Conference Welcome and Keynote: Bolstering Supply Chain Resilience Through Digitalization

Join us as we kick off the annual ASUG Best Practices: SAP for Supply Chain event virtually! This session will examine the role of a resilient supply chain in responding and recovering from unanticipated events by returning to its original state or morphing into a state that is even better at profitably meeting the needs of customers. 

The question now becomes, what can companies do about it? Can companies absorb the incremental costs and investments needed to create resilience from redundant suppliers, plants, and points of distribution? What about de-globalizing and breaking the supply chain into smaller, more independently operating entities? What about just solving the problem with more buffer inventory or safety stock?

While the above levers can at least in part make the supply chain more resilient, they all involve trade-offs, cost, complexity, and can take time to implement. Alternatively, there is one common theme across initiatives that has allowed companies to better respond to the shocks—and that is centered around having the supply chain be more “digitalized.” For example, companies that have unified the cross-functional planning processes into one common environment are able to more quickly and more frequently make planning decisions and what-if analyses. Companies that have invested in their Industry 4.0 Industrial Internet-of-Things (IoT) platform are better able to run and maintain their supply chain sites and assets. Companies that are connected to digital logistics networks have better visibility into what is happening and can make better decisions.

Speakers

• Martin Barkman, SVP, Global Head of Solution Management, Digital Supply Chain, SAP
• Kelly Dowling, Senior Manager, Enterprise Content, ASUG