The Empowering Influence
Sharpen your Percep ons with Women Leadership
Most
Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain & Logistics
Choose to Challenge Women: The New Trailblazers in Supply Chain
2022
President
Beltmann Integrated Logistics
A Significant Example of Adaptive Leadership VOL-05 | ISSUE-14 | 2022
www.insightssuccess.com
Editor’s Desk The Gems of Supply Chain
O
ver the course of years, we have seen unprecedented disruptions where new dynamics have entered the global market, and the supply chain industry is one of them. Addressing the supply chain will require a long-term strategic response from all the leaders across the ecosystem. The industry has learned to deal with crises and volatility with the changing leadership positions globally. Today, business leaders solve the toughest logistical challenges for the biggest supply chain brands. Leaders are solving complex end-to-end transportation and logistics challenges for retail and direct-to-consumer distribution channels through their comprehensive capabilities. They have become a leading player in innovating complete high-scale supply chain solutions across electronics, consumer goods, retail, and beyond. Business leaders are pushing the boundaries of what's possible by managing transportation relationships and helping reduce costs while improving supply chain visibility. However, as online businesses have grown, organizations have started leveraging their logistics and transportation resources to provide direct-to-consumer delivery for clients. Leaders have initiated this transformation after noticing that many of the clients are looking for delivery service providers to manage their fulfillment services so they can capitalize on the technological trend. These leaders have expanded beyond the business footprint, which has led to the development of a new set of offerings that match the clients' constantly evolving needs. Business leaders continue to provide transparency, growth, and excellence in their ability to deliver on core logistics and supply-chain management requirements. This being said, people in business always had these abilities in their DNA.
It all boils down to simple things for them while operating supply chain challenges Customer satisfaction – They clearly understand how supply chain communications impact the organization. Most of the leaders bring new ways to manage the supply chain and get new ideas on the table for better customer satisfaction and service. Need for collaborative leadership: There is much smoke and mirrors out there, and there are many leaders that say they can do many things, but when you get down to it, that is where the difficult part begins, and true business leaders have always risen in such situations. The future looks bright with such leaders at the helm of supply chain, and their success must be celebrated. This gives Insights Success a reason to share the success stories of such leaders in the supply chain by featuring them in its upcoming edition - The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain & Logistics2022. You will see the story of Steve Lewey on the cover of this edition which is the at the President at Beltmann Integrated Logistics. Beltmann strives to be a leader in each of the industries it serves. Its vision is to provide a simplified state of any complex logistical challenge. According to Steve, the most important way to accomplish this is by retaining and acquiring exceptional talent within these spaces. Ensure that you have a fun read and go through the articles written by our in-house editorial team. Read On!
Sourabh More sourabh@insightssuccess.com
Cover Story
Articles
30
Empowering Influence
Sharpen your Perceptions with Women Leadership
46
Choose to Challenge
Women: The New Trailblazers in Supply Chain
Contents
Leading the Way and Helping Others to Succeed
18
Claire Bretzke
Delivering Results-Driven Multitudes of Marketing
Maria Villablanca
Monique Alblas
Navigating the Complexities of Changing Business Models in Supply Chain
32
Mariam Saad
Exemplifying Resilient Leadership
Leading with Perseverance and Giving Voice to Supply Chain Community
Shimon Gowda
56
Joel Sutherland
Maximizing Profitability in Supply Chains
36
48
22
Bequeathing Future Visionaries of Supply Chain
26
Alma Arzate
40
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey
A Passionate Leader in the Supply Chain Space
The Supply Chain Management Maestro
52 Tarun Rai Khurana
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor Sourabh More
Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes Sourabh More
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
Associate Designer
David King
Sonia Raizada
Shyam Sonawane
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives David, Martin, Rahul
John Matthew Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Saurabh
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Atul Dhoran
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com May, 2022
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The
Most
Acclaimed Leaders in
Supply Chain &
Logistics2022 Featured Person
Company Name
Description
Alma Arzate, Director Global Supply Chain Logistics
Apotex apotex.com
Apotex Inc. is a proudly Canadian, global pharmaceutical company.
Irasema Calvo Sr. Supply Chain Manager
Lucira Health lucirahealth.com
Lucira Health's technology is transforming - reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
Joel Sutherland Professor of Practice in Supply Chain Management
University of San Diego sandiego.edu
University of San Diego is committed to developing socially responsible business leaders.
Mariam Saad Director of Procurement
TELUS telus.com
TELUS, is building a better future for all Canadians by using technology for good and giving back to our community.
Maria P. Villablanca Co-Founder and CEO
Future Insights Network futureinsights.org
Future Insights Network is the next-generation community of business leaders.
Monique Alblas VP, Consulting
GEP gep.com
GEP® delivers transformative supply chain solutions.
Steve Lewey President
Beltmann Integrated Logistics beltmann.com
Beltmann Moving and Storage has extensive experience moving individuals, families, and businesses within the city, across state lines, and all over the country.
Sarah B. Humphrey Podcast Host & Founder
Let's Talk Supply Chain letstalksupplychain.com
Let's Talk Supply Chain features the top of the industry, diverse voices from within the community, new innovation and the disrupters making waves.
Shimon Gowda Manager, Supply Chain Design Practice
Chainalytics chainalytics.com
Chainalytics has been the leader in data-driven supply chain transformations.
Tarun Rai Khurana Head Purchase & Supply Chain Management
Uflex Limited – Chemicals Business uflexltd.com
Flex is India's largest flexible packaging company.
S T O R
Steve Lewey President
Beltmann Integrated Logistics
Y
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain & Logistics- 2022
STEVE
Lewey
Beltmann Integrated Logistics is not merely a vendor for your company - we are an extension of your sta with a clear understanding of our responsibility to replicate your organization's goals, cost controls, and strategic focus.
A
young boy from the rural town of DeRidder, Louisiana, was introduced to the moving and storage industry at the age of 14; today, he leads as the President at Beltmann Integrated Logistics. Meet Steve Lewey, who had an unconventional professional journey and has worked his way up with sheer determination and business acumen. Steve started his first job as a mover/helper at Allied Van Lines; assisting in the loading and unloading of household goods shipments. He kept learning various skills, and soon he was helping with packing items and inventorying shipments. By the time he had graduated from high school, Steve was one of the most requested helpers from drivers conducting moving-packing work within 50 miles of his hometown. Steve caught the bug of working in the logistics arena in the 1980s, making $10.00 an hour, which was significant for his age. The Path Walked On After graduating from high school, Steve attended Miami of Ohio University and leveraged his Allied Van Line experience to land a job with Lincoln Storage. He managed
Beltmann's goal is to be the most customerfocused provider in the industry by understanding your organization's objectives and those of the clients you serve, and to meet and exceed them with the delivered service.
a six-story warehouse records facility as well as their Commercial and Household Goods business. He notes, "At the time, we had over 150 clients that kept archives at our facilities, interconnected with our commercial moving services." Steve always had a learning edge and looked to grow his experience and compensation. One of the primary ways to accomplish his goals at an early age was to diversify his experience by getting a class A CDL to drive tractor-trailers and own the jobs he was assigned. He shares, "The license allowed me to lead commercial relocation jobs and even handle some household goods shipments. By the time I was 24, I had been exposed to all the operational aspects of the moving and storage business." Later, Steve's father asked to help him start a Paper Industry Business Vertical within a Chemical Company out of Texas. They worked together to launch the initiative and witnessed immediate success with his knowledge of logistics and his father's knowledge of paper making. Getting product from a toll blender to a tanker truck to a storage facility at a site to an application on the paper machine was a logistical challenge that fell into Steve's responsibility. It was moving chemicals instead of materials. It was more challenging with regulatory compliance, but the process was similar. At 30, Steve went back to Lincoln Storage to work side by side with ownership as the Vice President of the company, implementing technology and process to all logistical aspects of the business. Five years later, Steve was recruited to work with Plane Companies, leaping his career to the next level. He mentions, "Planes' T.E.A.M. culture allowed me the opportunity to innovate and build products and concepts to change marketplaces. The situation was different from typical logistical work with trucks and warehousing; it required a more strategic approach focusing on risk assessment and management. My focus turned towards planning and getting the right people with expertise to build out logistical models with a consultative flare." Steve continues, "The projects ranged from developing workflows within research facilities that had primates on campus settings to managing opening night schedules at a venue to be combined with a construction schedule at a
casino-hotel-entertainment venue. My career took on a new life that was not just about logistics but started reshaping focus as I realized it was changing those involved with the project's lives." After 15 years leading variety of integrated service delivery platform projects and pioneering technology changes, Steve was approached with an opportunity to lead the Beltmann Integrated Logistics team. Steve had the opportunity to be a part of the roast that was given to his predecessor. It brought every positive emotional experience to light, from laughter to sadness and joy, with tears reflecting genuine good times. Steve shares, "At the end of the meeting, the Battina family offered a parting gift that spoke specifically to the passion of the former President. It was generous and thoughtful and was the perfect way to respect the efforts of someone who gave to the Beltmann company for so many years of his life. I knew at that juncture that I had stepped into something special. I got to see the company from the inside versus what I had assessed from the outside. I knew the mission would be attainable, and our visions aligned with how we would get there through our exceptional people."
