30 DC VELOCITY JULY 2018 www.dcvelocity.com
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It’s not what you might expect to hear
from a software executive, but Sheila Benny
says her guiding principle is to help people
and make the world a better place. Those
who know her say it’s not just talk. As one
of the executives who nominated her for
this recognition wrote, “She is fiercely pas-
sionate about the positive [impact] supply
chain activities … can make on the world
[and] lives that belief daily, as a promoter
of professional, educational, volunteer, and research activ-
ities focused on improving daily life through supply chain
excellence.”
The record bears that out. In addition to her “day
job” as executive vice president and founding partner of
Optricity, a company best known for its slotting optimi-
zation software, Benny has been heavily involved with the
Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC),
including a stint as the group’s president. She recently
joined AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in
Supply Chain Operations, Management, and Education),
a group dedicated to advancing women’s supply chain
leadership. She works throughout the year to attract the
best and brightest talent to the profession through her
involvement with the Supply Chain Management Program
at North Carolina Wake Tech and various mentoring activ-
ities. Benny has also lent her technical aptitude and support
to a number of nonprofit organizations that rely heavily on
logistics and supply chain services, including One Warm
Coat, the North Carolina Food Bank, and the American
Logistics Aid Network (ALAN).
Q You have a background in industrial engineering, technology, and marketing consulting. How did you
get involved in logistics and supply chain management?
A My passion has always been first and foremost to help eople. For me, leaving the world a little better than I
found it is not just a talking point; it is a guiding principle
that I’ve lived by since I was young. Concurrently, I have
always been interested in systems—in particular, complex
systems—and solving complex problems. Often, this type
of problem solving is best served with the accompaniment
of advanced technology. Industrial engineering provided
the perfect platform to study the intersection of humans,
system design, and their interfaces.
Running a software company in the supply chain industry allows me the opportunity to serve my greatest passion:
helping people. In this case, the benefit of our software is to
consistently assist employees who work in the warehouse.
Additionally, launching a small business has provided me
with the ability to impact my employees and the community, while also advancing the science of warehousing.
Q You’recurrentlyshepherding Optricity’s evolution from a single-product company to a multi-product one. What are some
of the challenges you face?
A One of my biggest challenges has been to ensure that each element of our
company evolved at a pace commensurate
with the others, so that, overall, the company
maintained the correct balance and our core
values remained intact. Our number one
value remains: customers first.
As we venture into our product expansion, the industry
may place high expectations on our new technologies before
they ever hit the market due to the reputation of our current
product, which is often considered synonymous with our
company brand. Now that we’ve fully tested with our integration partners, we’re ready to launch. The challenge may
be that we’re getting ready to create an entirely new market
category. I might need a little help determining how to craft
the right positioning statement as nothing like it exists in
the marketplace—this is truly disruptive technology.
Q You’ve been an active member of WERC, ALAN, and other industry organizations. Why is that important
to you?
A Advocacy, service, and leadership are essential duties our industry often fulfills through volunteer roles in
professional associations; noting this, I have always felt a
strong sense of responsibility to give back.
Q What advice would you give to someone just entering the supply chain profession?
A My advice would be to get ready for a journey that can take you places you never imagined. Stay apprised
of business developments both within your vertical and in
those adjacent to and opposite where you currently operate. The supply chain industry never stands still.
Develop a regular knowledge beat. Read quality trade
journals to stay abreast of industry patterns and foresee
trends. Get out of your comfort zone so that you can
synthesize information quickly and create your own techniques for drawing independent conclusions. Be prepared
to deliver solutions that make an impact.
Q What is your proudest professional achievement?
A A professional accomplishment I am proud of is build- ing Optricity from scratch (without outside investment) alongside my two co-founders, Chuck Grissom and
Dan Basmajian. I am proud of my contributions to the
success of Optricity over the last 12 and a half years. Our
team is amazing, we have awesome clients, and my industry
partnerships go beyond measure.
Sheila Benny
