The Purchaser Issue 17 by Magazines

THE

PURCHASER

P R O C U R E M E N T

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S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

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T H E P U R C H A S E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M

THEPURCHASERMAGAZINE.COM OCTOBER 2023

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Those in the niche space of procurement are seen as trusted advisers to customers, providing sound advice to making informed and concise business decisions. And in this issue, our cover star, Marcel Geffrard, Director of Global Procurement from recruitment organisation TrueBlue Inc., shares how to create and retain the right relationships, and why procurement plays a vital role in connecting people. Geffrard’s leadership journey has spanned over 15 years in a variety of sectors, which has allowed him to master the skills to adapt to any environment – a vital component for a successful procurement professional. We also talk to Asyad Group’s procurement team, whose mission is to be part of the top 10 global integrated logistics service providers and propel the development of Oman. Former supply chain director at Arivia S.A and founder of Mentor Chain, Anestis Magkanaris, whose experience is the golden recipe for many procurement professionals, reflects on his remarkable journey in the industry. We chat to Koray Köse, Supply Chain expert and CIO at Everstream Analytics about the intricacies of holistic risk management, its critical role in the supply chain, and how it can help organisations enhance their resilience, agility, sustainability, and cybersecurity. And Rositsa Spasova, associate director of supply chain at TESY, discusses what is crucial for any organisation to survive and thrive in the ever-changing world. With our newly revamped content, we hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did creating it. Thanks for reading The Purchaser.

FOUNDER & CEO JAMES PEPPER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR TOM CAMP

GRAPHIC DESIGNER KIMBERLEY STOTT

FOUNDER & COO CHARLOTTE CLARKE

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR BECKY NORTHFIELD

PROJECT MANAGER HENRY ALLTON-JONES

CONTENT MANAGER TARA QUINN

FOUNDER & CRO JACK PASCALL

PROJECT MANAGER ALEX NEAGU

GRAPHIC DESIGNER HANNAH LEWIS

Stroud & Clarke is a cutting-edge multichannel digital media company that produces exceptional technology, business and lifestyle content via our portfolio of digital magazines, websites and social media platforms. © Stroud and Clarke Ltd 2023. All rights reserved. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that information is correct upon publishing, Stroud and Clarke Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy,timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. This magazine may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CONTENTS

6. INSIGHT EXEC SUMMARY News, views and insight.

12. INTERVIEW MARCEL GEFFRARD - TRUE BLUE INC. On how procurement plays a vital role in connecting people to work.

24. PORTFOLIO TECH YOU NEED Innovations for work, leisure and the environmentally conscious.

34. INTERVIEW ASYAD GROUP On itsthe mission to to propel the development of Oman.

46. INNOVATOR COFFEE RESURRECT The pioneering Ethiopian start-up that is giving used coffee a second life.

48. INNOVATION THE DISUPTOR - HELIOGEN A Califoria-based renewables company striving to eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

50. INTERVIEW ANESTIS MAGKANARIS A reflection on Anestis’ remarkable journey within the supply chain industry.

62. LEADERSHIP KORAY KÖSE Discusses the intricacies of holistic risk management, its critical role in supply chain, and how it can help organisations.

70. INTERVIEW ROSITSA SPASOVA Discusses what is crucial for any organisation to thrive in an ever-changing world.

82. TOP 10 TV shows about Advanced Technologies.

86. EVENTS The best supply chain and procurement events for 2023 and early 2024.

EXEC

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A bitesize collection of news, content, ideas, thoughts and papers from around the industry.

UMMARY “The technology that provides the foundation for the Concept CLA Class represents an entirely new approach for Mercedes-Benz” Markus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer E X EC S U M M A R Y | ISSUE SEVENTEEN

Mercedes-Benz has revealed new ‘close to production’ concept EVs, the CLA Class, aiming to drive into the future of digital and electric vehicles. The CLA Class comprises of four new models: a sedan, two SUVs and a station wagon. The company aims to hold its own against competitors and electric vehicle giant, Tesla, with the CLA Class’s range coming in at more than 460 miles with a single charge, versus the 374 miles that the Tesla Model 3 is able to accomplish. Whilst the CLA class is simply a concept car, it represents so much more. It is a starting point for a future of new, innovative electric vehicles from Mercedes Benz.

MEDIA.MERCEDES-BENZ.COM

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ROBOTS The International Federation of Robots has published the New World Robotics report, which found 553,052 industrial robot installations in factories worldwide. Asia is the largest market by far, with annual installations of over 350,000. Europe and North America remain the second and third largest markets, and seeing installations increasing by 5% and 8% respectively. Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics states that “in 2023 the industrial robot market is expected to grow by 7% to more than 590,000 units worldwide.” WWW.IFR.ORG

P H O T O: R O DIO N K U T S A I E V

TIME-SAVING AI In the hopes of helping procurement teams save time, Fairmarkit has launched an AI tool that aims to automate processes from intake to sourcing. The new solution takes manual sourcing solutions that may take teams of workers weeks, and replaces them with a self-service process that happens

in minutes. The solution aims to not only free up time but to place business leaders and procurement teams on the same page. WWW.FAIRMARKIT.COM

E X EC S U M M A R Y

A collaboration between FedEx and Dexterity AI has seen the transportation company begin to test the implementation of AI-powered Robots in its Ground unit’s trailers in order to assist with effectively packing shipments. The robot, named DexR, is fed boxes by a conveyor system and utilises a two-arm system to simultaneously pick and pack the boxes.

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PICK AND PACK

Rebecca Yeung, FedEx corporate vice president of operations, science and advanced technologies, hopes that the assistance of AI will help the operations team to keep up with growing customer demand. WWW.DEXTERITY.AI

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E X EC S U M M A R Y

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JOURNEY TO NET ZERO It is essential to push towards decarbonising the power sector on the journey to net zero. To assist with tracking global and country-level progress, the Climate Action Tracker has highlighted where 16 different countries stand on achieving the feat of limiting warming to 1.5°C, in relation to their coal, fossil gases, and renewables usage. Whilst the UK is on track to phase out coal by 2024, Germany and Chile are leading the group in terms of renewable deployment, and the US and UK’s decarbonisation targets are in line with achieving a 1.5°C compatible timeline. The Climate Action Tracker finds that most countries are not doing enough to push towards the renewable energy transition. WWW.CLIMATEACTIONTRACKER.ORG

OFFSHORE ENERGY

SHORTS •

IBM reports that just 38% of businesses are currently tracking their Scope 3 emissions.

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CEO and President of SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT, Jim Ryan, will retire in March 2024, after 30 years with the company.

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NIKKEI finds that 40% of suppliers that Tesla uses for batteries are Chinese companies.

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UK GOVERNMENT mandates that from 2024, 22% of new cars sold must be zero emission. This rises to 80% by 2030.

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APPLE announces that more than 300 of the company’s suppliers have now committed to using 100% clean energy by 2030.

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WWW.OWIC.ORG.UK

E X EC S U M M A R Y

The Supply Chain Capability Analysis (SCCA) report, which was jointly commissioned by the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) and the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership (OWGP), reports that the UK’s offshore wind supply chain could potentially provide a value of £90 billion to the UK economy by 2040. Whilst the UK is an international leader in offshore wind, with the greatest capacity installed in Europe, the report found that the industry needs to better understand supply chain opportunities, know how to utilise them, and put the correct support and framework in place, in order to reach that £90 billion GVA by 2040.

P H O T O S: T H E C R E AT I V E C OLL E C T I V E - TJ S I M O N

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

M A R C E L GEFFRARD

WASH, RINSE, REPEAT MARCEL GEFFRARD OF TRUEBLUE INC. EXPLAINS HOW PROCUREMENT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN CONNECTING PEOPLE TO WORK, AND DISCOVERING SOLUTIONS TO CLIENTS’ WORKFORCE NEEDS.

P H O T O: S I T H A M S H U M A N O J B I K M A R C EL G EF F R A R D

I’m currently serving as a Director of Global Procurement at TrueBlue Inc, which is a staffing, recruiting and workforce management company, for the past three-plus years. I oversee the global procure-to-pay lifecycle. This would include strategic sourcing, contracts, and vendor management. My prior leadership roles in procurement spans well over 15 years, across various sectors for both public and private entities – ranging from hospitality with luxury destination resorts, casinos, theme parks, both federal and tribal government entities,

and now global and staffing and recruiting. The versatility in various sectors has allowed me to master the skillset of adapting to any environment, to quickly forge alliances, influence transformational change, and foster lasting relationships… all while ensuring appropriate governance practices to support the business initiatives are in place.

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By way of an introduction could you give a brief overview of your current work, your previous experiences in procurement and leadership across your career, and how they influence you now?

Truthfully, I’d like to think of us in the niche space of procurement as trusted advisers to our internal customers, providing sound advice to making informed and concise business decisions. Key drivers to this success throughout my career have been communication, execution, and results. In every instance, that formula has been the same… Wash, rinse, repeat, literally. To add a bit more colour there: reducing costs by leveraging volume across all segments 13

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P H O T O: R O H I T TA N D O N

enterprise-wide, improving effectiveness, efficiency, and self-service with new technology solutions. And, not to exclude adapting to the dynamic pace needs of the business, of course. Is procurement transformation necessary? Procurement transformation, or growth, rather, is a must within any organisation. And as previously mentioned, communication, execution, and results drive such change in the business. What are your key tips for successful negotiation? Communication is the quintessential focal point to leading any successful negotiation. This would be through effective and meaningful conversation while identifying these key points: criteria, common and conflicting interests, and compromise. Defining what is the criteria, what’s the common and conflicting interests between both entities, and finding that common ground for compromise. In the world of procurement, when it comes to negotiating contracts, you must find common ground. Everyone wants to walk away with a win.

