It’s time to stay focused

From the March-April 2025 edition of Supply Chain Management Review.

March-April 2025

Inside this month's issue of Supply Chain Management Review, we look at the complicated process of managing parts for military aircraft and what private sector supply chain managers can learn. Plus, understanding…

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We talk often about what a visitor from another planet would think if they landed on Earth? Well, the same applies if you open my inbox. Two out of every three messages these days centers on artificial intelligence or the impact of tariffs on supply chains. If you didn’t know any better, those are the only issues facing chief supply chain officers today.

Yes, they are important. But in the modern news cycle with never-ending headlines of AI’s potential and President Donald Trump’s affinity for threatening tariffs, it is easy for a CSCO to lose focus. Now, though, is not the time to become preoccupied with news headlines. Yes, AI is important and game-changing for supply chains. Yes, tariffs are important and potentially game-changing (specifically for your bottom line). But there are other concerns that can’t take a backseat. These include building supply chain resilience, sustainability and global ESG compliance, digital transformation projects, cost efficiency, risk management, visibility, and talent management. I’ve probably missed a few, but you get the idea.

Human nature leads us to the “shiny stuff”—those things that are new, interesting, and ever-present. Right now, AI and tariffs are the shiny stuff. But, if you focus too much attention on these, your supply chain may suffer. Are you ready for the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive regulation? How about new supplier transparency laws being passed in various countries? Are you prepared to attract talent to take advantage of new technologies? What about changing customer demands?

Prologis, in a recent report, said that global supply chains are in a “polycrisis,” which it defined as a series of challenges that “span geopolitical tensions, economic instability, shifting regulatory pressures, fluctuating customer demands and pressing climate challenges.” It found that only 40% of executives believe they have the tools and resources necessary to tackle these crises. “Lack of preparedness doesn’t just heighten risk,” Prologis pointed out, “it directly compromises organizational performance and the ability to adapt to unforeseen disruptions.”

The point is there are plenty of demands on supply chains these days and CSCOs need to stay on top of them all.

NextGen planning underway

It may only be March, but planning for our 2025 NextGen Supply Chain Conference is well underway. We are going to a new location this year, taking the conference to Nashville, Oct. 22-24. In addition, we will be focusing on the following industry verticals: 3PL/logistics, food and beverage, consumer goods, and life sciences. If you are interested in speaking at the conference, you can fill out a form on the website, or you can send me n email at [email protected] to inquire. We are especially looking for CSCOs, VPs and CEOs willing to share stories of successful projects within their supply chains, or pilot programs you may have embarked upon that others may be interested in hearing about.

I hope to see you all there in October.

SC
MR