Supply Chain Monthly
Current News
  

February is Black History Month (BHM), an observance with roots dating back to 1926 with the goal of acknowledging the unique accomplishments and societal contributions of African Americans. CSCMP has celebrated the legacy of BHM over the years, but this year we thought it fitting to showcase personal reflections of three of our Board Leaders. During BHM, nationwide attention is fittingly brought to the impacts of prominent figures from the African American community, household names such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Colin Powell, and Barack Obama. Yet, less-known African American trailblazers are history-making in their own rights, and have made significant and direct impacts on the lives of Leaders in our CSCMP community. 

Paul Brown, CSCMP Board Vice-Chair, credits his leadership and early career development to Dr. James E. Bostic, who he calls “an amazing person in my life.” Dr. Bostic was the first African American to earn a Doctorate from Clemson University, and went on to develop a prolific and robust mentorship infrastructure as an EVP within Georgia Pacific Corporation. As a rising logistician, Paul was a mentee under Dr. Bostic’s program, and acknowledges that early mentoring as vital to the leadership skills and capabilities he now brings to the CSCMP community.
 
Dr. Terry Esper, CSCMP Board Secretary/Treasurer, earned his Ph.D. under the advising and mentorship of Dr. Lisa Williams, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Logistics. Dr. Williams earned her Doctorate at The Ohio State University and served on faculty at Penn State University and the University of Arkansas before launching a successful start-up. Terry credits his leadership style to Dr. Williams, who he recalls as being “tough and thorough, but with significant compassion and empathy.”
 
Elijah Ray, CSCMP Board Member At-Large and Past Board Chair, acknowledges that his CSCMP service and leadership was shaped by Herb Johnson, the first African American CSCMP Board Chair. Herb served as CLM Board Chair in 2000 and worked in various SCM leadership roles in consulting and for CVS Corporation, before serving as President and CEO of the San Diego Rescue Mission. A Harvard grad, Herb was a pillar of leadership within the CLM community and served as an early role model for Elijah. As Elijah puts it, “he gave me something to aspire to.”
 
Join CSCMP’s celebration of the contributions of Dr. James E. Bostic, Dr. Lisa Williams, and Mr. Herb Johnson – three groundbreaking leaders whose history-making contributions opened doors and inspired others to be their best.
 
Paul Brown, Dr. Terry Esper and Elijah Ray will be continuing the conversation on diversity and inclusion in the industry on Tuesday, February 23, at 11am CST. They will join Dr. Felisa Preciado Higgins, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Clinical Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University, for an interactive webinar focusing on the evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), particularly for African Americans, in the industry. The discussion will focus on a range of topics including the status of DE&I in the industry, how diverse candidates should position themselves for growth, and strategies on having conversations that address disparity.

COVID has ruthlessly exposed supply chain weaknesses, and seems to be sharpening the focus and definition of supply chain digitization from a platitude to a critical path to survival. Companies around the world are urgently seeking ways to better plan around supply chain demand volatility and improve resilience and agility.

Listen in as CSCMP President and CEO, Rick Blasgen and guest Caroline Proctor, CMO of ToolsGroup share an honest and important discussion on supply chain planning digitization in a post-COVID world. 

Participate in the new study by CSCMP and ToolsGroup:
“Supply Chain Planning Digital Transformation: Post-COVID Benchmark"
Take the survey!

  
Thank you to FastFetch Corporation for sharing this Hot Topic.
Almost every trade magazine you pick up today has an article telling how great robots are for improving productivity in distribution centers (DCs). Many articles include photos and videos showing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) moving down an aisle in a picking zone with claims of large increases in picking performance. AMRs are fine for some DC tasks in receiving and shipping, but with rare exceptions, they are poor choices and are being overhyped for fulfillment of eCommerce orders consisting of a few lines of mixed products.
  
Thank you Jason Juds, Principal Consultant, Liberty Advisor Group for this CSCMP Hot Topic.
2020 was a year rife with disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology has proved invaluable as businesses pivot to new operating models, and strive to stay competitive, respond to customer’s expectations, and keep secure. Here are our top 2021 technology trends that will create new opportunities for businesses.
CSCMP Awards and Recognition
 
LAST CHANCE: Submit a Nomination for the 2021 ELA by 2/21
CSCMP's Young Professionals Emerging Leader Award (ELA) recognizes up-and-coming leaders for their early, yet meaningful contributions to the supply chain management and logistics industry. CSCMP invites you to nominate a young professional member (32 years-of-age or under) in the supply chain community who is committed to her/his career and has the potential for a bright future, but who also deserves recognition now. Submit a nomination today!
 