“The versatility in various sectors has allowed me to master the skillset of adapting to any environment, to quickly forge alliances, influence transformational change, and foster lasting relationships.” And procurement is a very niche profession in which fundamentals and principles can traverse across various industries to net the same results. Literally plug-and-play, if you will.

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P H O T O: C H R I S T I N A W O C I N T EC H C H AT

P H O T O: J E R I D E N V ILL EG A S

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Can you give me some examples of change programs you’ve worked on? At TrueBlue, the projects which we’ve undertaken throughout my tenure here is self-service supplier onboarding and registration, enterprise contract repository, vendor risk management, as well as supplier diversity, equity, and inclusion of which, was implemented just this past first half of the year.

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How has the uncertainty and financial challenges in the industry has faced impacted the role and work of procurement? The pandemic has certainly exposed various areas in which, previously, were not as heavily focused. This new era in procurement has allowed us to reimagine our P2P approach to defining new standards when it comes to auditing our supplier pool, negotiating agreements, existing and new, and continual database maintenance. This allows for clean and reliable data when getting to the facts to minimise risk. What about the role of effective governance? Again, procurement impacts influence in governance when it comes to the organisation’s needs in identifying opportunities for cost management, risk reduction, and improved supplier relationships. What makes an effective modern procurement leader and how do you develop a strong team and culture? When it comes to leadership and team culture, the first word that comes to mind is empowerment. My role is and has always been to add value by strategic thinking, enhancing transparency, and driving innovation for transformational change. As part of the leadership team here at TrueBlue, my mission is to always ensure that our procurement team’s activities are aligned with the organisation’s strategic initiatives, both short- and long-term goals. 18

“Procurement impacts influence in governance when it comes to the organisation’s needs in identifying opportunities for cost management, risk reduction, and improved supplier relationships.” Can you tell me more about your work at TrueBlue? Well, there wasn’t much of a procurement department prior to my onboarding here at TrueBlue. That body of work was outsourced to a third-party procurement consultant firm out of California. Fast-forward to present day, though, our global team is known internally as Procurement Ninja Assassins. We are a trusted adviser to the organisation in which we have and continue to deliver world-class results, aligning with the goals of the business. It took a bit to get there, but communication, execution, and results is what led us to get to where we’re at today. What are the key initiatives or works you carried out of the organisation and how did they help evolve the function? To name a few, working capital and financial transparency initiative. With that, conducting quarterly business reviews to educate leaders on organisational improvements, celebrate successes in hitting targets and milestones, as well as forecasting what’s to come. So those two initiatives are two drivers that have been a force in implementing throughout the organisation.

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P H O T O: C E N T R E F O R A G E I N G B E T T E R

M A R C EL G EF F R A R D

Looking ahead, how do you think procurement and staffing and recruiting sector will evolve over the coming years and why? What we’re already seeing is an increase in adaptation of AI and machine learning in analysing data and automating customer service responses. This in turn, reducing turnaround time in providing support to the business. The use of data visualisation tools has broadened in our space as well. So, examples are dashboards and reporting tools to assist in gaining insight into business trends, supplier performance, and other key metrics to support our business cases to make decisions or advising business owners.

“Procurement impacts influence in governance when it comes to the organisation’s needs in identifying opportunities for cost management, risk reduction, and improved supplier relationships.”

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It’s impacted us significantly with favourable results and we’re continuing to expand on that.

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As we continue to evolve and integrate these forms of technology into our space, the mission to enable efficiency and sustainability while ensuring appropriate governance practices to support the business initiatives are in place. So how did you enter procurement as a career? Truthfully, it’s a funny story how that all fell into place. In a past life, I was a professional musician. I went to school for music actually; and, at the same time, got my business degree. Shortly after school, I was at a temp job as a proof-reader by day while drumming for a corporate band at night. I played drums for 15 years of so, and at the height of it, we were doing 27 nights a month. Private events, clubs, weddings, bar mitzvahs, you name it. And it was awesome. The transition into the world of procurement came about when the musc director for the band, who just so happened to work for Hard Rock Live

as a Production Manager. He suggested potentially getting me to work there as well. One thing led to another, and the rest was history. I have been fortunate to have had amazing mentors along the way who have been instrumental in providing me with knowledge, tools, and resources to being successful in this space. I’ve been very fortunate to have that support system with individuals who I remain in touch with today. For anyone considering joining the niche world of Procurement, my recommendation would be to dive in headfirst. It’s not a path that is widely travelled. But for those who do travel this space, they quickly realise how amazing and rewarding it is in doing so. WWW.TRUEBLUE.COM

Helping companies stay ahead of the digital revolution through the innovative use of technology. www.bluemantis.com

Managed Services · Cloud · Cybersecurity & Risk Management · Carrier Services · Modern Workspace · Networking · Datacenter Modernization

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Innovative and inspired items for work, leisure and sustainable living

ACCENTO The next generation of security is here, and it is no surprise that AI and robotics are involved. Zurichbased security and investigation company Ascento have developed the Ascento Guard, a security robot, powered by proprietary AI. The robots are designed to safely patrol sites such as warehouses, during any weather condition, at any time of day. Whilst the robots can be

controlled from any location, Ascento has implemented autonomous charging and the ability to schedule patrols and actions, saving time and the need for human intervention. The Ascento Guard detects vehicles, license plates, open doors, movement, and trespassers, alerting you to any and all security risks. WWW.ASCENTO.AI

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DJI MINI 4 PRO

DJI are back with their ‘most advanced mini camera drone to date’, the DJI Mini 4 Pro! Weighing in at under 250g, the Mini 4 Pro is lightweight, incredibly portable, and luckily for beginners and enthusiasts alike, the drone’s weight means that training and examinations are not required for use in most regions of the world. With an extended battery of up to 34 minutes, a range of up to 20km, and an advanced RTH route feature, users can get fully immersed in the experience without worrying about obstacles, connection issues, or battery life. DJI aims to provide maximum visual impact with 4K/60fps HDR, 4K/100fps video, and improved noise reduction allowing for brilliant video quality in all lights, slow motion, and true-to-life colour. WWW.DJI.COM

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HONDA MOTOCOMPACTO

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Believing that there should be no limits to clean transportation, Honda has announced the Motocompacto, a new, all-electric, folding motorcycle. Highly functional andz portable, the Motocompacto fits brilliantly into compact spaces, folding down to dimensions of just 3.7 inches x 21.1 inches x 29.2 inches. This means it can be transported in the back of a car or on trains, and can be taken to almost any location. The bike boasts a maximum speed of 15mph, a range of 12 miles on a single charge, and a weight capacity of 265 lbs, making it the perfect EV for students and people who travel or commute shorter distances.

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AMAZON X CARRERA EYEWEAR

A new collaboration between Amazon and Carrera brings a collection of innovative smart glasses that do so much more than your standard frames. Whilst the Carrera Smart Glasses utilise the company’s same stylish, bold and iconic designs that wearers have seen since the 1950s, the implementation of Amazon’s Alexa makes the glasses more of a companion than a simple accessory. With voice commands, wearers can play, pause and skip playlists and audiobooks, make phone calls without picking up their mobile, and even turn off the lights or lock the doors to their smart homes. WWW.AMAZON.COM

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FORM SMART SWIM GOGGLES

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Who would’ve thought goggles could do more than just help you see underwater and instead, enhance your entire swimming experience? Because that is exactly what the Form Smart Swim Goggles are designed to do. The smart goggles are the only pair with a patented AR display and motion sensors that help provide data, tracking, and analysis that the user can utilise to survey and improve their swimming performance. Whilst in the pool, the Smart Goggles let the wearer see real-time metrics, such as pace and stroke rate, to modify their swim and shave seconds off their time. The goggles can be connected to Garmin products, Apple Watches, and a specialised app to break down post-swim analysis of everything from total distance and pace to stroke rate and calories burned. The goggles come with an interchangeable nose bridge, anti-fog coating, and a display visible by wearers with prescriptions up to -3, so they can really fulfil the wants and needs of any swimmer. UK.FORMSWIM.COM

P H O T O: C H U T T E R S N A P

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

A S Y A D G R O U P GLOBAL AMBITIONS

ASYAD GROUP’S MISSION IS TO BE PART OF THE TOP 10 GLOBAL INTEGRATED LOGISTICS SERVICE PROVIDERS AND TO PROPEL THE DEVELOPMENT OF OMAN, AND THE PROCUREMENT TEAM DISCUSSES HOW THEY WILL MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

IN CONVERSATION;

Hamad Al Rawahi

Yaqoob Al Waili

I can work effectively across organisational and functional boundaries, with proven interpersonal and influencing skills, particularly with internal/government/external parties of varying expertise and seniority. I lead with courage and humility. In my career, I have improved the end-to-end procurement process from Purchase Requisition up until issuance of Purchase Order and delivery of materials/services. Through various process improvement initiatives, I managed to shorten the procurement process whilst simultaneously creating company value. This includes automating contract utilisation tracking and others that enable the department to deliver a high quality of service to stakeholders. Consequently, this reduced the transactional POR-PO activities by aggressively creating

The Inventory, Warehouse and Logistics (IWL) functions in the Supply Chain department has also improved. The process has been fruitful, as my strategy has reduced inventory holding cost (IHC) and surplus whilst maintaining zero warehouse incidents. The success led to management approval of a new warehouse at the Ghala, Musafah and the Yard.

