2023 Pro-to-Know A Career-Long Pursuit to Perfect the Supply Chain

The field of supply chain has evolved significantly over the years, and as an accomplished professional in this industry, I am thrilled to witness this transformation.

Like the tiny acorn that grows into the mighty oak tree, it takes time, patience, and nurturing to see the potential of something small develop into something substantial and essential. I remember during my time as an undergraduate student at @AppState, supply chain was not even a dedicated area of study! However, now it has become a four-year degree program, indicating the increasing importance of this field.

As a testament to this growth, I am honored to receive the exclusive Pro to Know award from @SDCExec, a leading magazine dedicated to the supply chain industry. This recognition highlights the crucial role that supply chain professionals play in ensuring the efficient and effective flow of goods and services, which has become increasingly vital in our globalized economy. In this stage of my career I am laser focused on where the supply chain is headed and what the future holds.

Throughout my career, I have been at the forefront of the supply chain, thanks to my experience with @Oracle, @Highjump, and @Koerber. My time with Oracle laid the foundation for what has become a thriving industry. With In-Memory databases, we can now ask the most intelligent and important questions, like "What's the quickest and freshest way to get this avocado to my doorstep?". And thanks to ERP's, we now have the power to focus on the warehouse, the 3PL's, and brands (both b2b and b2c). It's like the supply chain version of The Avengers – each plays a crucial role in bringing the product to you in the most efficient and effective way possible.

We saw some serious growth in the supply chain execution game during my time with Highjump and Koerber, which made the warehouse a real MVP in the supply chain ecosystem. Thanks to the ever smart and demanding consumer, we had to become equally savvy with order processing, receiving, put away, picking, and transportation. It's all about giving the customer what they want, when they want it, and how they want to receive it.

Gone are the days when designers would predict next year's trends based on gut instinct. Instead, we now have access to an abundance of data, from historical trends to real-time feedback from cameras and RFID devices. This wealth of information is commonly referred to as data lakes, and it's fueling the fashion industry's ability to adapt to changing trends faster than ever before. In this dynamic landscape, it's not just the brands and designers who need to stay nimble - their software must be just as flexible and adaptable.

But the supply chain execution space is now filled with many vendors, all struggling to differentiate themselves. Four simple tasks have now become super complex when you consider global commerce, growing e-commerce trends, and the seemingly unlimited variables involved in delivering a product to a customer's doorstep.

During my career in supply chain, I have seen it hit maturation (and ERP prior), and I am now focused on the question: what do we do with the stuff we no longer want? With our current generation looking more closely into sustainability, carbon reduction, and e-commerce, we're once again at the forefront. And now, my career-long passion for improving the global supply chain is focused on doing it all in reverse!

That's where @ReverseLogix comes in, the last building block needed to complete the cycle of how we return products. We need to harvest valuable components from electronic devices for future use and provide clear and easy-to-use applications for (re)commerce of products. This space has become enormous globally, with over USD$2 trillion in returns. With the use of super-fast computers and In-Memory storage, we can provide a fully integrated suite of applications for returns, and even consider avoiding returns in the first place. This massive reverse event is prompting the entire supply chain to reinvent itself again. We must plan for more efficient use of our products, smarter transportation, and in return, reduce carbon and costs. Reverse logistics solutions are now a focal point and arguably are becoming the most essential solutions within the mature supply chain.

I am honored to have been recognized as one of the 2023 Pros to Know @SDCExec and for the opportunity to share my insights on the future of supply chain. From tracking shipments with pen and paper to using AI-powered logistics software, it's safe to say that we've come a long way. And I'm proud to have played a part in it. As we move forward, I believe that the key to success will be in embracing the ABCs of supply chain:

A - Artificial intelligence, automation, augmentation, autonomous

B - Big and bigger data - the data warehouse is now the data lake and becoming the data ocean

C - Cloud computing applications and a model-change for software companies

These are the building blocks that will enable us to meet the ever-evolving demands of the global supply chain. I look forward to continue contributing to the exciting and rapidly changing world of supply chain. As a friend of mine says, 'there is no finish line', and and at this point in our evolution, he is correct!

#supplychain #SDCExec #ProToKnow #data #logistics #ReverseLogix #Oracle #Highjump #Koerber #sustainability #returns #AI #automation #bigdata #cloudcomputing