More than 35 senior supply chain leaders gathered at NASCES’24 in Phoenix for the Supply Chain Planning & Logistics Board Founders Meeting, where they participated in honest, behind-the-scenes discussions about running supply chain at 24 of the nation’s largest brands.
The meetup included small-group discussions, networking opportunities, and two rounds of unconferences — where attendees got to choose the most pressing topics and challenges they’re facing in real time and benchmark with their supply chain peers.
The only thing missing from the Founders Meeting was vendors, consultants, or agencies influencing the conversations.
Andrew McAllister, Senior Director of Supply Chain & Enterprise Planning at Mars, said on LinkedIn that he’s grateful for this community and for the opportunity to collaborate with supply chain leaders across many industries.
What we covered:
Small-Group Discussions:
- AI in supply chain: Separating the hype from reality – led by Douglas Guilherme at The Hershey Company
- Securing the future: Attracting top supply chain talent in a changing environment – led by Shannon Newkirk at Ecolab
Unconferences on Top Challenges:
During the second half of the meeting, leaders in attendance set the meeting’s agenda themselves through our Unconferences — fast-paced, peer-to-peer discussions where attendees suggest discussion topics, vote for their favorites, and join the conversations that interest them most.
It means attendees are spending the entire time talking about the topics that are most important to them.
Here’s a look at what supply chain leaders at the meeting wanted to focus on:
- Planning centralization versus regional structure or plant structure
- U.S. Presidential scenario planning
- What new tech are you exploring – AI, automation, digital twins?
- Supply chain cost control
- Managing SKU proliferation
- Supply chain compliance strategy
- Training and upskilling talent
- Supplier connectivity + joint planning
The best on-site discussions will grow as full community conversations in the coming weeks and months as we dig deeper together.