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Yaqoob Al Waili: Working for over 15 years in the oil and gas industry has given me significant experience in having direct authority across a wide range of cultural backgrounds. I have extensive experience as a contracting and procurement expert, with a vast knowledge of all activities covered in CP and value delivery.

long term agreements for frequently purchased materials and services. The number of established long-term contracts have continuously increased over the years, developing my team’s strategic capabilities like analysing the purchase pattern, preparing long-term proposals rather than focusing on one-off POR-PO processes.

A S YA D G R O U P

Q: Could you tell me about your role and how your previous experiences influence your work today?

Rahma Al Maskarit

I create value to the company by facilitating revenue generating activities i.e., auction process, sales of crude oil etcetera. The strategy to appoint an online auction platform in facilitating all company auctions allows ODC to ensure a transparent process whilst reaching to a bigger pool of potential suppliers. Hamad Al Rawahi: I work as the Manager of Materials Management for the Asyad Group. My main role is to supervise, plan and coordinate the inventory of the group’s companies, develop appropriate plans to purchase materials at the best prices and at the right time, manage 35

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P H O T O: M A R C I N J O Z W I A K

inventory, and control the level of inventory to ensure continuity of operations as required while avoiding stock accumulation and ageing. I also coordinate with procurement and contracts to find everyday sources for the group in some materials of common use. I have more than 29 years’ experience in the supply chain, especially in inventory, warehouse management and logistics work, where my experience varied between the military sector, oil and gas, and ship repair. My experience has contributed to developing materials management, reducing random purchasing of materials, classifying materials, prices, and sources of supply. Rahma Al Maskari: I’m currently a Procurement Manager at Asyad Dry Dock, responsible for managing all procurements of materials and services. Prior

to that role, I worked as a Contracts Team Leader, overseeing various types of contracts related to Asyad Dry Dock. My previous experience as a Contracts Team Leader gave me a strong understanding of contract management processes, including requirements and documentation needed to convert procurement requests into formal contracts. By understanding consumption and demand for materials and services, I work closely with the contract team to ensure necessary contracts are in place, reducing delays and improving the efficiency of the procurement process. Overall, my previous experience in contract management has influenced my current role as a Procurement Manager, allowing me to bring a comprehensive understanding of procurement and contract management processes to my work.

P H O T O: R YA N K W O K

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P H O T O: EL I A S

Yaqoob Al Waili: During the pandemic, Asyad played an effective role in logistical services, especially through dry dock operations – maintaining a large numbers of ships, and operation of marine fleets through various international ports. Also, Asyad Ports had a prominent role in receiving goods and feeding the local market.

P H O T O: K L A U S K R E U E R

Q: The pandemic was a chance for Asyad to reset and focus on its core values. What success has the supply chain had because of COVID-19?

Q: Asyad is in the process of converting to SAP and implementing across the whole group. Can you tell us more?

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“During the pandemic, Asyad played an effective role in logistical services, especially through dry dock operations – maintaining a large numbers of ships, and operation of marine fleets through various international ports.”

A S YA D G R O U P

Rahma Al Maskari: Asyad’s conversion to SAP and its implementation across the entire group has been a significant undertaking. Asyad has

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successfully completed the implementation of the first phase, known as Asyad Corporate. This phase involved going live on both the S4/Hana and Ariba platforms in July. Overall, the implementation process has been relatively smooth, although there have been typical challenges associated with data collection, data cleansing, and migration. These challenges are common in any large-scale system implementation and are typically addressed through careful planning, coordination, and collaboration between the implementation team and the organisation. One positive aspect of the implementation is that the SAP system seems promising, offering a wide range of functionalities. This suggests that Asyad will be able to leverage the capabilities of SAP to streamline its business processes, improve efficiency, and enhance decision-making across the organisation.

Q: You have said Asyad naturally faced logistics issues – can you go into more detail about that, and how you overcame them to have the most profitable year yet? Hamed Al Rawahi: We have faced logistical challenges, especially with the lockdown in many international ports around the world. This caused delays in the arrival of materials, and the shortage of sources of supply around Dry dock operation forced us to bring materials by land. The sources were far away from the operation area and through neighbouring countries, which caused an increase in cost and delay in arrival materials. We have succeeded in overcoming challenges by finding suppliers from several sides, securing some shipments through Asyad

P H O T O: J AY H U A N G A S YA D G R O U P

Our clients worldwide are now confidently embedding us into their business models as a partner who can help them cut costs and save time, thanks to our integrated assets that cover every step of the supply chain.

Q: Asyad says partnerships are key to unlocking growth in the organisation. What partnerships do you feel are particularly important to you and the business?

Q: Could you tell us more about the work you carried out to extinguish any implementation issues as they go throughout the SAP implementation process?

Yaqoob Al Waili: With strategic positioning and global recognition, Asyad is now the trusted GCC and MENA partner of the biggest industry names and the destination of choice for global and regional high-value investors. Asyad freezones attracted over $1.5 billion of foreign direct investments in 2022 and delivered on the Group’s national mandate as a key economic enabler.

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shipping, concluding long-term contracts for the critical materials. We also managed to enhance the inventory level, and secured land transport by creating land transportation contracts both locally and overseas.

Rahma Al Maskari: Here are some specific actions taken to extinguish implementation issues: Technical restrictions and system configuration – Asyad encountered challenges in configuring the system to meet their specific requirements due to technical limitations. To overcome this, they adopted a flexible approach. Instead of insisting on customising the system extensively, they accepted some of 41

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the proposed alternative solutions that were within the technical restrictions. This ensured the integrity of the processes was maintained while still accommodating limitations of the system. Data collection and cleansing – Collecting and cleansing data for migration is a critical aspect of any system implementation. Asyad recognised time and effort required for this task and took steps to minimise impact. A collaborative approach was adopted, involving the implementer, the technology team, and end-users. This joint responsibility ensured all stakeholders were actively involved in the data collection and cleansing process. Additionally, it was agreed that certain tasks related to data cleansing could be addressed after the go-live phase, allowing the focus to remain on the successful implementation of SAP. By adopting these approaches, Asyad aimed to address implementation issues in a practical and efficient manner. Q: Asyad’s mission is to propel the development of Oman. Can you tell us what you believe would be the most important aspects to make that happen?

Yaqoob Al Waili: Asyad’s mission is to be within the top 10 global integrated logistics service providers. The aim is to propel the development of Oman as a global logistics hub, contributing to economic growth through an integrated group, offering globally competitive solutions. Asyad’s story is one of rapid development and evolution. In just a few years, the Group has transformed siloed logistics companies

“Our clients worldwide are now confidently embedding us into their business models as a partner who can help them cut costs and save time.”

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into highly efficient arms operating under one trusted global brand that bolstered connectivity and streamlined the logistics journey. Today, the $4 billion group is the fourth largest logistics enterprise in the MENA region, boasting three deep ports, a diversified maritime fleet, a drydock, a land port, two free zones and an economic zone, all supported by Oman’s advanced infrastructure network. Over the last few years, Asyad has adopted a bullish expansion strategy focused on growing its assets across the board through acquisitions or partnerships, which allows it to benefit from economies of scale and help route throughout into the country. Asyad Group has focused on enhancing our maritime arm and assets. This year, Asyad Shipping added a brand-new 2,800 TEU vessel and signed an agreement with

world-class shipyard, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, to add two state-of-theart fifth generation Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessels by 2026. Asyad’s fleet grew substantially from 45 ships in 2016, to over 80 vessels in 2022. It is also expanding its network of direct maritime routes, with Asyad Line opening new lines and increasing the frequency of its established flagship India Express Service to meet the growing demand. The Group is also exploring inorganic growth and opportunities for mergers and acquisitions, which we believe will boost Asyad’s growth journey and move us to the next level. Overall, Asyad growth strategy is well underway to position us as a global logistics provider that can cement Oman’s position as a vital global logistics hub. WWW.ASYAD.OM

Creating a legacy in Ship Building & Repair Infrastructure KR Group's state-of-the-art shipbuilding and service infrastructure. A small step towards building an everlasting maritime legacy. Our Services Include: • • • • •

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Vessel management of dredger, barges and workboats. Customized structural fabrications. Building all types of floating vessels, from multi-cat, crew boats, fishing boats to trawlers, barges and pontoons. Ship repair & refits with highly skilled resources for hull & pipe refit works up to VLCC vessel size. Dry locking facility for pleasure crafts and fishing vessels for all maintenance requirements, including premium coating, anti-fouling treatment and mechanical services. Navcom services for all vessels. Represent world renowned PPG - USA for marine paints & Sperry Marine for nav-com equipment in Oman.

marine.services@kr.om

THE INNOVATOR / COFFEE RESURRECT COFFEE’S SECOND LIFE The missions of the pioneering Ethiopian start-up COFFEE RESURRECT, founded by Almaw Molla and Seblegenet Aklilu, are very simple: “Promote environmental sustainability by reutilizing coffee waste in an eco-friendly way” and “create local solutions to global problems”. Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages internationally, with 2.25 billion cups a day, and yet when thinking about food and beverage waste, it doesn’t strike many people as being severely impactful on the environment. However, coffee waste can be incredibly damaging, as it is often not disposed of properly and ends up in landfill with other waste, turning soils acidic and releasing greenhouse gases. According to COFFEE RESURRECT, the yearly impact of coffee waste on the environment comes in at equivalent to that of 10 million car emissions. To combat this, the team at COFFEE RESURRECT source, collect and upcycle coffee waste from hospitality venues. They then utilise proprietary technology, using supercritical carbon dioxide, to extract elements from the waste such as proteins, sugars, polyphenols, tocopherols, lipids, and antioxidants. The company has developed the first products with essential oils extracted from spent coffee grounds, and their all-natural coffee oils, flour, and fibre can be used in multitudes of products, such as health and beauty, confectionery, bakery items, sports nutrition, and healthy snack bars. This not only gives a second life to coffee waste but also contributes to the environment through tackling emissions.