Submit a Nomination for the 2021 DSA by 3/15
CSCMP's Distinguished Service Award (DSA) honors an outstanding individual who exemplifies significant, consistent, and career-long contributions to the development of the logistics and supply chain management disciplines. Recent recipients include 2020’s Matthew A. Waller, Ph.D., Dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and 2019’s Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President and Chief Global Supply Chain Officer for Johnson & Johnson. Submit a nomination today!
 
Enter the 2021 SCIA Competition by 3/17
CSCMP's Supply Chain Innovation Award (SCIA) recognizes teams who have demonstrated excellence, innovation, and return on investment for a significant supply chain challenge. For more than15 years, supply chain teams worldwide have been submitting their cases to the SCIA for the opportunity to receive recognition from their industry peers on a global stage. You can find detailed guidelines here.
 
Must be a CSCMP member to participate. Learn more about CSCMP Awards here.
 
 
  
  • Justin Fishman, Director at Shelbourne Capital and U.S. Navy Reserve Lieutenant
  • Feng Tian, Associate Professor, Governors State University
  • Christy Nunes, Director of Operations, Freedman Seating Company

CSCMP is happy to announce that the College of Charleston will once again be offering the SCPro™ Level One Certification as part of their supply chain capstone class. The College of Charleston, offers an undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management. Students in the Supply Chain Management program garner an end-to-end perspective on the flow of products and services from the raw materials provider down to the customer and the flow of valuable information back up the chain.

“I have used the CSCMP SCPro™ Level One Certification in my capstone project class at the College of Charleston. It has served our goal of evaluating students’ knowledge and skills and certified them using an institution that is widely recognized by the market. Students appreciate the opportunity to get certified, which helps them in the job market. Every year, in my class, I count on the CSCMP SCPro™ Certification to qualify our students.”

─ Rafael Teixeira, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, College of Charleston


If you or your organization are interested in the CSCMP SCPro™ Certification program and would like more information, contact us at scpro@cscmp.org.

Master of Supply Chain Management – 100% Online
The Pennsylvania State University
Accelerate your career! Earn a Penn State Master of Supply Chain Management part-time and online at your preferred pace. This highly engaging program, ranked #1 in the country by Gartner Inc., delivers the expertise professionals need to manage a world-class supply chain. Study proven theory, industry best practices, and new technologies from anywhere in the world. GMAT waivers are available.
Explore your options.
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CSCMP Featured Members
  
"I joined CSCMP in August of 2018 to help build knowledge around corporate social responsibility and understand what other supply chain professionals consider particularly important. My advice would be to participate. There are a lot of activities, and a substantial amount of information available on the web site and from other members."
  
"I joined in 2014 with the purpose of learning more about logistics and supply chain and to hear from leaders in the industry. Also, to bring more hot topic issues to the students that I serve and am responsible for in my program. Take every opportunity to attend every webinar, roundtable, and conference that you can. The information is always relevant, and you never know when you may meet someone that may change your life."

Gebrüder Weiss, a global transportation and logistics company, has a history of more than 500 years in the logistics industry and now has more than 150 offices in 30 countries worldwide.

Watch the video to learn how Gebrüder Weiss helps customers grow their businesses utilizing a customer-centric approach in CSCMP’s Corporate Spotlight.

Connect
Enhance your team with a CSCMP Corporate Membership! Our customizable memberships offer education, access to supply chain research, networking and exposure to elite C-Level conversations via members only webinars, workshops, and the global CSCMP EDGE annual conference.

Connect with a CSCMP Account Manager today to build a custom package for your team. We look forward to hearing from you.
  
The CBA, CSCMP, GS1, Accenture, Coyote, Vector and dozens of shippers, carriers, and retailers are working together to create an open eBOL industry standard for contactless pickup & delivery. The task force is looking for more companies to share their challenges and requirements, so that we can create a solution that integrates with each supply chain partner's ERP, WMS, TMS or YMS.
 
To learn more about the task force, check out the position paper: Is Logistics Ready for Contactless Pickup & Delivery?
Training and Development
  
The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and Supply Chain Quarterly have released the next annual salary survey for supply chain management professionals.
 
This collaborative survey focuses on collecting data to analyze the current state of salaries and overall compensation for professionals working in supply chain.
 
Survey questions will review data that includes:
  • Salary by years of experience
  • Salary by years in current position
  • Salary by education level
  • Impact of certification on salary
  • Salary by title and job function
  • Salary by geographical location
  • Overall job satisfaction data
Thank you in advance for participating.
AI Supply Chain, the leading AI event for supply chain professions, is a virtual conference taking place March 10, 2021. The in-depth sessions from industry thought-leaders will cut through the hype and provide practical AI/ML strategies for supply chain transformation, optimization and digitalization.
 
