Welcome to the July/August issue of Supply Chain Xchange. This edition focuses on the 2024 CSCMP EDGE conference, coming September 29 through October 2 in Nashville, Tennessee. This must-attend event offers engaging thought leadership from top supply chain practitioners while showcasing the latest industry innovations.
EDGE is also an opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones and discover strategies for improving supply chain operations. Look to our Forward Thinking section for some highlights of what’s occurring at EDGE.
Also check out our Dialogue interview in this issue, which features a conversation with Roberto Isaias, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Mattel. Isaias is one of the keynote speakers at EDGE, and he shares how Mattel’s supply chain handled a significant jump in sales following the success of the blockbuster Barbie movie.
Beyond the EDGE information in this issue, we also feature other top supply chain thought leadership.
For example, this year’s EDGE conference theme focuses on the “State of the Global Supply Chain.” One of the top challenges shaping the global supply chain is trade tensions between the U.S. and China, including the most recent round of tariffs imposed by the Biden administration. However, a close analysis by authors Robert Handfield, Clark Banach, and Jennifer Pédussel Wu makes the case that tariffs have not had the intended effect.
Then there’s the article from Kate Vitasek, Jim Groton, and Ellen Waldman on supplier conflict. The three argue that most companies could be doing more to avoid disputes before they even begin and outline four conflict-resolution mechanisms that you can put in place before a contract is even signed. Vitasek and representatives from BP and JLL will be presenting a real-life case study of one of those mechanisms at EDGE.
Other highlights in this issue include articles on the link between supply chain disruptions and sustainability improvements, our Annual Salary Survey, and an excerpt from the new book, Strong Supply Chains Through Resilient Operations.
We hope you enjoy this issue of Supply Chain Xchange.