WWW.COFFEERESURRECT.COM

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PHOTO CREDIT: NATHAN DUMLAO

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THE DISRUPTOR / HELIOGEN

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Whilst we are undoubtedly seeing global renewable energy growth, it is also clear that this barely makes a dent in our consumption of fossil fuels. In the average year, fossil fuels supply 80% of the world’s energy, with over 50% of greenhouse gas emissions coming from industry and transportation. However, companies like Heliogen are showing us that it doesn’t have to be that way. Heliogen is a California-based renewable energy technology company that strives to eliminate fossil fuel use in demanding industrial processes, with the aim of driving towards a more sustainable future. The company utilises its AI-controlled concentrating solar thermal technology, HelioHeat, to deliver cost-effective, environmentally conscious energy for heat and energyintensive industry operations.

Whilst 500 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases are emitted annually in the US to generate steam, Heliogen technology produces carbon-free industrial steam up to 300 degrees. Similarly, the company is able to produce 250000 kilograms of vehiclegrade hydrogen annually from its hydrogen module. Heliogen claims that this is enough to supply fuel to a fleet of 18 heavy-duty vehicles.

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A GREENER INDUSTRY

Heliogen offers multiple flexible solutions to cater to any energy requirements that facilities may have, helping everyone to combat greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our collective fossil fuel consumption. WWW.HELIOGEN.COM

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

A N E S T I S MAGKANARIS A JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE ANESTIS MAGKANARIS, WHO SERVED AS THE SUPPLY CHAIN DIRECTOR AT ARIVIA S.A, REFLECTS ON HIS REMARKABLE JOURNEY IN THE INDUSTRY.

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assisting small and medium-sized companies and individuals in their growth journey.

“Knowledge, passion, and ethics are vital for success in both personal and professional life,” Magkanaris echoes Darwin’s wisdom, “It’s not the strongest or the smartest that survives and thrives. It’s the one that has adaptability to change”, emphasising adaptability as a crucial trait for thriving in an ever-evolving world. With this golden recipe, Magkanaris is now dedicated to

With over two decades of experience at KRI-KRI S.A. and his recent role as Supply Chain Director for Upfield - Arivia S.A., Magkanaris has made significant contributions to the supply chain domain. Arivia S.A. is renowned for its brand Violife, a plantbased cheese, and operates globally, with a focus on continuously developing and meeting evolving consumer needs.

Transitioning from a full-time role to a predominantly freelance career, he founded Mentor Chain. This consulting company empowers small and medium-sized enterprises to optimise their supply chains and helps aspiring supply chain professionals accelerate their careers whilst avoiding common early-career mistakes.

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Anestis Magkanaris discovered his calling in the supply chain from an early age when he preferred organising games over playing them—a sign of his natural inclination towards structured processes. With over two decades of experience in the field, he cherishes every experience, whether positive or challenging. “Experience, the people I’ve met, mentors who’ve guided me, and a network of partnerships are the golden recipe,” Magkanaris believes.

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An unexpected journey led Magkanaris into the supply chain domain. Initially pursuing finance, he realised it wasn’t his true calling. During his university years, Magkanaris discovered his passion for logistics, a field that demands a unique mix of analytical, organisational, and communication skills. In Greece at that time, the subject of logistics wasn’t widely understood, making it a challenging endeavor to persuade companies of its value. After working in the finance sector for two years, Magkanaris fortuitously had a connection within KRI-KRI’s leadership team. This connection granted him the chance to showcase his expertise in supply chain and logistics. “Consequently, our collaboration commenced with my initial role as a financial analyst, which lasted for nearly three years. This occurred when KRI-KRI S.A. became

listed on the Athens Stock Exchange Market. Concurrently, I had also assumed the position of Internal Auditor. COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE “Finally, in Apr 2004, KRI-KRI S.A. granted me the opportunity to establish a supply chain function within the company, a journey that lasted from 2004 to 2021. During this time, we made significant progress, undertaking numerous projects and gaining valuable life experiences. It was an enriching journey. “In a broader sense, the transformations I’ve witnessed have played a pivotal role in shaping the supply chain function into a competitive advantage for the organisation,” he emphasises.

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“It’s not the strongest or the smartest that survives and thrives. It’s the one that has adaptability to change.”

more agile. Additionally, he points out changing customer expectations, citing Amazon as an example of pioneering rapid product delivery.

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As the supply chain continues to evolve, Magkanaris identifies key driving forces behind this, including technological advancements, globalisation, and regulatory changes. These factors facilitate knowledge sharing and compel companies to become

“Customers now expect flexibility, responsiveness, and cost-effectiveness, prompting organisations to prioritise and delegate responsibility to the supply chain in meeting these demands,” he notes. Addressing sustainability and resilience, Magkanaris underscores the importance of building resilient supply chains due to various global threats like climate change, COVID-19, and geopolitical challenges. “All these key drivers necessitate the evolution of supply chains for organisations to realise their vision and achieve their missions,” he asserts. 53

Magkanaris philosophises that transformation is a fundamental aspect of the universe and essential for evolution. Quoting H. Jackson Brown Jr., “when you cannot adjust the direction of the wind, adjust your sails”, he highlights the importance of embracing change and seizing opportunities.

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“Transformation is crucial, as it enhances efficiency, streamlines supply chain processes, resulting in cost and time savings, and optimises resource utilisation. This, in turn, enhances customer satisfaction and confers a competitive advantage, or as Martin Christopher, professor at Cranfield University, has once said, that companies are not competing as such. Their supply chains are,” Magkanaris remarks.

He emphasises the importance of working closely with suppliers and partners during this transformative process, highlighting the use of tools like Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Collaborative Planning, Forecasting, and Replenishment (CPFR) systems, all of which fall within the realm of continuous improvement and ongoing communication, both vital components for achieving success.

“An exemplary strategic partner in our journey is Lamasped, a forwarding company that has played a pivotal role in supporting our growth in the UK and Europe”, Magkanaris says. In terms of successful transformation, he adopts the Supply Chain Agenda following the SCOR model, which encompasses people, technology, internal and external communication, and projects. Magkanaris adheres to this model developed and endorsed by the international organisation ASCM (Association for Supply Chain Management). “The journey begins with people; thus, the leadership team must possess a clear vision, strategy, commitment, encourage cross-functional collaboration, and exhibit change management skills,” he says. EMPOWER AND MOTIVATE To assemble an effective team, Magkanaris emphasises the need for supply chain management to establish a structure that empowers, motivates, and aligns every individual with the organisation’s objectives.

Magkanaris celebrates the diversity present in the world, highlighting that there’s a suitable place for each person. As leaders, he believes their role is to help team members discover and excel in their unique roles. “I’ve observed that team diversity brings forth distinct contributions from individuals based on their personal life and business experiences,” Magkanaris notes.

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You can trace it back to his childhood, where he preferred organising games over playing them. Magkanaris also appreciates the supply chain industry’s end-to-end nature and its

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“Ultimately, adding a touch of fun to our daily routines is beneficial. It’s essential to celebrate successes as it energises us and fuels our ongoing transformation,” he insists. So, why does Magkanaris have such a passion for the Supply Chain?

“Customers now expect flexibility, responsiveness, and costeffectiveness, prompting organisations to prioritise and delegate responsibility to the supply chain in meeting these demands”

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“It’s essential to empower and inspire individuals to engage in problem-solving and exercise autonomy, fostering collaboration among the various players within the supply chain. Injecting elements of fun and recognition along the way is equally important. Recognition fuels our motivation,” he remarks.

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profound impact. Problem-solving is another driving force behind his passion. In his view, succeeding in the supply chain industry hinges on possessing three key attributes: a) Analytical skills, vital for tasks like demand forecasting and inventory management b) Organisational acumen, essential for optimising logistics networks c) Effective communication skills and a global perspective. “For example, in sales, a common practice involves having a regional structure where individuals primarily focus on a specific country within their respective regions. This approach is quite natural,” he adds. “However, when dealing with an end-to-end supply chain, the necessity arises to adapt to various cultures and organisational

dynamics. Take KRI-KRI, for instance; its origins lie in Greece, but it has expanded its reach to encompass Europe, the USA, and Asia. In the case of Arivia, communication now spans in more than 70 countries across the continents, all with their unique cultures,” Magkanaris explains. In contrast to other industries, he points out that the supply chain presents a distinct amalgamation of operational complexities, strategic planning, decision-making, and the potential to significantly influence an organisation’s overall performance. “So, if you’re someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys solving problems, this field is a perfect fit,” Magkanaris adds. For him, it appears to be an ideal match, given his extensive experience in successfully leading change initiatives. At KRI-KRI S.A., for instance, at the beginning of his employment, managers operated within their individual silos, and his

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initial task involved restructuring these silos. He elaborates: “To alleviate the frustration caused by these silos, I acted as a conductor, orchestrating a harmonious collaboration. Once we executed this restructuring project, we witnessed a remarkable growth trajectory.

