On June 19, I, along with over 600 supply chain and logistics professionals, will be attending the 19th annual Supply Chain & Logistics Summit in Barcelona. The three day event will offer a vast amount of opportunities to delve into all things supply chain. Various in-depth sessions focusing on keys topics in the industry such as reverse logistics and integrated business planning will be presented and deliberated.
Once again, The All Things Supply Chain Blog will serve as media partner to the outstanding event, as can be seen on the new banner in the top right hand corner of your screen. I am really looking forward to attending as it will be an amazing opportunity for me to learn firsthand about current and emerging trends in the industry and ultimately share them with you. Networking with industry experts is also something I am very excited about, allowing knowledge and unique experiences to be shared in a stimulating environment.
This year, the event has categorized its case studies and panel discussions into 4 key streams:
- Supply Chain Strategic Planning & Management
- Logistics Excellence
- Technology Development
- Roundtables & Workshops
These will focus on European, American and Asian markets in particular, talking about the challenges faced when expanding into new markets and how to effectively tackle the ever changing business environment. Drones, robotics and the use of automated systems will also be addressed, regarding costs, reliability and their inevitable impact on operations.
A new feature this year is the addition of Poken, a networking software provider. An app available to all attendees will change the way people connect at the event. Swapping virtual business cards will optimize time and maximize networking opportunities. ‘GO GREEN’ is the slogan for the application. By allowing materials from exhibitors to be transferred through Poken, it eliminates the need to carry paper copies for the length of the event. Watch the explanative video here:
On Day 1, I am particularly looking forward to the discussion: ‘How two of the world’s biggest online shopping giants are changing the way ecommerce works’ headed by speakers from Alibaba and Amazon. The two companies dominate the ecommerce sector, so it will interesting to hear their success stories directly and how they developed their ideas. The discussion will also focus on how the rise of ecommerce is affecting market share and how traditional retailers can react to this.
I will also be attending the keynote case study presented on Day 2 of the event. In this talk, named ‘Investing in an Omnichannel Future’, a representative for John Lewis will discuss how the company is currently adapting its omnichannel strategy to better manage and support its retailing without raising costs. Furthermore, improvements spurring from the latest offerings in automation will be addressed in the talk.
On the last day of the event, I am excited to hear from Toyota and its case study regarding ‘The Secret to Supply Chain Success: Achieving Agility & Flexibility in a Volatile Global Marketplace’. It will focus on becoming more agile through being ‘information’ rather than ‘inventory led’. This is guaranteed to be a compelling talk from one of the leading companies in the automotive industry.
Of course, there are many other interesting opportunities being held throughout the event that I will also be attending.
If you are registering for the event, receive a 30% discount on the entry fee with the code ATSC2017.
Don’t forget to follow me, the event and ATSC on twitter for updates on the summit: @rradford09, @SCLNetwork and @ATSCblog. I will be tweeting the main highlights and learnings throughout the 3 day event. Hope to see you there!
And remember to stay tuned for the event summary coming on June 26!
