliation. Still, the events of 2020 changed the world. We had to take action to change with it.

According to the August Logistics Manager’s Index Report^®, the overall index is 73.8, down slightly from July but still the fifth highest in the history of the index. This is all the more interesting when considering the index hit this mark immediately after reaching the second- and third-highest readings the two months prior. The LMI is a change index, not a measure of absolute growth. So the fact that the logistics industry still displayed this high rate of growth after expanding so rapidly in the two previous months speaks to the unprecedented stretch of growth we are currently observing. Indeed, in the period from June-August 2021, the LMI averaged a growth rate of 74.4, the highest three-month stretch in the history of the index.