We observed notable improvements in service rates and cost reductions,” Magkanaris says. “We embarked on numerous value creation projects, such as KRI-KRI’s significant entry into the Greek Yogurt industry. We established a more robust sales and operation planning process that yielded increased service rates and simultaneous reduction in wastage, particularly crucial since Greek yogurt has a mere 40-day shelf life,” he adds.

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“Transformation also gives competitive advantage: Martin Christopher from Cranfield University said that companies are not competing as such. Their supply chains are.”

ASTOUNDING ACHIEVEMENTS “If there isn’t an effective forecasting and operational plan in place, the risk of experiencing stockouts or accumulating a high number of obsolete items becomes apparent,” Magkanaris elaborates. “We managed to reduce waste from 13% to just 2.5%, and this achievement can be attributed to our dedicated team. We underwent a mindset shift, which, in turn, transformed our internal working methods.”

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A pivotal moment in his career involved a crisis management endeavor following a factory fire in December 2013. Remarkably, the factory was rebuilt in seven months, representing an exceptionally rapid turnaround. Throughout this challenging period, the Supply Chain faced the task of maintaining market replenishment despite the factory’s non-functionality. A significant portion of this accomplishment can be credited to Magkanaris and his team, who established a highly intricate network involving numerous co-packers and 3PL providers to ensure continuous market replenishment.

“We need to continuously assess the situation and collaborate with cross-functional teams, to have a robust risk management process and strategy, but at the same time, agility to adjust in a new environment.”

“Maintaining collaboration and effective communication is pivotal throughout this process. Transparency is key, as it enables customers to anticipate and adjust to changes,” he notes. Sustainable sourcing and data-driven decision-making are also paramount. In summary, it’s an ongoing dynamic process, and “we need to continuously assess the situation and collaborate with cross-functional teams, to have a robust risk management process and strategy, but at the same time, agility to adjust in a new environment,” Magkanaris says.

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Nevertheless, the supply chain landscape isn’t solely defined by accolades and optimism; it also grapples with an array of challenges.

The adoption of technology is widely recognised as a highly effective mitigation strategy. Magkanaris highlights the significance of AI, automation, supply chain visibility, and real-time data in enhancing demand forecasting, optimising inventory, and assessing supply chain risks.

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“It was a life experience project, where selfmotivation and empowerment were at its peak for all participants and many of internal and external stakeholders were truly cooperative, creating the perfect environment for Supply Chain excellence” he notes. This project led to Magkanaris’ team being honored with the 2015 Logistics Award in Greece, an extraordinary achievement.

“The world is currently witnessing a multitude of disruptions, such as the impact of COVID-19, trade tensions, natural disasters, wars and economic fluctuations. These factors significantly affect supply chain professionals, emphasising the importance of resilience and risk management,” Magkanaris explains. “Identifying vulnerabilities, scenario planning, and supplier diversification become imperative. We bolster resilience by establishing alternative routes and sources of supply to mitigate disruptions,” he adds.

He joined Arivia in June 2021, several months after Upfield Group’s acquisition, during the peak of the market’s onboarding process. Arivia needed to establish cooperation with additional countries and retailers already within Upfield’s portfolio. With factories in Greece and Canada, the acquisition posed unique challenges. The Canadian factory was not yet operational, and the Greek factory lacked the capacity to meet the demands of the newly onboarded countries and retailers. Anestis recalls the urgency of the situation: “It was the fastestpaced environment I’ve ever encountered. Our initial focus was to leverage our strengths 59

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and opportunities within the supply chain domain, leading me to create a roadmap for restructuring,” he says. ‘MUDA’ OF OPERATIONS

Another notable initiative involved projects like pallet or carton optimisation, aimed at cost reduction while simultaneously decreasing CO2 emissions, resulting in savings of nearly €600,000. Magkanaris describes the changes made to their palletisation methods, along with the implementation of a pulling system using CHEP pallets for many shipments. “These changes, coupled with improved planning and enhanced service level agreements (SLAs), not only reduced CO2 emissions and costs but also fostered better relationships with vendors’ carriers”, he explains.

Additionally, regulatory changes and enhanced traceability are on the horizon to safeguard consumer health in today’s globalised market. Goods may originate in one country, traverse various ports and routes, and finally reach their destination, creating a need for meticulous tracking. Another factor to consider is consumer preferences, which are evolving to demand greater flexibility, agility, and efficiency in production and distribution. Magkanaris says “Utilising analytics can enhance demand forecasting and inventory management, ultimately enabling us to meet consumer demand more effectively”. Magkanaris says. “In summary, the food industry’s supply chain is poised to become technologically advanced, sustainable, and adaptable to evolving consumer preferences and global conditions. Embracing these changes will be advantageous for companies seeking to thrive in the market.” he concludes.

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One pivotal initiative spearheaded by Magkanaris involved the establishment of a robust sales and operation planning procedure. Given Violife Cheese’s presence in a niche market, “demand planning was somewhat challenging. Therefore, we collaborated to find ways to enhance our resilience against forecasting errors in this specific market, ultimately boosting service levels and minimizing operational waste, the so-called ‘Muda’” he explains.

He also anticipates an evolution in e-commerce and direct-to-customer sales, emphasising the growing importance of last-mile solutions, not only for courier and postal services, but also in the context of the cold chain. The last mile in the cold chain is particularly critical due to sensitivity of many food products.

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This encompassed a strategy that was openly communicated with the team and stakeholders. It placed a strong emphasis on technology and capabilities while involving external B2B processes with customers, suppliers, and carriers. Magkanaris explains, “After an approximately eight-month journey, we began to observe the initial advantages of these measures.” These benefits included a substantial reduction in production and logistics costs, amounting to nearly €1 million. Moreover, CO2 and costs decreased due to improved truck fill rates and more efficient production utilisation.

quality,” he states. Anticipating a surge in eco-friendly products, he notes that many retailers are committed to reducing plastic usage by 2030. Furthermore, Magkanaris expects substantial developments in farming practices and climate change resilience.

WWW.ARIVIA.COM

Looking ahead to the future, Magkanaris envisions significant transformations in the food industry supply chain. “We are poised to achieve end-to-end visibility by leveraging technology integration, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and AI to ensure food safety and 61

LEADERSHIP / KORAY KÖSE

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MANAGING RISK

Koray Köse discusses the intricacies of holistic risk management, its critical role in the supply chain, and how it can help organisations enhance their resilience, agility, sustainability, and cybersecurity.

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The Purchaser: Let’s start with a brief overview of your career journey. Why is holistic risk assessment a topic that you are in an informed and passionate position to speak about? Koray Köse: Throughout my career spanning over two decades, I have had the privilege of working closely with

CSCOs, CPOs, CIOs, and other C-level executives in various industries, including automotive, pharma, life sciences, IT, electronics, and FMCG. My professional journey has been marked by significant accomplishments in developing global supply chain and sourcing strategies, re-engineering and transforming business processes, and optimising financial resources for organisations. My experience extends to designing innovative business frameworks, implementing robust risk and governance processes, and deploying comprehensive ERP and procure-to-pay systems to drive efficiency through digital transformation. One of the key aspects of my career has been my ability to adapt and thrive in diverse industries, gaining insights into their unique challenges and opportunities. This breadth of experience has allowed me to develop a holistic understanding of risk management within supply chains, which is essential in today’s interconnected and rapidly changing business landscape.

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Today’s business landscape is rapidly, and constantly changing. You would struggle to find anyone, in any position, who would argue the opposite. That is why it is of paramount importance, now more than ever, that business leaders learn to carefully navigate the realm of risk, across the supply chain. We spoke with Koray Köse, Supply Chain expert and CIO at Everstream Analytics, about how essential it is for organisations to implement holistic risk management in order to enhance the company’s resilience to risk in an environment that is evolving every day.

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In addition to my practical experience, I have contributed to thought leadership in the field through research and publications. My articles have been featured in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others. I’ve also had the privilege of sharing my insights as a guest speaker on television news channels like CNBC and CNA. Furthermore, I am actively engaged in initiatives that promote dialogue and collaboration between the private sector and organisations like NATO. My participation in the NATO 2030: NATO-Private Sector Dialogues, facilitated by GLOBSEC, underscores my commitment to addressing complex global challenges through meaningful partnerships. In summary, my career journey, extensive industry experience, and thought leadership contributions have positioned me as an informed and knowledgeable expert in the realm of holistic risk management in supply chains. I am dedicated to advancing the field and helping organisations navigate the ever-evolving landscape of supply chain risk.

What is holistic risk assessment and why is it important? Holistic risk assessment is a comprehensive and sophisticated approach to evaluating and managing risks across an entire organisation or a specific domain, such as the supply chain. It involves examining all critical changes, potential threats, opportunities both visible and hidden, internal and external, and considering their interconnectedness and potential impact on various aspects of the business. Loss prevention and opportunity cost in the context of value at risk and risk capacity are critical factors in this context. Holistic risk assessment is crucial and supply chain plays a vital role in it: •

Full-Scale Visibility: Full-scale visibility is fundamentally important for agility and resilience. It allows organisations to have real-time insights into their supply chain operations, enabling them to detect changes and potential risks and disruptions early on, from operational to strategic impact.