Denting the Universe Steve has been extremely fortunate to have been associated with several ground-breaking projects in the industry. He worked with various experts in their field of study, leading to several technological advancements, unique team deployment scenarios, and process innovations in multiple sectors across logistical landscapes. Below are a few projects where Steve had an integral role within specialized teams having a significant impact in each industry: Lead logistics Architect for the Largest School Consolidations and Decommissioning in U.S. History • • • • • •
Project span of less than a year from logistical planning to implementation Over 4 million square feet of decommissioned space with 160 plus locations Over 25,000 IT assets repurposed Local community engagement to enable workspace entry points for a diverse group of labor Private and public security coordination for safety Over 700 laborers and 50 project managers coordinated with trucking and warehousing for the final week project close out
•
Facilitated a Resource a Fair to provide reverse logistics that closed out 90 locations, consolidated to one location for inventory and redeployment to over 500 locations – disposition modeling at its best! ROI of over $ 2,000,000.00
• •
requirements and compliance Construction – FFE Installation schedule coordination with multiple shifts of on-site work Expediting solutions for supply chain challenges considering fully wrapped rooms with field modifications JIT delivery with tight dock management schedules of activating a casino
Regional Distribution for Annual Girls Scout Cookie Pick-up & Delivery
•
• •
H1N1 Vaccine & PPE Deployment Programming and Assessment
Touching over 1,200,000 boxes of cookies annually Managing transition from the bakery to multiple warehouses to delivery sites to troops to happy recipients
National Harbor Casino Project
• • •
•
European Hospitality Concept coming to the US
• •
Transportation, receiving, warehousing, delivery, and installation of FFE for a 23-story hotel with 135,000 sq ft of gaming space, retail space, spa, seven full-service restaurants, a 3,000-seat theater, 27,000 square feet of meeting space Procurement – logistics coordination for rooming package with European manufacturer Gaming Commission coordination for on-site
Whether you chase your dream early and find your path in the Freight Forwarding space or work to innovate from within a larger team, dream big, press hard as the industry needs you.
• • • • •
Distribution of PPE Inventory control planning Logistical planning for inbound and outbound products
European Manufacturer coordination on best labeling/packaging practices for translation Consolidating, brokering, customs, and international freight via air and sea Receiving in the US to local warehousing Coordinating with GC, Design, and Ownership for JIT delivery to site for installation Final mile installation of new modular concept of rooms
US Military Base Facility Improvement Projects around the World • • • •
Manage logistics of FFE to site Warehousing at strategic locations to best facilitate JIT deliveries Manage Labor security clearances to facilitate best installation practices Coordinate GC schedules and installation of minor medical equipment
Major Medical Manufacturer Recall •
Manage logistics of thousands of units from Manufacturer to end use at clinical engineering departments within hospitals for North American facilities
•
• •
Sourcing local technicians to manage electrical components of recall with coordination of timing of delivery to placement and maintenance Reverse logistics for all recalled equipment Documentation of ID - serial numbers and CE numbers for compliance
H1N1 Vaccine and PPE Logistics • • •
Manage logistics from state warehouse to healthcare facilities Coordination with State Troopers for escorts Maintenance of security and confidentiality of program rollout
Multiple Children/University Hospital Transitions • • • • •
•
Medical Equipment Planning Activation Planning of all logistical aspects required to get equipment from the manufacturer to the hospital Transportation of New and Used Medical Equipment to integrate with Patient Move Day scheduling Warehousing of OFCI and OFOI product Risk assessment and planning of the physical relocation of the existing hospital to a future hospital to maintain the integrity of patient care Manage the logistical elements of equipment redundancies to ensure continuity of care
Steve states that the most significant impact he has made in his career is within the healthcare transition space. The logistics of activating a new hospital, relocating a working hospital, and transferring patients to a new patient care environment requires expertise. The tasks involved coordinating hundreds of vendors and products consolidating into one end-user facility, which requires risk assessment, scope gap analysis, and a proven process to make it most effective. Steve mentions that the industry was asked to reduce between 18 and 22% of the cost out of the healthcare model during Obamacare's initial assessments. There were limited ways to achieve this goal; thus, consolidating and integrating multiple services of the delivery model like what happened with IPD in the construction Space allowed significant cost savings.
Asset Recovery Project Steve notes, "The most dynamic impact in our logistics niche is taking multiple complex logistical challenges within the programming of a project and integrating them all into one single source of accountability. This consolidation reduces risk, expedites scheduling, alleviates layers of costs, leverages the client's spend, enhances communication through fewer technology touchpoints, and maximizes the density of freight labor in a specific sector of programming. This integration is the change agent to traditional procurement modeling of logistics that I believe can help achieve optimal value within logistics structures for our clients." Committed Customer Satisfaction Beltmann Integrated Logistics is an integrated logistics solution provider that touches many markets, serving the healthcare, hospitality, retail, asset recovery, coin-op gaming, and transportation management. Our mission is to deliver nationwide logistics management solutions on time and on target with our customer’s vision; whether it is driven through patient-centric solutions in healthcare or guest experiences in hospitality, or buying experiences in retail, it is a customized approach that differs for all applications. Beltmann Integrated Logistics provides a boutique type logistics solution that focuses on complex challenges beyond transportation, delivery, and logistics. The team works with the most difficult logistical challenges from the
approach of problem solving, by minimizing waste and reducing hand offs. There are some simple principals at the core of this that drives our culture: •
• • • • • Collaborative TEAM Session most basic logistical process of moving items from a manufacturer to a destination point. It brings value-added services to each part of the supply chain through project planning, risk assessment, and on-site project leadership. Steve expresses that by evaluating each independent transfer of knowledge or product and the stakeholders associated with it in the supply chain, Beltmann was able to strip an average of 18% out of the costs of the logistics supply chain. This was accomplished by leveraging multiple aspects of the Beltmann logistical process and team working together, including implementing its whiteglove service on-site. Beltmann strives to be a leader in each of the industries it serves. Its vision is to provide a simplified state of any complex logistical challenge. The most important way to accomplish this is by retaining and acquiring exceptional talent within these spaces. Steve says, " Ultimately, we believe our customers win through our people, process, and technology." Simplicity at the Core Beltmann believes the core of Complex Moves made Simple™ is essential to solving today's logistical challenges. This can be accomplished with the lean
• •
Striving to share lessons learned to make itself better every day. It is a blameless work environment. Empowering Leaders to make decisions for expeditious action Fostering accountability to achieve the Mission Focusing on the positive energy and calling out negative energy Leading with Integrity and Honesty Sharing the good news and the bad news without bias or missed conversations Communicating, which requires listening Providing a vehicle for Fierce Dialogue
Steve states that Complex Moves Made Simple™ may read as a simple statement. However, the call to action within it is difficult to accomplish without T.E.A.M. Beltmann Integrated Logistics believes in T.E.A.M. and incorporates it in everything the company does. The T.E.A.M. concept is the framework that allows its values and work culture to thrive. The T is for Trust, the E is for Enthusiasm, the A is for Actions, and M is for Motivation. The company's T.E.A.M. values allow it to align with its Client's goals and foster positive energy within any equation. It talks about its T.E.A.M. in every morning huddle or meeting. Steve explains, "We express T.E.A.M. in our communication internally and externally. We live T.E.A.M. within our everyday workflows. By adding T.E.A.M. to any formula for success, we have found that what comes after the equals sign has more positive results." Adaptive Technology Beltmann Integrated Logistics is constantly working to innovate by making enhancements to its technological offering. It works in its proprietary technology solution of TotalTrak to capture all chain of custody hand-offs and
report these back in real-time as the transactions are happening. Beltmann focuses on integrating every aspect of the product life cycle into its technology platform. It is an ongoing endeavor with significant investment from Beltmann to lead our niche in the industry. Here are some high-level areas we continue to place our focus to optimize current applications: • Multiple WMS systems connectivity • Industry-specific platforms interconnectivity (Attainia, Autodesk, etc.) • Visibility mechanism to all points of the supply chain through dashboards • Field service connectivity to upstream supply chain interface • Vendor management portal enhancement to enable better communication • ROI cycling for asset management • Procurement interconnectivity • Reverse Logistics interconnectivity to future project design • Consolidated freight management modules to maximize space utilization Beltmann is looking at all tracking technology advancements in its space. This includes tracking people and expressions that may drive fixture set up in retail space to advancements in tracking items in dead zones shipping internationally. Beltmann is committed to understanding new technology and continually working with its IT developers to customize its technology to the market. Over the Horizon Beltmann is already known for its innovation and expertise in the spaces it currently serves. Steve's goal is to continue to strengthen its existing Verticals with exceptional talent and build upon its current technology platform with TotalTak. Steve mentions, "In the next five years, my goal is for Beltmann Integrated Logistics to be a leader in our existing Verticals while introducing new Verticals with similar challenges in Corporate, Life Sciences, Education, and Manufacturing."
