The Supply Chain Summit NSW, hosted by Forefront Events, once again proved to be an invaluable gathering for industry professionals seeking to navigate the complexities of modern supply chains. This year’s event was centred around pivotal themes that are currently reshaping the landscape of supply chain management. With a focus on digital transformation, resilience, sustainability, and globalisation, the summit offered attendees a comprehensive overview of strategies and trends that are essential for maintaining competitive advantage in the ever-evolving market.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in thought-provoking sessions that highlighted the importance of leveraging cutting-edge technologies, such as AI and IoT, to enhance supply chain visibility and efficiency. Resilience and risk management were also hot topics, with experts sharing insights on how to build robust, adaptable supply chains that can withstand global disruptions.
In the midst of these enlightening sessions, Argon & Co hosted an engaging round table discussion on “Strategies to Build Supply Chain Agility and Cut Complexity in Unstable Times.” The session attracted a lively debate around several trending strategic themes:
- Visibility with Supply Chain Partners: Participants concurred on the significance of fostering transparency with supply chain partners, albeit recognising the challenges of trust and data sharing. Starting small with a single supplier, usually B2B, was suggested as a starting point to validate the concept, showcasing how visibility can enable companies to swiftly react to fluctuations in demand.
- Concurrent Planning and Rapid Scenario Development: Traditionally, planning is linear based on forecasts that are increasingly under pressure due to the rapidly evolving environment both in terms of complexity of offer and variation in demand. With increasingly long lead times for offshore product sourcing being disrupted by geo-political events, the use of digital supply chain twins to simulate real-time scenarios was highlighted as a pivotal shift, allowing for rapid and precise response to geopolitical and market disruptions.
- Agility in Execution: Several strategies were discussed, including the application of digital twins in factories to evaluate capacity changes, quick machine setups to maintain flexibility, and the development of repeatable manufacturing cycles to minimise inventory. The engineering of sub-assemblies for customisation near customer locations was discussed as a method to enhance responsiveness while reducing inventory levels. Additionally, dynamic route scheduling in last-mile delivery was emphasised as a means to counteract traffic disruptions and optimise delivery efficiency.
True agility and a flexible, cost-effective operational base emerge from the harmonious execution of these strategies. At Argon & Co, we are committed to driving real change with operations teams and excited to continue these conversations with you on your journey towards supply chain excellence.
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