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Resource Allocation and Risk Capacity Management: It allows for better allocation of resources. It means more effectiveness and efficiency in manoeuvring uncertainties and sudden changes and events. Organisations have finite resources for risk management, bot utilization and mitigation. By identifying and prioritizing risks through a holistic approach, they can allocate resources where they will have the most significant impact.

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Supply Chain as the Anchor: The supply chain is often considered the anchor of holistic risk assessment because it is a critical and complex component of most organisations. The value generation and orchestration are executed and in most mature companies, also developed and deployed in supply chain. It involves numerous stakeholders across the board, processes, and dependencies, making it impactful but also vulnerable to a wide range of risks, including natural disasters, geopolitical issues, supplier disruptions, and more. Globalization and Complexity: In today’s globalized and interconnected world, supply chains have become increasingly complex and sophisticated. Raw materials, components, and finished products can traverse the globe multiple times, through multiple modes and nodes of transportation and activities before reaching the end customer and then its recycling or waste journey. This complexity amplifies the potential risks and underscores the need for a holistic approach to risk assessment as navigating in silos is not adding resilience or agility when exposed to a ripple effect.

In summary, holistic risk assessment is essential because it provides a comprehensive view of all potential risks, their interconnections, and their impact on the organisation. The supply chain is central to

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Customer Impact: Supply chain disruptions directly impact customers. Delays, stockouts, or quality issues can harm a company’s reputation and customer satisfaction and cause a lack of innovation sharing, collaborative and competitive development to advance fit, form and function of products and solutions. Therefore, understanding and managing supply chain risks is vital to maintaining customer trust, competitiveness and compliance.

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Regulatory Compliance and Governance: Many industries face stringent regulatory requirements related to supply chain practices. Failure to meet these regulations can result in fines, legal issues, reputational damage, and exclusion. A holistic approach ensures that compliance risks are adequately addressed, in the right context and by the right set of levers and stakeholders. Compliance isn’t just a legal or auditing requirement.

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Sustainability: Sustainability risks, including environmental and social factors, especially forced labour, have gained prominence and importance. A holistic approach considers these aspects, ensuring that organisations not only manage risks but also align their operations with sustainability goals and expectations for higher purpose-driven organisations

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Cybersecurity: In an increasingly digital world, cybersecurity risks have become paramount. Supply chains rely heavily on data and information exchange through digital technologies, making them susceptible to cyber threats. Holistic risk assessment incorporates cybersecurity as a critical component to safeguard operations and data integrity. It is a supply chain topic as much as an IT topic.

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Interconnected Risks: Risks are rarely isolated. In the VUCA, PESTLE and other analysis approaches, it’s critical to consider the influence and causation. They often have cascading effects, where a disruption in one area can trigger a chain reaction of problems throughout the organisation. Holistic risk assessment helps identify these interdependencies and enables organisations to address root causes rather than just symptoms.

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this assessment due to its complexity, global reach, and critical role in delivering products and services and generating revenue and cash flow for the organisation. By prioritizing supply chain risk management within the broader context of holistic risk assessment, organisations can enhance their resilience, agility, sustainability, and cybersecurity in an ever-changing business environment.

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How does holistic risk assessment differ from traditional/siloed risk assessments? Holistic risk assessment takes a broader and more interconnected view of risks, promotes collaboration, optimizes resource allocation, and enhances an organisation’s ability to adapt and thrive in a complex and dynamic environment. Traditional or siloed risk assessments, while valuable in specific contexts, often fall short in providing the comprehensive understanding and strategic alignment that holistic risk assessment offers. When organisations are looking to not only mitigate but optimise and even use risk in their value equation, holistic risk management is critical. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to orchestrate all dependencies and positively maximise the outcome result. Why do you think that value creation and orchestration are still siloed in many organisations? What are some common challenges or obstacles you/companies encounter when implementing a holistic risk assessment approach, and how are they overcome? The siloed nature of value creation and orchestration in many organisations can be attributed to several interconnected factors that only change by design and willingness but hardly by organic organisational evolution. 1. Historical, Static Organisational Structures: Many organisations have evolved with hierarchical structures that emphasize departmental divisions. This legacy structure often leads to siloed operations, with each department primarily focused on its own goals and objectives. Even when Matrix organisations are put into place, it most often happens within a silo. 66

2. Functional Expertise: Departments or functional units often develop specialized expertise over time. While this expertise is valuable, it can also create silos when departments become isolated and protective of their knowledge and responsibilities. Internal trenching is a key impediment to value orchestration for higher-purpose organisations. 3. Incentive Structures: organisational incentives, such as performance bonuses tied to specific departmental metrics, can inadvertently encourage siloed behaviour. Employees may prioritize their department’s success over broader organisational objectives. Most often there is no sharing of KPIs or visibility to it. Organisations may even operate unknowingly competitive and conflicting KPIs with no balance. 4. Lack of Communication: Inadequate communication channels and mechanisms can hinder collaboration across departments. When information flow is restricted, it’s challenging to coordinate efforts effectively. 5. Technology Gaps: Legacy technology systems may not facilitate cross-functional collaboration and data sharing. Outdated systems can reinforce silos by making it difficult to integrate processes and data. This magnifies when holistic risk management needs to concatenate multiple tiers of partners inside and outside the organisation. 6. Cultural Barriers: Organisational culture plays a significant role. If the culture promotes competition between departments rather than collaboration, silos are more likely to persist. 7. Leadership Approach: Leadership that focuses on individual departmental performance rather than holistic organisational success can perpetuate silos. Leaders may not prioritise crossfunctional teamwork.

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9. Perceived Loss of Control: Some leaders and managers may resist change due to concerns about losing control over their specific areas of responsibility. A more integrated approach can challenge traditional power dynamics. 10. Time and Resource Constraints: Overcoming silos requires an investment of time and resources. In fast-paced environments, organisations may struggle to prioritise initiatives aimed at breaking down silos. 11. Lack of Digitalisation: organisations that have not fully embraced digitalisation may

find it challenging to break down silos. Digital tools and platforms are often essential for facilitating real-time data sharing and collaboration across departments.

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8. Risk Aversion: Fear of risks associated with change can deter organisations from breaking down silos. Equalising risk with “bad” or “negative” impact impedes holistic risk management. The unknown challenges of transitioning to a more integrated approach may discourage change.

12. Lack of Analytics Capabilities: The inability to leverage advanced analytics can hinder an organisation’s ability to gain insights from data across departments. Without data-driven decision-making, silos may persist as each department relies on its own methods and intuition. 13. Lack of Value Orchestration Platforms: Many organisations lack dedicated platforms or systems designed to orchestrate value creation across various functions. Without such platforms, it’s difficult to coordinate efforts and resources effectively. Emerging technologies are the driver of complex and sophisticated orchestration. Generative AI, ML, NLP and Graph Technology are a must for impactful value orchestration solutions. 67

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Addressing these multifaceted challenges involves a strategic commitment to change, strong leadership support, cultural transformation, and investment in modern technology solutions. Organisations must prioritise digitisation to augment cross-functional collaboration, open communication, and align incentives with broader organisational goals to break down silos successfully. The lack of risk appetite statements to govern holistic risk management programs is undermining the effort to orchestrate value. Implementing digitalisation focused on advanced analytics capabilities, and value orchestration are essential steps toward fostering a more integrated approach to value creation and orchestration.

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Integrating data from different sources provides a holistic view of risks that may span multiple departments or areas of the organisation and deeper into the supply chain. The biggest challenges are concealed and hidden in the tiers of the ecosystem.

Risk Quantification: •

What role do data analysis and data integration play in holistic risk assessment? How do you handle data from various sources?

Data analysis allows for the quantification of risks, assigning values to potential events – positive and negative. This helps in assessing the potential impact of identified risks and the value of actions to be taken.

•

Data analysis and data integration are foundational components of holistic risk assessment, playing pivotal roles in understanding, evaluating, and managing risks comprehensively.

Integrated data provides a broader context for risk quantification, considering how risks in one area may propagate through the organisation and into the ecosystem and vice versa.

Early Warning Systems:

Data Creation, Gathering and Aggregation:

•

By continuously analysing data, organisations can establish early warning systems that alert them to emerging risks in real-time. This proactive approach allows for timely intervention and utilisation of their strengths.

•

Integrated data sources enable the early warning system to monitor multiple aspects of the organisation, providing a more comprehensive risk radar and concatenated with an action platform the perfect preventative enablement.

•

Data analysis begins with collecting relevant data from various sources within and outside the organisation, including financial records, operational data, supply chain information, and more. Data integration involves harmonising and aggregating data from disparate sources into a unified format. Unstructured data is hard to normalise without graph technology and at the same time critical as this ensures that data is consistent, accurate, and ready for analysis and creation of actionable insights.

Risk Identification: •

The most prominent technique is called “backcasting” in this context. It helps in recognising anomalies or deviations from expected norms.

Data analysis enables the identification of potential risks by examining historical data, trends, and patterns and connecting them to a designated future state.

Scenario Modeling: •

Data analysis facilitates scenario modelling, where different risk scenarios are simulated to understand their potential consequences in a sandbox environment that can be replicated hundreds and thousands of times.