Beltmann is looking to lead with technology and bring asset-based solutions alongside its planning expertise as an integrated delivery platform, striving to be in early as a planner and implement the plan once complete. Steve mentions, "We will be building our strategic network and our asset-based footprint more aggressively as capacity challenges continue to cause havoc within the quality of services available and cost modeling. We feel that by engaging and facilitating the planning process, we will be able to lead in the logistical service delivery more effectively. This will enable us to stabilize our growth pattern and strategically align with our customer base upfront on integrated business planning for future collective initiatives. My long-term vision is to be a part of the Beltmann Integrated Logistics Team and lead our vision of an integrated logistics delivery solution to all industries we serve." Bequeathing Brilliance Steve took an entrepreneurial path for his journey but given today’s environment and the resources available, here are a few things Steve would recommend for someone interested in pursuing a career in logistics: Steve’s Top 5 Recommendations: • • • • •
Do your research. Identify your Passion so you can love what you do. Align with a Leader, Mentor, or Company that will support your career path. Interview those in the field you are pursuing. Be a subject matter expert. Engage in the weeds early to learn the details.
“Whether you chase your dream early and find your path in the Freight Forwarding space or work to innovate from within a larger Team, dream big, press hard as the industry needs you," Steve concludes.
Alma Arzate
Director, Global Supply Chain Logistics Apotex Inc.
Alma Arzate Leading the Way and Helping Others to Succeed
L
ife is uncertain, and the only constants are growth and challenges. If one perceives the problems as opportunities to improve, growth is inevitable. Similarly, when it comes to the supply chain industry, challenges prove themselves to be a great way to grow professionally. Overcoming these challenges every day with the support of a diverse team of 140 supply chain professionals is Alma Arzate. Alma is the Director of Global Supply Chain Logistics at Apotex. Driven by her goal to deliver transformational results, her global experience has been built over two
decades across the supply chain and operations. Her background and expertise are multi-faceted. However, her passion lies in bringing order from chaos, whether it be through people development, systems implementations, or processes improvements, leveraging all of her first-hand experiences gained from the Automotive, Electronics, Medical Devices, CPG, and Pharma industries. In an interview conducted with Insights Success, Alma sheds light on her professional journey to become an inspirational leader how she constantly aims to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
May 2022 | 18 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022 Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Apotex. What challenges have you overcome to reach where you are today? I am originally from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Juárez is the sister city of El Paso, Texas, United States. Together with the surrounding areas, these two cities form the second largest binational metropolitan area on the Mexico-U.S. border, with a combined population of over 2.2 million people. There is a thriving maquiladora industry, with over 300 multinational companies operating in my hometown, so this is where I started my career. Supply Chain was never highlighted as a possible career pathway while I was attending the Instituto Tecnológico de Ciudad Juarez, where I completed my B.B.A., or the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez, where I completed my M.B.A. When I learned that there was a vacancy as a Buyer, Indirect Procurement in the same company I was working for, I decided to apply. This was a couple of years after graduation. I only had Finance experience, but the hiring manager decided to take a chance on me. I really enjoyed the fast pace, how I had to be resourceful to help resolve many challenges, and being able to make tangible contributions to support the business. Once I came over to the supply chain side, I never left. There have been many challenges that I have had to overcome; just to name a few: the supply chain has been and still is a male-dominated field. I have been the only woman in the room more times than I can count. I have also been put in new positions where there was no one else before me, and I had to find my own way, sometimes even having to write my own job description! Then, as I chose to restart my career in Canada 14 years ago, this required a lot of perseverance to achieve a successful integration into a new country, culture, and workplace expectations. The lack of female role models has also been a challenge throughout my career, but luckily, I have had a lot of kind and supportive male role models and sponsors that have helped me get to where I am today. Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Supply Chain Industry. For many years, I have been focusing on whatever time I can spare to lift others. Despite my sometimes hectic professional and personal life, I am passionate about actively supporting multiple initiatives related to supply chain, education, women, and immigrant advancement. My hope is that whoever attends these events will learn from
my journey and the many obstacles I have had to overcome to find my voice and be recognized as a leader, and through ongoing dialogue, they will also be inspired to find ways to continue to persevere, achieve their own dreams, and become the best version of themselves. I am an enthusiastic supporter of the co-op program at Apotex Inc., where so far, more than 15 students from many Universities have greatly benefited by acquiring relevant supply chain experience. I aim to crush barriers for women wherever I go and try to inspire female supply chain professionals to reach forward and accomplish their dreams. On immigrant-related initiatives, I have been a keynote speaker for many organizations, supporting Canadian newcomers to ease their integration into the Canadian work environment and even hiring many of them. I would like for my mark in the supply chain industry to be helping others to succeed. This is an extremely rewarding way for me to give back to the profession, as I am helping pave the way for future leaders that will eventually rise to prominent positions within our companies. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. Apotex’s culture is guided by our core values of Collaboration, Courage, Perseverance, and Passion. They inform how we work and how we connect internally and externally with our customers, partners, and other stakeholders. We have an incredible team of bright, passionate, and committed individuals who are proudly dedicated to our mission of bringing a growing array of high-quality, affordable medicines to healthcare systems in 115 countries around the globe.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” – Peter Drucker
May 2022 | 19 | www.insightssuccess.com
We invest in continuous learning and development to support employees in expanding their capabilities and reaching their career aspirations. Our leadership team is fully committed to fostering and encouraging an environment for learning and development. This is complemented by robust training to ensure our employees have the latest industry knowledge and expertise to continue to excel in their roles. Connecting with our internal talent is key to ensuring our organization’s sustainable growth. We prioritize and consider Apotex employees for all available career opportunities across the organization to support their career development and drive business success. Working at Apotex also means working for a company that recognizes the obligations that come with success. That is why we are proud to provide significant support to a variety of charitable organizations and community groups in Canada and around the world and to invest in the universities where many of our employees earned their degrees.
team members the opportunities, resources, and time required to lead initiatives that will take them above and beyond the comfort zone and will help drive advancement and innovation in how we do things. I see every single person in my team as having the potential to be a leader, regardless of title, time in the organization, or if they have direct reports or not. As leaders, being credible, trustworthy, respectful, and empathetic naturally leads us to make better connections with our teams. Everything starts by having meaningful conversations. We know that when employees feel valued, empowered, and connected to their work and the organization, there is an overall boost in their engagement. I try to be as involved and available as possible, as this allows me to provide the support that my team needs. My job is to lead the way, role-model a mindset of growth and continuous improvement, and continue to encourage my team to achieve ambitious goals and deliver significant results for Apotex.
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Apotex? I can see myself continuing to expand my responsibilities, leading multiple teams, giving each and every one of my
May 2022 | 20 | www.insightssuccess.com
Claire Bretzke
Vice President of Global Marketing Ruby Has Fulfillment
May 2022 | 22 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Claire Bretzke Delivering Results-Driven Multitudes of Marketing
W
hen it comes to marketing in any business, it is considered the most central communication element. If carried out with proper strategic perspective and operational role, marketing can boost business to the peak. Implementing such effective methodologies is Claire Bretzke. As the Vice President of Global Marketing at Ruby Has Fulfillment, Claire has nurtured a collaborative culture to utilize various marketing aspects to inform and integrate with suppliers on every level. Insights Success caught up with Claire in its search to find “The 10 Most Influential Women in Supply Chain, 2022.” We talked with her to gain in-depth knowledge about extensive expertise spread across multiple aspects of marketing. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Ruby Has Fulfillment. What challenges have you overcome to reach where you are today? I worked for several different ecommerce startups in
Using our expertise to host webinars, develop helpful content, get news coverage, and build partnerships with other leading companies in the industry, has helped us grow at an astonishing rate over the last few years.
