Monday’s Keynote: AWESOME Women Promote New Technology, Mentorship and Amplifying Women’s Voices

Monday morning's keynote brought together a diverse group of women who spoke on the acceleration of change and technology in the industry, and the role that women play in initiating that change.
 
The keynote was moderated by Michelle Dilley of AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education), a group that brings women in the industry together to act as the catalyst for innovation and industry improvements. Panelists included:
• Annette Danek Akey, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Penguin Random House
• Maria G. Llamas, Sr. Director – Fulfillment Productivity & Systems, Hasbro
• Ammie McAsey, SVP Customer Distribution Experience, McKesson
• Rachel Cox, Director – Supply Chain Strategy, Grupo Bimbo
 
The focus of the discussion centered around the change initiated by the pandemic, and the subsequent accelerated push for investments in new technology, including an increased focus on automation. The new technology will make it possible to improve overall processes and employee experiences. This aligns with new initiatives to increase the investment in people through providing the right tools, ensuring enhanced safety and making sure employees have a good overall experience. To augment the employee experience, automation can provide the ability to take repetitive processes out of the mix. Another part of this equation is making sure employees hired have the ability to finetune the automation equipment, as well as ensuring the right technology is used in the right amount.

The group talked about leveraging the knowledge of current employees and really listening to feedback from the floor, as acting on that information can empower the workforce. An understanding of the maturity of your organization is also important—some distribution centers are highly mature in their operations, but others need to be improved, and having a nuanced understanding of the level your company is at will allow you to come up with priorities and act on them.

In order to move new processes forward, the group felt it was necessary to gauge which employees would be interested in participating in the technology’s implementation, but more importantly, as leaders, there needs to be a discussion to figure out what technology should be next, also planning implementation.

As far as where the industry is as at a whole, there was consensus that after the pandemic, the industry worked together more than ever before. But challenges remain, including inflation, the labor shortage and the need for automation. There’s also a need for greater data transfer and collaboration throughout the supply chain, and a renewed focus on sustainability. 

The panel also discussed how women in supply chain continue to hit the proverbial glass ceiling. There’s a need to recruit more women into the industry, which is why active mentorships and a solid network are important. It can be intimidating to break into a male-dominated industry, so take advantage of opportunities like volunteering at organizations like MHI and actively participate in your network. It is incumbent upon all of us to bring people into the supply chain, especially the next generation. Be an active ally and really learn others’ backstories and experiences, and then guide them on the best opportunities for their skillsets. And, participate in employee resource groups, encouraging male employees to also attend so they can hear concerns.

As final advice, the group said the following:

• Diversity matters—including diversity of thought. When you have different voices represented, you’ll have the best solution
• Invest in your careers, but ensure you have personal work life balance and make sure you’re supporting your own values and priorities.
• Empower the next generation, amplify our voices and don’t take a back seat.
• Be awesome to someone else—make a difference in other people’s lives.