Reporting and Decision-Making: •

Integrated data feeds into comprehensive risk management action platforms and subsequent reports and dashboards, providing decision-makers with a clear overview of the organisation’s risk landscape and the impact of their ongoing decisions operationally and strategic shifts.

•

Data analysis assists decision-makers in making informed choices by presenting data-driven insights.

Handling data from various sources in holistic risk assessment involves: •

Resource Allocation: •

•

Integrated data helps organisations allocate resources effectively by prioritising risks based on their potential impact. This ensures that resources are directed where they can have the most significant risk mitigation impact. Data analysis aids in optimising resource allocation by providing insights into which risks are most pressing.

Continuous Monitoring: •

Data analysis and integration support ongoing risk monitoring efforts. They enable organisations to track the evolution of risks and adjust risk mitigation strategies accordingly.

•

Integrated data sources ensure that monitoring encompasses all relevant areas of the organisation.

•

Data Analytics: Leveraging advanced data analytics techniques, including machine learning and AI, to extract valuable insights from integrated data.

•

Data Security: Implementing robust data security measures to protect sensitive information during integration and analysis.

•

Cross-functional collaboration: Encouraging collaboration among departments and data owners to share relevant data and insights. This applies inside and outside the organisation.

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Integrated data allows for a realistic representation of scenarios by considering how risks across the organisation interact. It can also show the gaps of data that can be filled with synthetic data that helps to run faster and more efficiently.

LEADERSHIP

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Establishing Data Governance: Implementing data governance practices to ensure data quality, security, and compliance across all sources. This is key for trust and safety. Data Integration Tools: Utilising data integration tools and platforms that enable seamless data harmonisation from diverse sources. Graph Technology databases are key in this area.

In conclusion, data analysis and data integration are fundamental to holistic risk assessment, providing organisations with the means to identify, quantify, and address risks across the entire enterprise. Properly managed data from various sources enhances the organisation’s ability to proactively manage risks and make informed decisions in an everevolving business landscape. 69

W O R D S: B E C K Y N O R T H F I EL D

ROSITSA S PA S O VA CHANGE AT ITS CORE TESY’S ROSITSA SPASOVA, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN, DISCUSSES WHAT IS CRUCIAL FOR ANY ORGANISATION TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN THE EVER-CHANGING WORLD.

R O S I T S A S PA S O VA

Almost my entire career has been at TESY, which produces hot water and heating solutions – that’s more than 16 years filled with dynamics, different experiences, diverse knowledge, and possibilities to observe and learn from many good examples in different fields. I have been involved in many roles within the organisation. In the very beginning, I started as a direct materials procurement specialist, then joined the commercial team and was responsible for sales in European countries. After several years in sales, I returned to procurement as a team leader. Three years ago, a project was initiated at company level. It involved external consulting partners and participants from different functions within TESY. The project was called

SPRINT and aimed to centralise and optimise all supply chain-related processes and move from a functional to a process-oriented organisation. The result was the creation of a supply chain department in TESY.

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Q: Can you tell us about your current work and your previous experiences in leadership across your career?

During the project, I was still in my role as Head of Procurement, but also used my sales experience and had the opportunity to understand and be involved in defining new processes and functions within the supply chain that were needed to support it as a new department. Q: How has the supply chain and its role in the organisation evolved over that time, and what do you think have been the key drivers or trends behind this evolution? The supply chain organisation in TESY is still young. We started with small steps focusing on downstream supply chain first – from forecasting, demand, and inventory planning, through to customer service and logistics. 71

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Over the past two years we have implemented a new forecasting tool where our sales plans are managed together with the entire sales team. We have created new processes and functions to support forecasting activity and to better manage inventory and product management. We have started to better track and measure some important KPIs like service level, forecast accuracy, and others related to production and delivery such as OTIF, inventory turn etcetera. However, this cannot be achieved in one department alone, and naturally all processes and initiatives are interconnected and involve many other stakeholders within the company. The supply chain is actively involved 72

in manufacturing efficiency projects, product management and so forth. The main drivers of all these changes and improvements have been and continue to be better visibility, efficient processes with clear roles and responsibilities, measurable KPIs, and systems that make our daily work easier. The goal is better service level, customer satisfaction, and improved operational efficiency. Q: Why is supply chain transformation necessary? The transformation in TESY was huge, not only because of the introduction of the supply chain itself – it was accompanied with

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another major restructuring in the company. And on top of all that, we implemented new software. You can imagine the stress and adaptation everyone was going through. We can also add the extraordinary dynamics in political and economic aspects in recent years. For us, the transformation has been significant and when an organisation goes through such major events, many change agents are needed. Fortunately, TESY has always been a dynamic company that embraces change in all aspects, and this has constantly been encouraged and supported by top management. Based on my humble experience so far, the supply chain is change at its core.

Beyond organisation, processes, and clearly defined roles, it is defined by dynamics of the markets and business we operate in. What we need to do is align, adapt, and promote all necessary steps to meet the needs of our customers (internal and external). We do this by reevaluating our processes and decisions, and look for better ways to achieve our goals. Then, we try to assess and analyse the impact and resources needed to achieve the end goal. Important steps in this never-ending improvement process are initiative, communication, training, explanation, and support. Communicating change and creating a tolerant and accepting atmosphere in a company 73

is one of the biggest challenges, especially when the organisation is large, and many people are involved. Sometimes it is difficult, but so far, efforts are rewarded and show good progress. This gives the company the agility and resilience that are crucial for an organisation to thrive.

R O S I T S A S PA S O VA

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Q: Why does the industry appeal to you as a professional? Given that almost my entire career has been in TESY, the supply chain felt like a natural progression of my professional experience and development. The industry is very dynamic and progressive in terms of technological advancements, yet it caters for basic human needs. Using everything I’ve learned so far has given me a broader perspective needed for a supply chain professional nowadays. This gives a better understanding of the business environment from beginning to end of the supply chain – from supplier to customer. Also, having a better understanding of products and processes within the company, and the evolution it has gone through, helped me a lot. The main challenges nowadays are the same in all industries and are driven from major political and economic factors. The world is much smaller now, and we all share similar stories. Q: Can you give me an example of a change programme you’ve worked on? At the very beginning of our project, we discussed the need for direct involvement of sales in the forecasting process. Before we implemented the new forecasting tool we currently use, we were using sales data, but the process was happening in another, much simpler tool and was not done directly by the sales team. In our new setup, we are involving each salesperson in entering their customers’ forecasts for all the SKUs they sell. It may be hard to imagine, but these are hundreds of thousands of combinations (customer – SKU level). 74

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Should this be an example of best practice? I don’t know. What I can say is what my observations are during this change. The process is not easy. It is time consuming and cumbersome for salespeople. Even right now, the supply chain is working to make this process simpler, but still provide the necessary information for the entire organisation to work with.

R O S I T S A S PA S O VA

“The supply chain organisation in TESY is still young. We started with small steps focusing on downstream supply chain first – from forecasting, demand, and inventory planning, through to customer service and logistics.”

However, it has given us a lot more involvement, accountability, and commitment to forecasting within the sales team. What we give is what we get, and it is the most critical information that triggers all other budgeting, procurement, and production processes. This also allows us to analyse and improve our forecasting process. As it is on the lowest possible level, it helps us to be precise with our conclusions, and identify weak points or distinguish champions. From here on, we can also discuss whether we can optimise, or whether working on a higher level will also do the job, or if we can rely on statistics for some cases. 75

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One of the lessons learned is that ownership and accountability for a process, or a task, is critical to achieve the best results possible. Once you determine those basics, you can move on to thinking about optimisation. Q: How has the uncertainty and financial challenges the industry has faced impacted the role and work of the supply chain? The last few years have been more than challenging in all areas of business. On the one hand, you have COVID-19. But for our company, the pandemic saw significant growth in sales. Despite the need to organise people in production in a safe environment, and the serious disruptions in supply chains – delivery delays and raw material shortages – we managed these quite well with our partners. We caught that wave and made the most of it. Things were not quite the same when the war in Ukraine started. In that case, we lost sales because of affected markets on which we had well-developed business, and because of the serious disruptions of transport routes.

“TESY has always been a dynamic company that embraces change in all aspects, and this has constantly been encouraged and supported by top management.” Now, we are facing new challenges of a different source and nature. What we can say is that the current business environment is much more dynamic than ever before. In our industry, politics also reflects product trends and consumer habits. For example, the heat pump business is dependent on government programs and subsidies. In general, products evolve and change, following new directives and requirements.

R O S I T S A S PA S O VA

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In TESY’s supply chain, we work closely with our sales and marketing teams, keep updated with the latest developments, come up with better solutions, define new delivery routes, shorten the lead times, and better manage costs. We are continuously assessing possible risks and trying to avoid them. We are also in the process of determining the best processes and procedures to act in risk situations, such as identifying alternative transportation routes, balancing inventory levels, and optimising the product portfolio or improving internal operational processes. Q: And what about the role of effective governance? When you want to implement and introduce something new, it is all about effective governance. At TESY, and within the project, we have seen this through clearly defined roles, ownership, and standardisation. We have spent a lot of time defining these basics along with all processes and relationships between different roles. At some point, we even decided to delay

the go-live date just to ensure they were clear across the function and well-presented to the organisation. We realised the need to work as one well-balanced mechanism, and that this was necessary to start building trust in others. Q: What do you think makes an effective, modern supply chain leader? I am an open and straightforward person. Honesty and respect for the other has always been part of my approach – I still believe it is one of the best ways to create a committed and motivated team. Leadership by example is not a cliché, and respecting opinions is what pushes people to be open, share ideas, and be creative. Working with excellent professionals in their field is one of the best things a leader can have, and I am happy to say we have many of those within the supply chain team, as well as in the whole company.