May 2022 | 23 | www.insightssuccess.com
marketing and design roles before joining the Ruby Has team and these startups weren’t always successful. It takes a lot of insight, courage, persistence, and a certain amount of luck to grow a business, especially through multiple recessions and a pandemic. I am here because of my experience in ecommerce, but also because of the people I met along the way who believed in me and helped me become the person I am today. Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. Ruby Has Fulfillment is the vision of its founder, Rafael Zakinov. He started the business with one warehouse in New York, and we’re now expanding internationally. But as we grow, we’re working hard not to lose what makes us unique, which is our collaborative approach to working with our ecommerce brands and giving them what they need to grow. Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Logistics & Supply Chain niche through your expertise in the market. I would say I’ve made a difference by using the marketing channels I have to reach new clients in unconventional ways. Logistics and supply chain companies have been around for centuries, but they haven’t always put a lot of thought into their brand. We’ve established Ruby Has as a thought leader in the industry by creating content that potential clients want to watch, read, and click on. Using our expertise to host webinars, develop helpful content, get news coverage and build partnerships with other leading companies in the industry has helped us grow at an astonishing rate over the last few years. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. I mentioned the collaborative approach that Ruby Has Fulfillment has taken in working with our clients, and I think that shows the type of organization we are. It’s not our way or the highway; it’s identifying solutions in ways that make the most sense for your business. We are all in this to help our clients grow. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? Ruby Has is committed to investing in technology, robotics, and automation as long as it makes sense for our clients. If
it isn’t going to help our clients grow, we don’t do it. It’s as simple as that. It makes my job as marketing VP easier to be able to say that Ruby Has is a technological leader and that we are committed to investing in technology. If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the Inventory Storage & Management industry? I would like to see Inventory Storage & Management companies put more of an emphasis on listening to their clients, engaging with them, and encouraging them to engage with their end customers to learn from them. In an effort to streamline pick and pack services, there has been a one-size-fits-all approach in the past, but rising ecommerce brands didn’t get where they are by acting like everyone else. We can learn as much from them as they learn from us. What, according to you, could be the next big change in the Supply Chain industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? The way I see it, Ruby Has, and other fulfillment companies like ours are making it easy for brands to open new sales channels, so they’re no longer dependent on one channel, whether that’s brick and mortar stores, wholesale, Amazon, other retail marketplaces or direct-to-consumer. I don’t know what the next big thing will be, but I’m sure Ruby Has will be one of the first to bring it to our clients. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Ruby Has Fulfillment? I love helping brands grow. My goal for Ruby Has is to continue to grow its presence as a global brand that is known for caring for our clients and making ecommerce fulfillment easier. That goes for U.S. companies selling overseas, as well as overseas brands hoping to break into the U.S. market. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Supply Chain sector? I would say there is plenty of room for new ideas and new people in this industry. It is rapidly growing, and there will always be a need for moving things around. The methods may change but that’s what makes it exciting.
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Joel Sutherland
Professor of Practice in Supply Chain Management Knauss School of Business at the University
Bequeathing Future Visionaries of Supply Chain
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he supply chain profession continuously evolves, creating more intricate systems to handle. In addition, the recent Pandemic outspread brought more challenges piling on the existing ones, demanding innovative solutions to rise from the precarious landscape of difficulties. Understanding the profession’s ins-and-outs is essential to guide the potential talent to face these hurdles. With over four decades of experience in the supply chain profession, Joel Sutherland educates the future supply chain talent with his profound knowledge. He is the
Professor of Practice in Supply Chain Management at the Knauss School of Business at the University, developing and delivering industry workshops and seminars, sharing his extensive knowledge as an industry speaker, and securing/overseeing consulting projects to enhance experiential education for students. An Uphill Climb Joel earned an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BS degree in logistics management from the University of
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The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain, 2022
Committed to advancing academic excellence, expanding liberal and professional knowledge.
Southern California. Since 2006, Joel has been in academia full time, first at Lehigh University, where he served as Managing Director for the Center for Value Chain Research. From 2011 to 2021, he served as Managing Director for the Supply Chain Management Institute and Professor of Practice in Supply Chain Management at the University. Joel has worn multiple leadership hats as a supply chain professional holding executive-level positions for many well-known organizations. One of the many milestones that he achieved was becoming the first American vice president for Denso - a Toyota Group company and the secondlargest automotive parts supplier globally. Joel also held executive-level positions at International Paper; ConAgra Foods; Formica; AmerisourceBergen; and CSX Rail and Sealand Services. In the late 1990s, Joel joined JB Hunt Transport as the founding member of Transplace, one of North America’s most significant transportation management and technology providers – acquired by Uber Freight in 2021. Joel closed the curtain of his professional journey as the President of Air-Road Logistics, providing time-definite transportation services between the U.S. and Mexico. Joel asserts that the primary challenge was, is, and will likely continue to be convincing senior executives of the “value” of supply chain management. He says, “There is a mindset that this profession is focused on reducing costs – and when something goes wrong, the blame falls on those functions generally assigned to supply chain management.” Those functions include sourcing and procurement (i.e., raw materials and components), production (converting something into a finished product), and logistics (getting the product to the end customer). He adds, “Supply chain management should be recognized as a competitive advantage, better serving the end customer results in greater market share and enhanced profitability – the “optimal” result.”
Cherishing Excellence Joel was recognized for his extensive expertise. Below are a few of his achievements. • CSCMP Distinguished Service Award. • Professional Achievement Award from Logistics Management magazine. • Top 20 Logistics Executives by CLO magazine. • Inaugural member of CSCMP’s Circle of Excellence. • CSCMP Hall of Fame. Implying New Methodologies Akin to visionary leadership, Joel’s career has been defined by innovation. At Denso, he mastered the Toyota Production System, also known as "lean" or "Just-in-Time''. He applied this knowledge throughout his career creating innovative techniques, processes, and solutions to improve supply chain effectiveness and efficiency. He also identified and “preaches” on the ‘The Seven Deadly Wastes of Logistics’ adopted from the principles of the Toyota Production System and published in Supply Chain Management Review. At International Paper, Joel created and published a firstever paper on the Cost of Quality Failure, quantifying various failure costs that transformed the mindset and management practices. Continuing his journey, Joel proved himself to be instrumental in developing a competitive advantage in Collaborative Transportation Management, leading to the creation and publication of the first definitive paper on the subject. As Chair of VICS Association committee, Joel defined and advanced the understanding of this evolving practice - adopted at Transplace as well as numerous retail and CPG companies around the world. United Approach Joel states that the Supply Chain Management Institute (SCMI) supports the development of exceptional supply chain professionals sought after by industry and the public sector alike. SCMI is committed to developing and disseminating Supply Chain Management knowledge & best practices in three areas: • Collaborative Relationships: Create a fertile environment where scholars, students, and external partners collaborate to advance knowledge, drive thought leadership, and create practical solutions for the greater supply chain profession. • World-Class Education: Support undergraduate, graduate, and executive education by providing relevant educational programs focused on the benefits attainable
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through effective supply chain management. • Applied Research: Identify and propose real-world strategies, processes, and systems at the forefront of efforts to improve performance in supply chain management. Instilling Technology Joel expresses that Industry 4.0, and all its associated elements including AI, robotics, big data analytics, 3D printing, IoT, machine learning, and much more, will fundamentally change the practice, efficiency, and effectiveness of the management of global supply chains.. He says, “I believe that this will lead to greater visibility of the supply chain – from end to end – enabling greater integration. Already, our curriculum at USD is being transformed to include these important enabling capabilities as we develop tomorrow’s talent.” Farsighted Goals Joel aims to see himself as a champion for the supply chain management profession. Walking on a path in the industry since the 70s, he is recognized and appreciated for his efforts. Though, in 2019, when COVID impacted global trade, the supply chain term was used a lot in the press. Joel mentions, “While the term is being thrown around as if it was clearly understood, the reality is that few people truly understand it, including practitioners. In my most recent graduate course (summer 2021), each of my students interviewed three people at their respective workplaces, asking them to define supply chain management. Almost all the responses were unique to what they did versus an
accurate definition. We have a long way to go!” Joel states that Knauss School of Business at the University has already embarked on achieving a future vision for supply chain management. The university recognized that other disciplines have a close relationship to supply chain management and has created a center of excellence to include supply chain management, economics, and data analytics. providing a unified platform to conduct research, teach, and disseminate knowledge. Industrial engineering, residing within the School of Engineering, also plays a significant role in optimizing supply chains and contributes significantly to this vision. Receptive Paths It has always been a struggle to attract students, as they are drawn to traditional programs such as management, marketing, finance, accounting, economics, etc., shying away from majoring in supply chain management. Joel advises the upcoming talent to open their minds to the possibilities a career in supply chain management can offer. He asserts that the practice is global and can be applied to any business. The US is considered a leader in this profession, and the demand for talent is greater than the current supply. Joel asks, other than joining the navy to “see the world,” why not pursue a career in supply chain management to see the world? “As a supply chain professional for 40+ plus years, I have had the opportunity to visit more than 80 countries, work in and live in four countries, and travel to all 50 states,” Joel concludes.
