"Learning the Steps to Join the RankLinx Platform! Interview with Mike Mortson"
The supply chain sector holds the key to success for numerous businesses in the modern era. If the pandemic of 2020 taught us anything, it's that supply chain management not only matters, but it's game-changing. Mike Mortson, having founded his website with the aim of creating a platform for sharing experiences and expertise, sheds light on the integral role of these game-changing leaders in the supply chain industry.
Supply Chain: A Multi-Dimensional Pillar of Business Success
The interconnected nature of the modern company no longer relegates supply chain management to a single, separate operation, like other business functions. Instead, it's deeply rooted, impacting virtually every aspect of a business's performance. The unique opportunity this presents is making supply chain professionals true game changers.
Skills to Turn Leaders into Game Changers
According to Mortson, it's the combination of certain skills and leadership qualities that sets truly impactful supply chain leaders apart. These skills extend beyond technical proficiency and include:
- Strategic planning and big thinking
- Technological expertise
- Data analytics mindset
- Risk management expertise
- Change leadership
- Control tower leadership
- Holistic, global leadership
- Business process transformation capability
- Best practices knowledge.
These skills are not limited to a specific locale or industry. As Mortson aptly puts it, you are either a good, or great, leader, regardless of where you come from.
COVID-19: Exposing the Fragility of the Supply Chain
The pandemic has not only illustrated shortcomings in the current supply chain but has also created an opportunity to learn and improve for the future. By embracing lessons from the pandemic, we can build a more robust supply chain and avoid repeating past mistakes.
The New Normal: Embracing Change is Key
The COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of supply chain talent – the game changers who keep things in motion. To navigate the post-pandemic landscape, one crucial lesson is the need for flexibility and adaptability. The "New Normal" is here, and the industry must stand firm against pressures to return to the past.
New Sourcing and Planning Strategies
A critical part of building a more resilient supply chain involves diversified sourcing. Single-sourcing or sole-sourcing strategies expose vulnerabilities and create single points of failure that can adversely impact the supply chain. To avoid these pitfalls, companies should invest in expanding their sourcing strategies.
Furthermore, greater attention should be paid to strategic inventory planning and the implementation of digital supply chain overhauls. Advanced outsourcing strategies may be necessary to streamline supply chains and adopt a more efficient, safer fulfillment process.
The Digital Future of Supply Chain Management
The transformation to a digital supply chain is crucial for success in the near future. Big data and technological advancements have already disrupted the industry, but greater adoption is necessary to fully unlock the potential of a digital supply chain.
Key areas of focus include automation, big data, cloud computing, machine learning, 3D printing, control towers, cybersecurity, and more. Control towers will allow for centralized management of the entire end-to-end supply chain, providing real-time command and control capabilities.
The Time is Now: Investing in Supply Chain Technology
The successful implementation of digital technologies and strategies will take years. But it's the supply chain leaders, with their strategic vision, who will drive this transformation and shape the future of supply chain management.
For supply chain professionals, now is the time to harness the power of technological advancements to create a more robust, resilient, and efficient supply chain system. The future of supply chain management is digital, and those who embrace this reality will be at the forefront of the industry.
Copyright © Mortson Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally published on March 2, 2021.
- The supply chain sector, integral to numerous businesses, has become a multi-dimensional pillar of success, deeply influencing various aspects of performance.
- Game-changing leaders in the supply chain industry possess a unique blend of skills, transcending technical proficiency, including strategic planning, technological expertise, data analytics mindset, risk management, change leadership, control tower leadership, holistic global leadership, business process transformation capability, best practices knowledge, and adaptability.
- The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a need for a more robust and resilient supply chain, enabling the industry to learn from past mistakes and build a stronger supply chain network for the future.
- Navigating the post-pandemic landscape entails embracing change, maintaining adaptability, and resisting the pressure to revert to previous methods, as the industry moves towards a new normal.
- Achieving a more resilient supply chain involves diversified sourcing, strategic inventory planning, implementing digital supply chain overhauls, and potentially adopting advanced outsourcing strategies.
- The digital transformation of supply chain management is essential for future success, with key areas of focus including automation, big data, cloud computing, machine learning, 3D printing, control towers, cybersecurity, and more, enabling centralized management, real-time command and control capabilities, and efficient, safer fulfillment processes.