For a team to be strong, it needs to be independent in day-to-day work and receive support when needed. Culture is something a little different and it comes from the top. It’s the mindset of leadership and the

R O S I T S A S PA S O VA

The modern supply chain leader must be flexible, listen carefully, and act decisively. When someone looks at things from a single perspective, judgement can be wrong. When trying to cover all possible perspectives and scenarios, things can become a bit overwhelming. This is where the ability to segment and prioritise comes – to act, not be afraid to make mistakes, and have people to count on. Q: As a woman in leadership, what advice would you give to girls and women who wish to pursue the career you have?

“The supply chain is change at its core. Beyond organisation, processes, and clearly defined roles, it is defined by dynamics of the markets and business we operate in. ”

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approach taken to managing people and processes and setting the company’s path. TESY started as a small family company but has grown into one of the European leaders in its field. Growth comes with structure, processes, and clear direction, but the close family atmosphere is something that keeps us together. The best evidence of this is that this year, we are celebrating TESY’s 30th birthday and we still have many people who have been with the company from the beginning.

In general, I don’t think women in leadership is anything strange or unknown nowadays, and I also don’t think being a leader is predetermined by your gender. It’s about seizing all opportunities, about your mindset, your abilities, and your motivation. You can become whatever you want to if you really want it and work hard to achieve it. 79

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There is a common perception that women are more emotional, and indeed this may be true, but if one manages to harness these emotions, it can only enhance performance. As for supply chain in particular, my preliminary opinion was that it is more of a man’s world than anything else. I cannot say this is the way TESY looks at it and me being the one promoted for this position somehow proves this. For all women aspiring for this career, I can only say that if you are a dynamic multitasker and have a broader perspective of the business you are in, then this is the right place for you. You must be willing to be a change agent, sometimes even a rule enforcer, and that is not an easy task. If you are up for a challenge, then the supply chain is one of the right places to try. Q: What are the key initiatives or works you carried out at the organisation and how did they help evolve the function? Despite the continuous development of supply chain structure, we are already

taking responsibility for many important processes like forecast analyses and optimisations, production execution and prioritisation follow up, inventory management, planning policies management, and many others. We are continuing with system setup and introducing new processes throughout the structure. Some are the new order confirmation process, linked to the pre-check of production capacity and component availability, as well as the introduction of additional checkpoints and dates to track production performance, thus achieving a better service level for our customers. We streamlined customer service processes and provided additional visibility to the sales team regarding order fulfilment. This is done using dynamic reports and visibility dashboards connected directly to the company’s core ERP system. We automated and streamlined logistics processes by implementing additional functionalities into the ERP system. On the other hand, we are supporting sales

“An empowered team excels in the supply chain”

in their new customer classification which is the backbone of every successful intends to facilitate each sales manager to business. This will change and become better plan their work with each customer more critical over time. and help the supply chain and production structures when reorganisation in production Cross-functionality within the company is is necessary. Being something like an the next critical thing. In a complex world, orchestrator in-between sales and production, you should not begroups, a sole player, but a good Empowered teams are self-sufﬁcient we are processing a lot of information, and Processes are so interconnected and working together to excelpartner. in your supply chain. our colleagues start to look at us as the dependent on every single step, so it is critical They getofthe corporate authority, experience, consolidator, and main source information to have a united position and the same level of responsibility and skills to make better and support in many situations. understanding everywhere in the organisation.

decisions for your organization.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you think supply chain in the manufacturing sector will evolve over the coming years and why?

Sustainable partnerships will remain and gain more importance for the future as much as it has been in the past. I believe this is especially valid for manufacturing companies like ours and in today’s reality. Developing and maintaining strong relations with your partners from each side of the business (logistic providers, suppliers, customers)

Apart from these factors, I believe technology is the other important pillar. How we manage with digitalisation, how we integrate AI, and all latest developments which surround us and are still to come. Really soon, these will become an integral part of our lives. WWW.TESY.COM

“An empowered team excels in“Anthe supply chain” empowered team excels in the supply chain” Empowered teams are self-sufﬁcient groups, Empowered teams are self-sufﬁcient groups, working together to excel in your supply chain. working together tocorporate excel in experience, your supply chain. They get the authority, responsibility and skills to make better decisions for your authority, organization. They get the corporate experience, responsibility and skills to make better decisions for your organization.

Gunter Fonteyne Senior SCM Consultant | Program & Project Management

gunter.fonteyne@logichain.net T +32 476913099

T O P

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MOVIES FEATURING BUSINESS, PROCUREMENT, AND SUPPLY CHAIN

1. THE SOCIAL NETWORK Written by legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, the biographical drama The Social Network stars Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Whilst the movie focuses heavily on Zuckerberg himself, and his personal relationships, The Social Network explores the early days of Facebook and Zuckerberg’s journey, alongside his peers, to build, grow, and manage the rapidly growing platform that has become the multi-billion dollar enterprise that we now know it to be.

2.STEVE JOBS

The 2015 biographical movie Steve Jobs follows the Apple co-founder over a 14-year period, from 1984 - 1998, as he prepares for the company to release various versions of the Apple Mac computer. The movie focuses on Jobs’s personal struggles and relationships with his family, but it also explores the difficulties that Apple had with sales and the subsequent financial fallout.

3. ERIN BROCKOVICH

Based on a true story, the 2000 legal drama Erin Brockovich follows Julia Roberts in the titular role of Brockovich, an American paralegal who was responsible for initiating the legal case against Pacific Gas and Electric Company due to its part in the Hinkley groundwater contamination. Whilst the movie is primarily a courtroom drama, it also touches on utility company responsibility for managing resources and explores the details that lead up to the supply of water being contaminated.

4. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Whilst The Devil Wears Prada is fictional, the 2006 comedy-drama, and the novel on which it is based, are informally based on the author, Lauren Weisberger’s, experience of working as an assistant to Vogue’s Anna Wintour. The film revolves around the fashion industry and the highs and lows of supply chain management in high-end fashion. The clothing and accessories used within the movie are almost all authentic, high-end garments, making it one of the most expensively costumed movies of all time.

5. THE FOUNDER

The 2016 drama The Founder follows businessman Ray Kroc in 1950s America, as he journeys from milkshake machine salesman to CEO of one of the leading global fast food chains. When he discovers a drive-in restaurant named McDonalds in California, Kroc convinces the McDonald brothers to franchise the restaurant and becomes the real driving force behind the company’s growth. Naturally, the movie delves into business, franchising, and supply chain management logistics.

6.WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Almost everyone is familiar with the story of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the movie follows a group of children who get invited to explore the infamous chocolate factory of Willy Wonka. Whilst the film is obviously targeted towards children, and incredibly stylised, it does actually explore many aspects of Wonka’s supply chain, production, and distribution of the company’s candy. Audiences are able to see everything from sourcing the cocoa beans used in the chocolate to the inner workings of the factory to distributing Wonka’s famous bars internationally.

7. JOY

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Joy Mangano, an American entrepreneur, in the 2015 biographical comedydrama. The film follows Joy’s journey from a struggling airline booking agent to a successful inventor through the invention of the Miracle Mop. Joy sees the titular character struggling with investors, coming to terms with the ordeal of distributing her product, and forming relationships with California suppliers in order to manufacture parts for the cheapest price possible.

8.THE INTERN

The Intern is a comedy movie starring Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro as a workaholic CEO and a seventy-year-old ‘senior intern’ respectively. Whilst the film is predominantly a buddy comedy, it also explores the inner workings of the business the characters work for, a successful e-commerce fashion startup in Brooklyn. The Intern shines a light on the role of the CEO, the responsibilities that come with the position, and the relationships that need to be forged with investors and suppliers.

9. THE CHINA SYNDROME

The China Syndrome is a 1979 thriller film that follows a TV reporter and her cameraman who discover that safety hazards are being covered up at the Ventana nuclear power plant near Los Angeles. The movie deals with topics such as risk assessment and management, transparency in supply chain operations, and the dangers of businesses putting profit above safety.

10. HOUSE OF GUCCI

Whilst Ridley Scott’s 2021 drama House of Gucci may be best remembered for Lady Gaga’s eccentric performance as Patrizia Gucci, the movie takes an in-depth look at many aspects of taking control of and running an internationally successful fashion brand. In between arrests, disinheritance, and assassination attempts, the Gucci’s also have to deal with supplier relationships, competition from knockoffs, and outlandish business plans causing incredible harm to their company.

EVENTS

SUPPLY CHAIN EVENT

WEB SUMMIT

14/11/23 - 15/11/23 Paris - Porte De Versailles

13/11/23 - 16/11/23 Lisbon, Portugal

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Web Summit is the world’s largest gathering of international media.

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29/11/23 - 30/11/23 Phoenix, USA

27/02/24 - 27/02/24 London, UK

Showcasing the next generation of technology & innovation.

The UK’s leading retail focused supply chain & logistics event.

FIMA Europe 28/11/23 - 29/11/23 London, UK Join the world’s leading data conference for top investment banks, asset managers, and insurance groups, in London. FIMAEUROPE.WBRESEARCH.COM

KUBECON 06/11/23 - 09/11/23 Chicago, USA

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