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Empowering Influence
I
nnovation has brought people closer. It has improved various ways businesses operate and, more specifically, how products, information, work, and funds flow throughout the supply chain. Leading in the supply chain industry is an arduous task as it constantly faces new challenges through several internal and external factors. Although, there are several burning issues to be resolved with efficient and effective solutions. Leaders, especially women, are experts at managing customer expectations, suppliers, maintaining quality and sustainability, access to data, and risk mitigation. Even in difficult times like the Pandemic, these women leaders efficiently contributed and led from the forefront. The question arises of how the supply chain is led under women's leadership. Let us dive in deep through this article. Combination of Charm and Courage Today, there is much talk about the companies led by women, and the supply chain is no exemption to it. This shift of women into fields like supply chain gives the industry new ideas to take the field forward. It is also because of their solid technological background, through which they have been able to take charge of the supply chain companies. This change in the supply chain industry brings positivity and more energy among the team members. That's the influence of women in the supply chain, or in the overall professional workplace for that matter. Their key strength is to create bonding with the clients, team members, and the organization's internal management. They make sure everyone feels included and create growth opportunities for everyone. Due to their performance, we could proudly say that today no industry is male-dominated; women in business have climbed the ladder of challenges making it to success. And, if there has to be a synonym for 'hard work,' it would be 'women' because women have adapted to the supply chain with their hard work and dedication. Living the Dream Women have proved that no job is impossible; all you want is support from your team and, of course, from the family members. And, this is where work-life balance comes into the picture for them; whether it is the personal or professional life, women are handling their roles and responsibilities perfectly. Ideally, if I would think to
manage such a tight work-life balance, it would be a disaster for me, so we got to appreciate how women handle things with their best efforts. The Big Picture here is that we are entering the digital transformation era, and women in business and supply chain are just another example of it. Looking at their journey, we understand that it takes a lot of courage, dedication, and patience to become the leader in the supply chain. It is so because you are involved in endless business meetings, decisions, handling inventory, and multiple things simultaneously. So, businesswomen have risen and established as perfect leaders to take all the work carefully related to the supply chain. Shift of Greatness Over the last few years, we have seen this trend of women entering all the industries, and this change is good. With their experience and knowledge today, their presence is enough to take the companies up and above. You only learn in the leadership process because risks, challenges, and success go on till the very end of the leadership journey. So, businesswomen understand that they have to create as many opportunities as possible to come into this field. Leadership is quite a journey indeed; never giving up and staying motivated is the key here. Learn from your mistakes and make the world yours. We are all surrounded by the miraculous leadership of women, and we are very much excited about what they bring to us.
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Sharpen your Perceptions with
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Maria Villablanca Co-Founder & CEO Future Insights Network
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Maria Villablanca Navigating the Complexities of Changing Business Models in Supply Chain
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he intricacies in the supply chain are increasing with each passing day; even though technological advancement and data bring additional value to the process, the skill gap keeps expanding. Organizations need diverse talent to manage the supply chain to push performance and profitability further. Having insights and information about the supply chain can provide organizations a refreshing perspective which is what Maria Villablanca delivers with her venture Future Insights Network. As the Co-founder and CEO, as well as the host of a successful podcast, Maria creates a workplace culture that inspires and motivates. She is an effective, energetic, and visionary leader who believes that “good enough” is never good enough. With her leadership at the forefront, Future Insights Network is driving manufacturing and supply chain innovation through; thought leadership, virtual workshops, live, collaborative events.
Insights Success caught up with Maria in our endeavor to find “The 10 Most influential Women in Supply Chain, 2022.” We talked with her to have a deep understanding of how she is driving a transformational change by connecting supply chain leaders. Below are the highlights of the interview: Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at Future Insights Network. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today? I have had a long trajectory spanning multiple continents, languages, industries, and roles over my nearly 30-year career. This path has allowed me to embrace change, diversity, transformation and has provided me with an opportunity to develop agility and adaptability. My greatest teachers throughout my career have been my failures, and I am very grateful for them.
Our purpose is to inspire and enable transformational change in the world’s leading companies.
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Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. The Future Insights Network exists to provide our network of over 80,000 senior supply chain leaders with content, connections, and a community to help them solve their burning questions. Today, more than ever, this is important in helping to build agile, resilient, and sustainable supply chains. Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Logistics & Supply Chain niche through your expertise in the market. We try to bring stories and case studies with clear and actionable advice to the industry. There is too much hype, noise, and buzz out there, and we hope that we can deliver some clarity amidst the complexity and disruption of today. We do this via the Transform Talks with Maria Villablanca podcast and our events. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives your organization. We strive to create a culture of agility, flexibility, learning, and diversity. As a woman-led, woman-owned business, we aim to give voices to underrepresented groups in our industry and further the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Equally, I think it’s important to ensure we create a culture where all our team feels comfortable in bringing new ideas to the table. Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful? The pandemic meant shifting our business from one where we delivered physical events to a purely digital offering. This meant learning new skills and implementing new technology, including AI, into our business. Without it, we would not have been able to weather the last 18 months successfully. Not only has this technology allowed us to grow during the pandemic, with almost triple-digit revenue and community growth, but we have been able to widen our nets to grow into new markets that were previously unavailable in their physical form.
1) to drive more diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and bring more people with different backgrounds to the industry but also 2) drive sustainable change. The pandemic has fast-tracked digital transformation. It would be great to see us develop new and more sustainable business models too. What, according to you, could be the next big change in the Supply Chain industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? The next big change will be around digital transformation technologies and sustainability. Both will have an impact on how we define the supply chain and how businesses operate. Every single role in Supply Chain will change. I hope for the better. Our role in this new world is to continue to bring stories of positive change to the industry. Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run, and what are your future goals for Future Insights Network? In the long run, I hope to continue growing the business, the community, and the network to include a wider group of Supply Chain executives from the moment they start their careers in this industry until the moment they retire. I hope to continue bringing them content, connections, and a place where they can dialogue and debate the latest trends and issues. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Supply Chain sector? Do it! There has never been a more exciting time to join the industry. I believe Supply Chain professionals can change the world!
If given a chance, what change would you like to bring in the Inventory Storage & Management industry? Ideally, I would want to see two changes,
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Mariam Saad
Director of IT, Technology Services, Professional Services Procurement TELUS May 2022 | 36 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Mariam Saad
Maximizing Profitability in Supply Chains
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he transition in the supply chain industry is near. To realize this change, it’s essential to understand the end-to-end supply base mapping and focus on sustainable efforts. Implementing several aspects in the workplace will align with the massive shift caused by the pandemic concerning global consumer mindsets towards environmental issues. Preparing for this change is Mariam Saad, a multi-lingual leader with 20 years of highly skilled experience in procurement, operations, and sales, across multiple global and national organizations in telecommunications, mining, and information technology. As the Director of IT, Technology Services, and Professional Services Procurement for TELUS, Mariam leads towards an extensive transformational initiative as the company seeks to grow and mature its capabilities. She is recognized for effectively leading and managing concurrent initiatives while consistently achieving strong results. TELUS is building a better future for all Canadians by using its technology for good and giving back to its communities. Its social purpose is at the heart of everything it does as a world-leading technology company, and TELUS continues to set itself apart to make the future friendly together. The Initiation Mariam graduated with an International Business Commerce Degree from Concordia University in Montreal, with a Minor Degree in Marketing. Following the Degree from Concordia, she then pursued a 1.5-year Leadership Certificate at the Executive McGill MBA Program. Having worked across multiple industries, including
Information Technologies, Natural Resources, and Telecommunication, she developed extensive experience in IT sales and procurement operations. Throughout her career, she focused on revenue generation, cost savings, delivery, and value creation. She took the opportunity to utilize the experience and expertise with each successive role to sharpen her focus on value generation. Throughout Mariam's career, she faced numerous diversity and inclusiveness challenges. In her early sales career, she was the only woman amongst a team of 10 men. As a result, she constantly felt that she had to work twice as hard to prove herself.
Moreover, she faced additional adversity coming from an immigrant ethnic background, which she had to overcome throughout her journey. She says, "Whether working in IT or the mining industry, there were very few women, and almost none existed as you moved up the ladder. “Mariam expresses that support for women was incredibly lacking during the first few years of her career. There were no forums where women could connect, receive support or share experiences. She had many female colleagues that constantly reached out to her to share their challenges. Instead of seeing this as an obstacle, she thought about taking charge and making a difference. To that end, Mariam co-founded the first women network at her previous company and opened the first chapter in Montreal. Mariam received an overwhelming response, and people worldwide became involved asking to join the Montreal chapter. As a result, she negotiated a budget to launch 10 other local chapters worldwide. Today, Mariam enjoys mentoring young women and new immigrants to help them integrate into or succeed in their workplace.
When you're with TELUS, you're part of a network of giving.