As a supporting organization, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals has negotiated an exclusive discounted rate of $275. Enter code CSCMP on the invoice page.
 
  
According to the Logistic Manager's Index® the overall January LMI index is at 67.2, up from December’s reading of 66.7. This breaks a streak of three consecutive readings above 70.0. This is driven by an increase in inventory and warehousing metrics, but tempered by a mild loosening in the rates of growth for transportation metrics. The reading of 67.2 is significantly higher than the index-average LMI score of 62.4. 
Edge Conference
  
 
  
In preparation for CSCMP EDGE 2021 Atlanta, we cannot help but be thankful for the support from organizations and industries who made the virtual conference successful in 2020. It is hard to believe that CSCMP was one of the only organizations to host supply chain’s premier event 100% virtually without cutting one session, in fact, more were added. This could not have been done without the dedication and efforts from the volunteers, sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees who believe in CSCMP and the difference it makes in our professional journeys.
 
The EDGE Committee and the Track Chair team are making tremendous progress already working diligently to bring together a series of speakers and sessions that look at the on-going need for flexibility in the global supply chain. Our focus is to look at how supply chain has changed and evolved in just one year. Track Chairs will develop content that takes what we have learned and provide opportunities to apply new approaches, strategies, and solutions that move supply chain forward.
 
We are excited to bring everyone together once again and I look forward to meeting you in Atlanta.
Don’t miss the chance to have your session idea or topic featured at the 2021 EDGE Conference in Atlanta, Georgia!
 
The Call for Sessions is your chance to pitch session content ideas to the EDGE Committee and Track Chairs. Make sure that your session topic aligns with the core tracks and that you are able to present in-person.
 
EDGE is the place to make your voice heard and impact your supply chain community! Submit your session idea by March 1, 2021.
  
Become an official EDGE 2021 Supply Chain Exchange Exhibitor today to position your brand as a global innovator and leader in the end-to-end supply chain. 
 
As a Supply Chain Exchange participant, you will:
  • Display your innovative products to 3,000+ leaders spanning the end-to-end supply chain.
  • Establish your products and services as the solution for organizations’ pain points.
  • Reconnect with longtime customers and continue strengthening these relationships.
  • Forge new contacts and develop potential new business. Don’t miss out on showing off your products and services to the right folks. 
   
Naylor Association Solutions
   
Roundtables
CSCMP has centralized its global Call for Volunteers application process for the July 2021-June 2023 board term. Roundtables seek a diverse pool of individuals who are ready to lead the charge to connect, develop, and educate local supply chain professionals. The Call for Volunteers application period opened on Friday, January 8, and runs through midnight on Sunday, February 21, 2021.

If you, or anyone you know, is interested in running for an Officer’s position, please complete the online Candidate Information Form by visiting Roundtable Call for Volunteers!

Visit us online to learn more about CSCMP Roundtables or contact roundtables@cscmp.org with any questions.
Columbus Roundtable: Burnout Prevention – Strategic Actions of Wise Leaders 
February 18, 2021 | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST | Columbus, OH
Non-Member Price: $5.00  Learn more and register now! 
 
Twin Cities Roundtable: Current State of International Logistics: Maritime Focus
February 18, 2021 | 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST | Minneapolis, MN
Non-Member Price: $25.00  Learn more and register now! 
 
Southern California Roundtable: How E-commerce Fulfillment is Competitively Done
February 18, 2021 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm PST | Los Angeles, CA
Non-Member Price: $25.00  Learn more and register now! 
 
South Carolina Roundtable: Successful Internships in a World of Social Distancing
February 22, 2021 | 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST | Anderson, SC
Non-Member Price: $5.00  Learn more and register now! 
 
UK Roundtable: Supply Chains in a Post-Brexit World: What's next? 
February 23, 2021 | 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm UK | London, England
 
We are delighted to invite you to a conversation with David Henig, the Director of the UK Trade Policy Project. David is a leading expert on the development of UK Trade Policy post-Brexit and, in 2017, he co-founded the UK Trade Forum, which brings together UK trade policy experts to debate and analyse these issues.

The UK now has a different role in global trade, but what that is won’t be understood for some time yet. What we do know is that the supply chains need to navigate an uncertain course through new frameworks, new documentation and new realities.
 
During the conversation, David and Len will look at what those are, what the TCA says and what it doesn’t, and highlight some of the changes coming later this year and beyond. They will also discuss what supply chain leaders should consider to be prepared for the uncertainties to come. Register for the webinar now!
 
Chicago Roundtable: 2021 Monthly Virtual Networking
February 24, 2021 | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm CST | Chicago, IL
Non-Member Price: $10.00  Learn more and register now!