Supply-Chain World 2009 To Explore Using SCOR And Other Tools To Create And Deliver Greater Supply Chain Value In A Global Business Environment

Critical strategies for creating and delivering supply chain value—in many instances, using the Supply-Chain Operations Reference model (SCOR)—will be explored at the 2009 Supply-Chain World North America Conference & Exposition, March 16-19 at the Westin Galleria in Houston.

Keynoting the conference will be Dr. Michael Hammer, author of international best-seller Reengineering the Corporation and three other books, who will present his informative and often irreverent views on the operational "nuts and bolts of business."

Complementing Hammer's keynote address will be numerous educational sessions in which experts from companies around the world will discuss the approaches they have taken to managing the supply chain so that it meets operational imperatives—whether they are cost reduction, entering new markets, improving customer satisfaction, or developing environmentally sustainable (and financially rewarding) processes. Sessions in the conference will be organized in four major educational tracks:

• Globalization and Standardization: For most organizations today, supply chain globalization at some level is a given, and achieving global supply chain excellence a necessity. This track will profile companies that have achieved world-class global supply chain performance by aligning business strategy with supply chain execution.
• Sustainability and the Green Supply Chain: Environmental and corporate social responsibility are at or near the top of most company's agendas as it becomes increasingly clear that the cost of an enterprise's carbon footprint will be high both in terms of its overall financial performance and its global reputation. In this track, professionals will discuss what their companies are doing to measure the environmental impact of their supply chain practices, identify and implement greening opportunities, improve waste management, reduce water or packaging usage, and comply with new environmental regulations and guidelines.
• Convergence for Total Lifecycle Management Success: Organizations have successfully combined many concepts, resources, methods and tools for achieving superior enterprise performance. This track will review how companies have created integrated strategy, tactics and execution with not only SCOR, Lean, and Six Sigma, but also with APICS and CSCMP bodies of knowledge, standards as diverse as ISO and Baldrige, and other approaches to supply chain optimization.
• The People Side of Supply Chains: As supply chains evolve, so must the skills of the people who manage and run them. For individuals working in supply chain management, this means learning and understanding how to apply the most advanced tools, models, techniques, skills and behaviors required to be most effective in the job. For supply chain leaders it means defining the skill sets needed today (and those that will be needed tomorrow), and finding, training, and retaining the people who have them. This track will profile how successful supply chain organizations are developing supply chain resources, addressing the global skills shortage, empowering and engaging their people in the pursuit of supply chain excellence, and building cross-functional and cross-enterprise teams with the right skill sets to excel in the future.

"Leading organizations recognize that their supply chains are critical to their growth, profitability, and strategic effectiveness—especially in a world in which supply chains have become increasingly global, complex, time-sensitive, and fraught with risk," said Mike Hadley, chairperson of the conference. "At Supply-Chain World, attendees will learn what it takes to build a superior supply chain by defining the processes that need to be improved, aligning those improvements to strategic goals, and excelling at execution."

Exhibits by leading providers of supply chain products and services will complement the conference, giving attendees the opportunity to learn about the latest tools and practices for improving supply chain performance. In addition, winners of the 2009 Supply Chain Excellence Awards, which recognize organizations that understand the critical role of supply chain performance and that are committed to optimizing supply chain performance, will be announced during the conference.

The Supply-Chain Council currently is accepting proposals for presentations at the conference, as well as reservations for exhibits and sponsorships. More details on these and all other aspects of the conference are available at www.supplychainworld.org. Individuals representing established media outlets are eligible for complementary registration to the conference. To obtain a media pass, or to arrange interviews with conference presenters or Supply-Chain Council representatives, please contact Bernie Thiel at bthiel@bloomgroup.com.

About the Supply-Chain Council
The Supply-Chain Council was incorporated in 1997 as a global, not-for-profit trade association with membership open to all organizations interested in improving supply chain efficiencies through the use of the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model, the supply chain diagnostic tool that enables users to address, improve, and communicate supply chain management practices within and between interested parties from the customer's customer to the supplier's supplier. Complete information on the Council and its activities are available at www.supply-chain.org.

SOURCE: Supply-Chain Council