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The Impactful Expertise Mariam expressed that sharing and collaboration are integral parts of learning and growth. At TELUS, she strives for continuous improvement and value creation, ensuring that she is constantly learning and educating herself, her team, and the business on the latest technologies. She is also sought after to speak at events such as Supply Chain Digital or round tables with Procurement Leaders, Supplier Diversity events, or within IT Summits to discuss the latest issues and trends in the IT and Digital space. She surrounds herself with a great network of colleagues, and team members, enabling learning and professional growth; she believes that giving back to her team, TELUS, network, and suppliers is a privilege and a responsibility to give back what others have done for her. Most recently, Mariam had the opportunity to speak at many events sharing her thought-leadership about the effects of the pandemic and its role in accelerating digital transformation and about Cloud transformation, evolving strategy between private, public, single, and multi-cloud vendors. Mariam is proud to be a thoughtful contributor to these critical discussions. Value-Driven Methodology Mariam states that TELUS has key pillars from a cultural evolution focused on innovation, growth, change, teamwork, and risk. TELUS drives a collaborative work environment that fosters growth and development in individual and team culture and innovative perspectives. This environment encourages team members to look for new opportunities while approaching risk-taking with an opportunistic and experimental mindset. Everyday innovation is focused on nurturing the mindset, behaviours, and environment required to inspire the courage to drive innovation to a cultural standard across all levels and value chains at TELUS. Innovative Technological Solutions With respect to leveraging technology to drive business objectives, Mariam highlted that TELUS is committed to making the future friendly by connecting Canadians through technological solutions that create value within communities and connecting with technology partners to advance the digital transformation journey.
world with communication capabilities. TELUS fosters the exchange of digitized information to help all parties operate more efficiently. Connected solutions for farm management, optimized profitability, increased efficiency, and insights. Healthcare: TELUS is streamlining health records and data, building powerful digital healthcare tools for hospitals, doctors, pharmacists, and more, to help support healthcare providers. TELUS heavily invests in virtual care to access all Canadians to receive quality care anytime and anywhere. TELUS has invested over $2.5Billion in healthcare in the last decades; it has $12Million Canadians covered by TELUS Health Benefit management solutions. Partnerships: TELUS's ecosystem of partners is crucial to Mariam. The company has built strategic partnerships, allowing it to build some of the world's fastest, highest quality networks to lead in the Healthcare Technology and Customer First approach. Over the Horizon Mariam loves her work and envisions herself constantly learning and growing in her space, helping shape and change the supply chain industry to advance it and solve real problems. She is proud to assist "feeding the world" by improving TELUS' food quality and safety by leveraging technological innovation and human compassion. She is excited to be a part of the healthcare initiative that will impact the world positively. She sees herself mentoring supply chain professionals, fostering a diversity and inclusiveness culture, and soon leading a procurement or supply chain organization. Bequeathing Budding Entrepreneurs Mariam advises up-and-coming entrepreneurs to prepare themselves for a wonderful ride. She says, "You are going to witness some of the greatest evolution in this space. We are entering the fourth industrial revolution that will challenge current ways of working and the need for some of the most pressing issues in the world. It is where entrepreneurs can use their experience and expertise to witness or drive some of the greatest changes in the supply chain space seen in several decades.”
Agriculture: TELUS is on a mission to tackle some of the most significant social challenges of the generation using technology for good and empowering growth in agriculture and feeding the world by connecting the underserved rural
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The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Monique Alblas
Vice President of Consul ng
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Monique Alblas Exemplifying Resilient Leadership
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he supply chain is a traditionally male-dominated field. Therefore, being a leader in the supply chain field is not as easy as it sounds for women. It takes courage, zeal to learn, and resilience to be in this field and make a difference. Today, many brave and resilient women leaders have entered this space, are making notable contributions, and are setting inspirational standards for other women. One such inspirational leader in the supply chain industry is Monique Alblas, the Vice President of Consulting at GEP Worldwide.
forced to look for an alternative, and likely more expensive suppliers and solutions.
Let’s shed some light on her journey as a business leader.
Collaborating and Negotiating With Suppliers Monique believes that procurement can no longer just focus on volumes and driving down costs to help achieve the company’s larger objectives. Procurement and supply chain leaders need to look for innovative solutions to play a strategic role in achieving company goals. Leaders need to genuinely collaborate with their ecosystem — with their suppliers and suppliers’ suppliers and evolve from a transactional vendor-style relationship.
Gaining Learning Experiences and Being Best at Consulting After graduating, Monique joined a small company for which she was asked to set up a separate IT contingent labor company. Being an entrepreneur at such a young age was a tremendous learning experience for her, covering all aspects of a business in which, of course, she also made more than her fair share of mistakes that she had to overcome. After that, Monique joined a global high tech firm with responsibility for a triple-digit spend portfolio of professional services companies. During this time, she worked with C-suite executives in a male-dominated engineering environment and learned to stand her ground. Working with a wide variety of consultants and seeing the difference they could make in relatively short periods made her realize that being a consultant would fit her like a glove. She notes, “Being a consultant means you always have to bring your A-game. You’re hired to achieve meaningful results. It’s never easy, but I love it.” Supply chains have also seen a lot of unprecedented challenges over the past years, and Monique joined GEP Worldwide, just as when the world was dealing with the pandemic. One of the major areas of concern, especially in the first few months of the crisis, was the overdependence on China and the inability to procure materials from there and several other parts of Asia. Many enterprises were
At GEP, Monique supported several clients with make-orbuy decisions to prevent big losses. She led a team that looked into setting up local and regional production for some of the materials that they could not get via the regular supply chains because of logistical issues caused by COVID-19, as well as collaborations with other third parties to bundle their buying power.
GEP Worldwide is a
leading provider of supply chain and procurement
software, consulting and
managed services to
Global 2000 enterprises
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worldwide.
She says, “To develop an informed perspective on what's going on in the market, and to understand what's possible, it’s paramount that procurement and supply chain leaders collaborate with suppliers and other organizations. This means stepping outside our comfort zones and boundaries of negotiating prices, quantities and lead times to also focus, and assist, suppliers with tracking their environmental impact, cutting waste, sustainability, innovating activities, adopting new digital platforms to share data more easily and gain greater visibility across the entire, multi-step, global supply chain.”
Last year, GEP’s employees spent more than 20,000 hours undertaking local activities to support women’s development, address hunger, and provide children with access to basic education.
Driving Great Value to Customers and Stakeholders Globally Founded 22 years ago, GEP is a leading provider of supply chain and procurement software, consulting, and managed services to Global 2000 enterprises worldwide. Its mission is to integrate strategy, software, and managed services so its clients can transform and optimize their supply chains and drive greater value to customers and stakeholders.
Today, companies need redundancy and resilience, as well as speed and cost efficiency, to better manage supply disruptions, inflation, scarcity, and cyberattacks. Companies are also shifting from measuring to cutting the environmental impact of their entire complex supply chains. Furthermore, procurement is now strategic and essential to get costs in line with inflation running more than 7%.
With more than 5,000 employees across 24 locations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, GEP is continuing to grow by double digits as global companies are accelerating their investment in remaking their supply chains. Giving Back to Society Talking about the values and culture of GEP, Monique mentions that it is a privately held, minority, and womenowned business, where giving back is an integral part of its purpose and its DNA. GEP was founded on six core values, including delighting customers, excellence, and caring. By caring, it means caring for each other as colleagues, for the communities where they live, and for the environment. Monique asserts, “Caring is integral to our culture because it connects our thousands of employees across every office with a common purpose to improve people’s lives.” Besides, it won Best Places to Work in nearly every other country it operates. Its approach combines a top-down corporate-led program and enables employees to create activities for their communities. It identified four specific social areas for its employees to help address: empowering women; enabling basic education for children; alleviating hunger; and sustainability initiatives to cut its environmental impact. Each year, GEP Worldwide spends between 5% to 10% of its annual profit through direct contributions and matching employees’ initiatives.
Building Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chains Monique opines that GEP’s future is bright. It is an exciting time for the company because supply chains and procurement are now a boardroom- and investor-level issue. Companies are accelerating the transformation to build resilient, agile and sustainable supply chains.
GEP invests heavily in product development, led by ML/AI for advanced data analytics in everything, from real-time demand forecasting — enabling clients to react quickly and be demand-led — to identifying savings and determining what components and services “should cost” to evaluating the performance of suppliers. GEP continues to roll out control towers to identify potential disruptions and issue resolution. Playing a Pivotal Role in Supporting Companies In conclusion, Monique expresses, “This is an exciting and important time to be consulting for companies about their global supply chain, and GEP, as a global leader, is ideally positioned. Disruptions in logistics and drastic changes in consumer expectations have sparked an unprecedented focus on supply chain management for C-suite executives. We are now seeing the shift from logistics and supply chain primarily being a back-office function to a boardroom priority. It is only the start as supply chains will continue to grow in complexity. The future survival for organizations now depends on effectively managing the 5Vs of supply chain success: visibility, volatility, velocity, vulnerability and viability. GEP is growing very rapidly, and I’m excited to be playing a pivotal role in supporting companies reimaging their supply chains and adopt new technologies to become more cost-effective, resilient and sustainable.”
