Discover the top 5 takeaways from the final day of the premier supply chain conference:

1. Each year, the ASCM Awards of Excellence recognize superior performance and dedication to advancing the field of supply chain. Today, the 2023 corporate and individual winners were honored on the main stage at an inspiring ceremony.

The corporate winners included Keysight Technologies, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Lenovo International Services Supply Chain. Keysight Technologies received the Award of Excellence — Corporate Transformation, for an organizational transformation that elevated the business through ASCM global standards, products, services and resources. The company achieved its transformation goals through a partnership with ASCM that involved meaningfully optimizing its resilient equipment operating model.  

Next, Teva Pharmaceuticals was honored with the Award of Excellence — Learning and Development. It recognized the organization’s commitment to productivity and advancement based on the application of educational concepts, competencies and best practices from ASCM performance-driven team training. The Teva Pharmaceuticals learning journey involved both CPIM and CSCP education, with 400 team members meaningfully enhancing their supply chain know-how. 

Lenovo International Services Supply Chain earned the Award of Excellence — Making an Impact, which acknowledged its many initiatives to create a better world through supply chain with corporate social responsibility, proven business integrity and an unwavering focus on sustainability. The company clearly demonstrated its commitment to zero waste, greenhouse gas reduction and shipping optimization. In addition, Lenovo exceeded ocean shipment targets and reduced its packaging usage to cut carbon emissions by 160 tons. 

The individual awards kicked off with a celebration of Sang Park, CPIM, CSCP, CLTD, director of contract business analytics at Coastal Pacific Food Distributors. He received the Award of Excellence — Supply Chain Leader in recognition of his extraordinary team and organizational leadership, dedicated support of colleagues, and lasting contributions to the advancement of the supply chain profession. 

Next, the ASCM Award of Excellence — Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Champion was awarded to Danielle Malave, performance and execution manager at Boeing Distribution Services. She was honored for her dedication to building teams, divisions and businesses that represent diverse cultures and viewpoints. Malave goes above and beyond to enable people of all profiles and backgrounds to contribute at the highest possible level and succeed in their careers.  

The final award went to Jeremy Codiroli, CSCP, vice president of process improvement at AVI-SPL. He received the Award of Excellence — Emerging Supply Chain Leader, which celebrates a young professional who advances business processes and partnerships, as well as employee and customer satisfaction. Codiroli was recognized for inspiring others and proving his potential to make a meaningful impact on the field of supply chain. 

Learn more about the ASCM Awards of Excellence, and keep an eye out for the 2024 Call for Entries next spring!

2. The digital journey was the theme of today’s keynote by Frankie Mossman, chief commercial officer at Dropit. She offered strategies for honestly examining and assessing the current state, course correcting and working past barriers, and moving beyond the functional level to managing the entire ecosystem.

"We’re not wanting for solutions,” Mossman stressed. “For all our good intentions, the solutions actually came at us too fast. But we haven’t learned how to properly apply them.” 

She shared the following key points to address these challenges and energize a digital journey: 

• Data won’t be perfect. So, be a problem-solver and create a dataset that’s at least directionally correct. And be sure to understand what you’re asking. “When you apply a question to the data, it starts to have meaning,” she explained.  
• Champion integrated strategy by bringing tech partners, suppliers and customers along for the ride. 
• Find and focus on the problems, not the symptoms. Looking at your digital journey from a problem statement will get you to success faster.
• Prioritize enterprise-level solutions over individual parts. Rather than throwing money at functional levels, solve for the whole. She urged, “Always lead from the front and for the mission.”

3. The supply chain industry is still male dominated, but a growing number of women continue to make their mark on this important field. Today’s Women in Supply Chain panel highlighted some of these incredible professionals, while offering valuable career advice. 

Moderator Elizabeth Rennie, ASCM Editor-in-Chief, was joined by Christine Barnhart, CPIM, of Nulogy; Danielle Albright of Northrop Grumman; Lucille Docter of UScellular; and Olive Sikem Ngah, CPIM, CSCP, SCOR-P, of DuPont. The panelists shared their personal experiences and insights, discussing the importance of networking, advocating for oneself, and creating more inclusive and supportive workplaces.  

Barnhart urged attendees to “cultivate a tribe,” explaining that this is composed of people who have a vested interest in each other’s success. Ngah agreed, adding that it’s crucial to foster mutually nurturing relationships. 

Some other tips for advancing women in the profession included maintaining a thirst for knowledge, honing your problem-solving skills, embracing failure and vulnerability, and reaching out to other women in the field who may be getting left behind to offer support and encouragement. As Barnhart put it, “Great leaders are grown.” 

4. Another panel explored the future of planning. Four industry experts shared valuable insights into the evolving landscape, with an eye on the impacts of emerging technologies.They also focused on how the planner role has evolved to meet the demands of a much more complex and unpredictable world.

The presenters included Carol Cunningham, CSCP, of Energizer; Jill Hays, CPIM, CSCP, CLTD, of AWS; Craig Reid of Rivian Automotive; and Eric Wilson of IBF. They noted that supply chain planners today have to be more strategic and data-driven. And they must know how to identify and mitigate risks amid seemingly constant disruption.  

Attendees gained valuable insights about planning for renewal and driving growth. They also discovered strategies for effectively anticipating challenges and opportunities, embracing emerging technologies in supply planning, achieving resilience, and preparing supply chain organizations for a dynamic and challenging future. 

5. ASCM CONNECT: North America has come to a close, but the expert supply chain education never stops. ASCM members enjoy access to all kinds of best-in-class supply chain training and development solutions.

First, be sure to save the date for next year’s conference in Austin, September 9-11, 2024. Then, check out the latest from the ASCM Insights blog, which provides essential information about all aspects of supply chain. Stay ahead of the curve with ASCM research. Peer-reviewed journals and reports provide the latest data and analysis on supply chain best practices.  

Look to ASCM talent solutions to accelerate your teams and supercharge your career trajectory. And, of course, a wide array of professional development programs — in particular, APICS certifications and the body of knowledge — have been the global standard in supply chain learning and development for more than 60 years. Use promo code BYESUMMER2023 and SAVE 15% on your CPIM, CSCP and CLTD learning system, bundle or certificate purchase!