NEWS FROM THE CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW CIRCUIT roadtrip
stumble on a new idea?
IT’S GOING TO TAKE SOME INNOVATIVE
thinking to get through this recession intact. So
now more than ever, you need to be on the
lookout for a few good ideas. With 19 different
session tracks covering everything from warehousing management to inventory management and demand planning, chances are good that you’ll find one at the Council of
Supply Chain Management Professionals’ (CSCMP) Annual Global Conference in
Chicago on Sept. 20–23.
The conference kicks off with a keynote presentation from one of the leading figures in supply chain management. Gary Maxwell, senior vice president of international supply chain for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will touch on global supply chain
management, sustainability, and the future of electronic product codes (EPCs) and
RFID. Also on the agenda are breakout sessions led by top executives from companies like Hewlett-Packard, Coca-Cola, Intel, and Clorox as well as thought leaders
from academia and consulting. In addition, conference attendees will have a chance
to sit with an expert to discuss pressing issues in supply chain management, tour
leading facilities in the Chicago area, and visit the “Learning Exchange” showcase.
This year, CSCMP will host several “mega-sessions” on the last day of the conference. These 1.5-hour sessions will focus on four high-interest topics: sustainability,
the U.S. freight infrastructure, future trends, and Wall Street’s view of the supply
chain. For more information, visit http://cscmpconference.org. ;
Sept. 1–2
The Supply Chain Leadership Forum in
Chicago will feature new research on
how to apply cost reduction strategies
during these challenging economic
times. For information, visit www.supply-chainconsortium.com.
Sept. 1–3
LeanCor’s Lean Six Sigma for Logistics
& Supply Chain Management workshop will focus on using Lean and Six
Sigma tools and techniques to reduce
costs. The event takes place in Denver.
For information, visit www.leancor.com.
Sept. 13–16
The Material Handling and Logistics
Conference in Park City, Utah, offers
sessions on supply chain strategy, best
practices, and emerging technologies.
This annual conference is sponsored by
HK Systems. For information, visit
www.mhc2009.com.
getting a world view
Although managing a global supply chain is clearly a cross-cultural endeavor, it’s not always
easy to find educational programs that offer a global perspective. The University of
Tennessee’s Center for Executive Education aims to change all that. With the launch of its
Global Supply Chain Executive M.B.A., the school hopes to create the most comprehensive
global supply chain program ever offered by a U.S. university.
The program, set to start in the first quarter of 2011 and run until May 2012, is being developed in conjunction with Budapest’s Central European University and the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology, according to David Ecklund, a lecturer at Tennessee
and director of the program. Classes will be held in the United States, Latin America, and
Europe, he says.
The 465-hour curriculum is expected to cover such topics as operations, risk management,
international law, and leadership. More than 10 percent of the class time will be devoted to
developing strategies to manage supply chains in a transnational, multicultural environment.
These will not be purely theoretical exercises, however. Each student will be assigned a
project designed to help his or her company either reduce supply chain costs or boost profitability, according to Ecklund. The goal, he says, is for students to apply the knowledge they
gain from their studies when they return to their full-time jobs. In fact, Ecklund says, companies that send executives through the program should expect a $1 million payback over
three years.
Enrollment is expected to be limited to 40 students, with about half from outside the
United States, Ecklund says. Program fees have not yet been established. For more information, visit thecenter.utk.edu. ;
Sept. 22–24
The Green Manufacturing Conference
and Expo in Rosemont, Ill., will showcase solutions for manufacturing enterprises interested in improving process
efficiency, reducing costs, and conserving energy and resources. For information, visit www.greenmfgexpo.com.
Oct. 27–28
Representatives from Bloomingdale’s,
Macy’s, and other major retailers will discuss their RFID implementations and
results at the Item-Level RFID: The
Road to ROI forum in Fayetteville, Ark.
For additional information, visit
http://cscmp.org/events/rfid/index.asp.
Nov. 1–3
Richmond Events will host the Logistics &
Supply Chain Forum in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The event, which caters to senior-level
logistics and supply chain executives,
includes educational sessions. For information, visit www.land.logisticsforum.com.