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Women: Ar cle 2
:
Choose to Challenge
The New TRAILBLAZERS in SUPPLY CHAIN
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he 2022 International Women’s Day theme is “Choose to Challenge.” Challenging for bringing change in the world by being aware of the opportunities to create a gender-balanced society in all the sectors. The supply chain industry has been traditionally male-dominated, and it is challenging for women, especially in leadership positions. But trailblazing women leaders are revolutionary in their approach and choose to take up the challenge of being in the supply chain industry and impacting the industry with their courage, passion, guts, and leadership skills. Women are fearless and believe in their potential, setting exemplary standards for other women leaders and setting the standards for future generations. It takes a lot of knowledge, awareness, bravery, and ability to deal with complex challenges in the supply chain industry to be a trailblazing women leader. Therefore, becoming a trailblazing women leader in the supply chain industry is a laudable feat. Such women leaders become an inspirational example for other women leaders and future generations. Women leaders are making their presence count and are ready to take on the challenge and proving themselves that they can work productively to make a difference with their skills and abilities. Due to the value women bring to the table, many companies also include women in leadership positions to make better and inclusive decisions. Trailblazing women leaders play a vital role in ensuring diversity, equality, and inclusion in the supply chain industry and are more judicious in ensuring good overall operations and productivity from all the employees.
Women leaders doing good in the supply chain industry naturally significantly impact other women leaders, and it is more inspiring for them to follow such leaders. The women leaders in the supply chain industry should be open to changes in the industry. They should be ready to change themselves with the transformative shifts by innovating various tactics making sound judgments with pre-existing solid knowledge. Trailblazing women leaders in the supply chain industry prepare themselves well enough to handle the challenges in the supply chain industry and make the best situational decisions. They should resolve the difficulties with fortitude and work hard with all their team members. They should learn from their seniors and pass on what they have learned to others. No two days are the same in the supply chain industry. Those women who want to enter the supply chain industry should be adaptable and flexible with the continuously changing dynamics in the supply chain industry. They should have the great approach of learning and grasping things quickly, all the constant changes happening in the industry, and accordingly developing the ability to handle all the situations with diligence and making their best contribution by becoming a trailblazing leader in the industry. They should be strategic and have a lot of firefighting ability every day to make the greatest impact in the industry and prove themselves as illustrious leaders in the supply chain industry.
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Sarah Barnes-Humphrey Leading with Perseverance and Giving Voice to Supply Chain Community
Sarah Barnes-Humphrey CEO Let’s Talk Supply Chain (LTSC)
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
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ince the start of the pandemic, the supply chain industry has been facing issues such as an onslaught of shortages, disruptions, and delays. But competent leaders in this industry are continuing to navigate challenges in the supply chain industry by using their knowledge and experience. Female leaders in the supply chain industry continue to emerge and make an impact in the industry with good momentum and adopting best practices. By building robust supply chains and reforming the supply chain sector, women leaders in this sector are fueling innovation in this industry. They are creating a brighter path for the success of the supply chain community. It is important for the supply chain community to communicate their message to a larger audience about their services. Through Let’s Talk Supply Chain, Sarah Barnes-Humphrey is building a platform that gives a voice to the supply chain community, sees the visual impact of diversity and inclusion, and finally creates safe spaces for everyone to feel heard. Sarah has spent the past 20 years in the logistics and supply chain industry learning everything she can. Perseverance led Sarah to become one of the top women leaders in the Supply Chain Industry. She doesn’t believe in giving up. She runs “Let’s Talk Supply Chain (LTSC),” and it is the hottest supply chain podcast on the market. She is obsessed with the supply chain and believes that “Collaboration is the future of business”, and we can all win together. Introducing Stories of Women in Supply Chain In its Let’s Talk Supply Chain Women in Supply Chain series, LTSC introduces the female leaders who are dominating the supply chain now and unleashing better, smarter outcomes. LTSC shares the obstacles these woman leaders have conquered, giant leaps of faith, and the beginnings that ultimately brought them where they are today, leading businesses across the global supply chain. Focusing on the Work that Needs to Be Done Sarah worked for the family business for 20 years, took courses online while she got hands-on experience in logistics working in operations, sales and then ultimately ended her career there as Director of Sales and Marketing. Being the oldest, she overcame jealousy from employees because she was the “Boss’ daughter”, she had trust issues as everyone she met had an agenda or wanted something from her as the “Boss’ daughter”. The ultimate challenge came from the day her father closed the doors of the business. She felt for all company’s employees and
customers. She felt so much loss, including the fact that she wanted to run the company one day, ever since she was 16, and that day was the worst day of her life. Sarah had already started the podcast and had clients counting on her, so every day thereafter, she just kept everything going. She learned social media, graphics design, website design, and editing and woke up every day by focusing on the work that needed to be done. Communicating Value Proposition of Supply Chain Brands LTSC features brands within that sector of the supply chain on the podcast, and now it is lending its platform for brands to have their own shows with a built-in audience. Sarah believes that it is very important for brands in the supply chain sector to tell their story and really communicate their value proposition for those they can help. Supply chain professionals know what is out there, and LTSC brings that to the market. Being a certified Women-Owned Supply Chain community facilitator, LTSC values diverse perspectives. Being openminded, leaning in to understand, always learning, and trusting each other to want what needs to be done for everyone’s success is how it drives the organization forward and stays innovative.
We use tech whenever and wherever it makes sense, always looking for new ways that we can support the brands in our industry to tell the best story and give the best information to our audience and our listeners.
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Being Focused on Diversity, Inclusion, and Collaboration LTSC’s Non-Profit – The Blended Pledge is working hard to see the visual impact on stages in audiences at industry conferences and in digital content, so it is very focused on Diversity and Inclusion. Through its second podcast, called the Blended Podcast, it brings 5 people from different walks of life together to talk openly and authentically about various DEI topics. LTSC is also focused on Collaboration being the future of business, bringing the players in the industry together to bring more transparency, visibility, and cohesive chain. Being Part of Change by Building Learning Platform Sarah states that organizations will be looking at where they want to have risks in their supply chain in the future. They will base their future strategies on competing on supply chains against their competitors, not just product marketing. LTSC is preparing to be part of that change by building the platform for voices to be heard so they all can learn from each other's mistakes, challenges, and successes. Sarah envisions building more, creating more, and being change agents in the industry. Staying Motivated, Flexible, and Pursuing Goals Sarah advises budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Supply Chain Industry to buckle up because she says that it is quite the ride. She suggests them to choose something that they really enjoy because she believes that success in this industry doesn’t happen overnight, and they need to overcome doubts, unwanted advice, naysayers etc. She advises them to believe and love what they are doing that will keep them motivated. Sarah herself has started and stopped many ventures from getting where she is today. She suggests budding entrepreneurs, “Stay motivated, don’t quit, take small steps toward your goal every single day and stay flexible/open minded.”
May 2022 | 50 | www.insightssuccess.com
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Shimon Gowda
Manager, Supply Chain Design+ Chainalytics and Founder Supply Chain Unified
Shimon Gowda A Passionate Leader in the Supply Chain Space
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or the last few years, the supply chain industry has witnessed women taking up leadership positions and thriving in their roles. Women have steadily advanced within the logistics and supply chain sector with their passion, talent, and knowledge. Today, many women are playing a significant role in shaping the future of the industry.
milk from the cows was stored and diligently transported to the dairy for pasteuriza-tion, where it undergoes various processes before it is sent out to stores for sale. I was always inspired and awed by this mechanical yet very efficient chain of supply. This inspired me to develop a penchant towards Supply chain and the various processes governing them.”
One such woman is Shimon Gowda, Manager, Supply Chain Design at Chainalytics and the Founder of Supply Chain Unified, a networking platform for like-minded people and peers who are in the first decade of their career and are exploring what their true ‘mojo’ is.
Having a bachelor's and a master's degree specialized in Supply chain exposed Shimon to the essentials of supply chain almost 9 years ago. She has come to realize that optimization of the supply chain is a cyclic process. The principle of Lean Six Sigma that states, "there is always scope for improvement and potential to reduce costs", fuels Shimon’s eternal passion in this field.
