It felt like a whirlwind, but this year’s Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference was definitely one of the highlights of the year for us. The outlook from Gartner is very positive: There’s no better time to be in the supply chain industry.
We couldn’t agree more.
Leading the next decade
The opening keynote by Gartner executives Noha Tohamy and Debra Hofman definitely puts things in perspective. Just 10 years ago, supply chain management was a relatively obscure function that was usually parked under manufacturing. Now, it’s seen as a vital part of the business, and has earned a place in today’s C-suite.
Great insights by Noha Tohamy on using analytics to take #supplychains into the future #GartnerSCC
— DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 10, 2014
Later, the panel discussion on future technologies saw our very own VP of Supply Chain Solutions John Sookias debate the impact of wearables, 3D printing, and social media on supply chains. John makes a great point when he gives the example of Taylor Swift tweeting about the new Apple watch.
These days, a celebrity can cause a spike in demand simply by tweeting about your product. Question is, are you able to seize and shape opportunities, or will you continue to make adjustments after the fact?
Watch the panel discussion on future technologies with John Sookias.
Making sense of big data and supply chain complexity
Moving on to mathematical advantages, our COO Arjen Heeres spoke of making sense of big data in his session: Big Calculations: The key to solving the efficiency puzzle.
What are the four obstacles to optimization? Why is speed essential to success? Why is big data only half of the value equation? What does big data have to do with the Google car? These are some of the important questions answered in the session.
There is a difference between automation & optimization – Arjen Heeres, #GartnerSCC pic.twitter.com/dYTN3TXEJn — DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 10, 2014
“Everyone has a plan till they get punched!” – Arjen Heeres on supply chain disruptions #GartnerSCC pic.twitter.com/TyDCNW2E9o
— DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 10, 2014
How #BigCalculations help in optimizing the complexity of producing grain-fed beef – Arjen Heeres, #GartnerSCC pic.twitter.com/RZY82wPPsM — DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 10, 2014
To get ahead, it’s not enough to be collecting data – companies need the ability to make fast and accurate decisions to keep up with unexpected demand and disruptions. Watch Arjen’s solution providers session at the Gartner Supply Chain Executive conference.
The 10-task planning challenge
At the DELMIA Quintiq booth, we challenged visitors on their planning skills with our 10-task planning challenge. The aim is to calculate the best route for 10 shipments in 10 minutes.
Participants as the role of a planner in our 10-task shipping challenge. Fun times at #GartnerSCC pic.twitter.com/3ZvV6IEzZk
— DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 10, 2014
By having participants plan on paper, the challenge reveals the frustrations and inefficiencies of manual planning. Compared to the near real-time supply chain planning and optimization capabilities of the DELMIA Quintiq single platform solution, it’s quite an eye opener.
We’ve had many challengers competing in multiple rounds on the evening of September 9, but alas, there can only be one champion – Alison Guest from Neovia Logistics. Congratulations again on winning a brand new iPad!
Congratulations Alison on winning our 10-task shipping challenge! #GartnerSCC @NeoviaTweets pic.twitter.com/2ETW21vMs7
— DELMIA Quintiq (@Quintiq) September 11, 2014
Looking forward to 2015
Finally, we would like to say a big thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth. We hope you got the insights you need from our experts and demo sessions. If you missed us, don’t worry, just drop us a line on LinkedIn or Twitter and we can catch up.
London will be calling again soon – we’ll see you next year.