Let us unveil her journey as a business leader. An Invaluable Learning Journey As Shimon looks back and ponders her journey up until now, she sees and realizes how every experience has been invaluable learning and steppingstone. The current situation is also a learning experience and a window of opportunity of what she hopes to achieve, contribute, and give back to society and continue inspiring the way she has been inspired. She expresses, “A career in supply chain was not by accident for me. As it is rightly said, family is the first school of every individual. Many of our career aspirations are strongly influenced by the envi-ronment in which we are brought up. My father, a doctor and a son of a farmer balanced his pro-fession well and took care of our agricultural land perfectly. As a kid, I would keenly observe the processes involved in running our estate. My initial brush with Supply Chain Process was when I saw how the
Besides, Shimon’s educational background and professional exposure have taught her to have a keen eye for optimization of process, labour, infrastructure, and distribution network including all nodes of supply and demand to increase the three "R's": Revenue, ROI and Relationship building. Adversities Along Like numerous other immigrants who leave behind their hometown and move to a completely different land to see a better future for themselves, Shimon is yet another aspirant who traveled to the United States; first time abroad to pursue her higher education. This was her very first challenge. Shimon met wonderful new people from different cultures, saw the world from a different perspective, and became more appreciative and grateful for her own culture and
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I hope to continue
learning and constantly
thrive towards making a
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positive impact.
upbringing while respecting others and learning every day. She asserts, “Life is not easy being an immigrant on a visa and an aspirant who was particular in having a career of her choice. When you are on a visa, your time and clock is always ticking and there is a constant urge to accept any opportunity that comes your way to stay afloat. I think that was one of the major challenges to me. The zeal and thirst to fight and wait for a career opportunity that you are passionate about. I cannot underplay the impact of a perfect combination of hard work and luck, that has bought me down the path.” The second challenge for her was being a woman in a man’s world! She puts. “No matter how progressive the times are, I cannot emphasize the number of times I have been the only woman on the table. Having and choosing a career in supply chain also more often means you are inside a warehouse, factory and amongst trucks observing and auditing to perform root cause analysis of issues. It is not always a very glamourous profession. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with wonderful set of colleagues and cultures where gender equality is of the utmost importance and have felt indifferent despite being the only female in the room.” Thirdly, one of the greatest adversity or challenge Shimon most recently faced was when she had to make a very tough decision to leave the United States, as she did not get ‘lucky’ in the lottery-based work visa. But she believes that
borders cannot stop you if one really wants to make an impact. She notes, “I feel more confident now because most companies are now global and the physical presence or location of a person cannot stop you from solving a problem, work in collaboration across na-tions and truly make an impact on what you are passionate about.” Shimon owes her current success and position to all the mentorship and guidance from some amazing people she has met. She says, “The essence of being in consulting is, every project feels like a new learning phase. There are numerous business nuances that you learn and are constantly awed by.” Imparting Wisdom Talking about the next big change in the supply chain industry, Shimon believes that there should be the acceptance and adaptation of more companies and supply chain professionals to keep a broader mind and attitude towards learning, accepting, and implementing AI/ML technology and algorithms. She marks, “This is to simplify and automate monotonous jobs and not to take away any jobs. Human intervention will still be required in our industry at large. But by automating several tasks, we can now focus on innovation, empowering mental well-be-ing of workforce and all value to our everyday task without having to feel mechanical or redundant in our tasks.” Encouraging Companies to Leverage Data We asked Shimon if given a chance, what change she would like to bring to the supply chain industry, to which she said, “I would encourage more small and mid-sized companies to educate themselves to understand how using data and seeking help from supply chain professionals can truly add to the bottom line and optimize their process. Secondly, increase awareness about the advantages of collaboration, not just within the organization but with all your partners across the organization involving suppliers, freight partners, 3PL and warehouse partners, retailers as well as customers.”
May 2022 | 54 | www.insightssuccess.com
Tarun Rai Khurana Head of Purchase & Supply Chain Management
UFlex limited
The 10 Most Acclaimed Leaders in Supply Chain - 2022
Tarun Rai Khurana
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The Supply Chain Management Maestro
e is a versatile C-level strategic supply chain & procurement professional with 21 years of dynamic experience. He has effectively handled SCM process of all the companies he has worked in and continues to deliver on the great standards he has set for himself. He is seen as an expert in this field. Meet Tarun Rai Khurana, a determined and passionate leader and the Head of Purchase & Supply Chain Management (Asst. Vice President) at Chemicals Business of UFlex limited. Tarun has risen to every challenge enthusiastically, which has created opportunities for The Chemicals Business of UFlex to make its supply chain fast and dependent. He has helped the company stay true to its roots and deliver worldclass experience to all its clients.
assignment in global material sourcing with Ranbaxy Laboratories, India’s biggest generic drug company of the country. My next assignment was with a fortune 500 US MNC Avery Dennison as Head Purchase of their India & South Africa business. Later, I got an opportunity to work for the regional purchasing team (Asia) of Avery Dennison as Senior. Category Manager, which really helped me to improve on creativity, drive innovation, local market knowledge etc. Thereafter, I joined another Fortune 500 company Valvoline Cummins as Purchasing Leader for India operation. It has beenan exciting journey so far where I witnessed global recession during 2008-09, highly volatile crude oil pricing, supply uncertainty due to geopolitical issues, COVID-19 & issues related to it (availability of shipping space, port congestions, difficult demand forecasting, large
We at Insights Success caught up with Tarun to learn about his journey and how he is driving the growth of Uflex.
Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader until your current position at UFlex Limited. What challenges you had to overcome to reach where you are today? A law graduate & post-graduation in management, I started my career in 2001 as a Management Trainee (MT) with one of the prestigious companies ‘Jubilant Ingrevia’ in Supply Chain department. As a part of my career progression plan, I got an opportunity to work in different verticals of SCM that is Planning, Logistics, Commercials, and Purchase. After spending seven years with Jubilant, I took an
We ensure trust remains at the core at every point of service and customer interaction.
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Below are the highlights of the interview:
number of plant force majeure worldwide, material scarcity due to ‘dual-control’ policy implementation by China). Every challenge has created an opportunity for the organization & helped us to strengthen our supply chain robust & reliable. Tell us something more about your company and its mission and vision. UFlex is India's largest flexible packaging company and a global leader in polymer sciences with a turnover of over US$1.75 billion. UFlex Chemical business, its inks and adhesives arm focusses on introducing ecofriendly, sustainable, food safe compliant Inks, adhesives & Coatings and biodegradable packaging solutions which are eco-friendly with lower carbon footprint. The Chemicals Business of UFlex manufactures the finest quality printing inks, laminating adhesives for flexible packaging, specialty inks and coatings for flexible packaging, folding & mono cartons and labels industry. As a printing ink manufacturing company, UFlex Chemicals has taken a sizable presence in the Polyester Polyol business, which is primarily used for footwear, flexible and rigid foam Industry. Vision & Mission of the organizationVision- “Be a leading company and preferred supplier for providing innovative and sustainable flexible packaging solutions to customers across the world thus maximizing value for all our stakeholders" Mission- "To meet customers’ dynamic packaging needs by providing innovative, productive, cost-effective, and responsible ecofriendly packaging solutions that meets customers brands goals, improves consumers daily lives and makes the planet plastic-waste free. Enlighten us on how you have made an impact in the Logistics & Supply Chain niche through your expertise in the market?
I am fortunate to get opportunities for working with manufacturing organizations operating in Business to Business (B to B) & Business to Consumer (B to C) segments. Both the segments have its unique requirements & challenges like customer retention, building trust, demand volatility, skill shortage & digitalization in B to B. Whereas, B to C has large & complex supply chain network, high number of customers, customer relationship management In the current uncertain scenario, we identified risk for all the functions of the supply chain (PPC, Purchase & Logistic), evaluate the existing controls in place & additional plans to mitigate these risks. Periodic reviews along with team really helped to be successful during this challenging period. Apart from the above processes, automation of the existing process, having a close eye on market dynamics, clear communication to team and internal/ external stakeholders and the ability to get the best from the team members is a differentiator. What, according to you, could be the next big change in the Supply Chain industry? How is your company preparing to be a part of that change? In the current modern era, the supply chain continues to evolve rapidly, keeping pace with the breakneck technological advancements. It can be difficult for supply chain & business leaders to stay on top of these changes. It’s crucial to do so if we want to maintain the integrity of our supply chain and see business succeed. Rather than treading on the heels of change, your organization should try to get ahead of the trends that are shaping the future of supply chain management. I think there will be more focus on supply chain sustainability, Risk management (360-degree approach) and supply chain agility & resilience. To address these changes, we have worked on improved visibility within supply chain so that appropriate actions can be taken in time. Also, we have certified Risk Management System (ISO 31000:2018) in place to deal with uncertainties. For agility & resilience, we are continuously working on following: • • • •
Where do you envision yourself to be in the long run and what are your future goals for Uflex Chemical division? I hope to advance in my role as much as possible. I love this industry and think it is the right choice for me long term. I want to continue working in a collaborative environment where every employee can thrive. I see my ideas making a bigger positive impact on the company, and I will use my communication and leadership skills to make this happen. Following are our priorities for Uflex chemicals: • •
• • • •
Customer-centric supply chain- improvement of customer experience. Build supply chains that put customer first. Ethical Supply Chain- it incorporates employees' rights and environmental concerns, with sustainability a top priority across the supply chain & reduction of dangerous emission, waste of raw materials. The right technology- selection of right technology as what got you here won’t get you there. A workforce for the future- Rapid workforce hiring and reskilling will be critical organizational success factors. Data-driven decisions- Approach decision-making as a business discipline enabled with analytics technology. Micro supply chains- Get closer to our customers with decentralized, agile 'mini operating models', with flexible supplier contracts and relationships, and manufacturing closer to the point of purchase.
What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into the Supply Chain sector? Always put customer first, create value & learn to know when to step down.
Strengthening supply chain planning function to forecast supply and demand better Alternative Sourcing Strategies Improve supply chain visibility and Digitalization of processes
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