Mars, CVS Health to accept NextGen Supply Chain Conference End User awards

Technology matters, but execution matters even more. That philosophy defines the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference, where two of the world’s leading supply chain organizations will be recognized during the annual NextGen Supply Chain End User Awards for transforming operations through artificial intelligence, automation and operational excellence.

Presented during Thursday morning’s opening general session, the awards recognize organizations that have successfully translated technology investments into measurable business outcomes. Rather than simply celebrating innovation, the program gives attendees the opportunity to learn directly from the practitioners responsible for designing, implementing and scaling these transformational initiatives.

This year’s winners demonstrate two distinct but equally powerful approaches to supply chain transformation, showing how intelligent technologies can improve both enterprise decision-making and warehouse execution.

The 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference will be held October 21-23 at the W Nashville in downtown Nashville. The End User Awards will kick off the event on Thursday, Oct. 22.

All of the 2026 NextGen Supply Chain Conference awards, which include the End User, Solution Provider, Startup, Partnership in Execution, and Visionary, are sponsored by Zion Solutions Group.

Intelligent Transformation Award: Mars

Mars earned the End User Intelligent Transformation Award for embedding artificial intelligence into enterprise-wide supply chain decision-making through its Digital Foundry and its AI-powered V2C (Volume to Customer) platform.

Kristen Daihes, Senior Vice President of Analytics, Digital and Data, will show how the platform brings together sales, customer care and supply chain teams into a single collaborative environment, replacing fragmented planning tools with predictive analytics, machine learning and seamless SAP integration.

The results have been significant. Decision-making that once required more than 50 man-hours can now be completed in seconds, improving customer service, sales enablement, working capital performance and cross-functional collaboration while allowing associates to focus on higher-value strategic work.

Now expanding globally, V2C illustrates how AI can move beyond isolated pilots to become an enterprise capability that fundamentally changes how organizations plan, collaborate and serve customers.

Autonomous Operations Award: CVS Health

Warehouse automation has become a competitive necessity, and CVS Health is demonstrating what that future looks like.

Winner of the End User Autonomous Operations Award, CVS Health transformed its Lumberton Distribution Center into one of the industry’s most advanced robotic fulfillment operations by integrating high-density goods-to-person automation, autonomous robotic sortation and robotic palletizing into a unified fulfillment ecosystem.

The results speak for themselves.

Daily throughput increased from approximately 150,000 units to more than 400,000 while achieving greater than 99.9% pick accuracy, reducing picking costs by 40%, improving associate safety and dramatically shortening employee training time.

By combining multiple automation technologies into a scalable enterprise operation, CVS Health has established a new benchmark for autonomous fulfillment while creating a model other organizations can learn from.

Learning from the organizations leading transformation

Unlike many industry awards programs, the NextGen Supply Chain Awards are designed to turn recognition into education. Award recipients share the challenges they faced, the decisions they made and the measurable results they achieved, providing attendees with practical insights they can apply within their own organizations.

Those sessions complement a conference agenda featuring executives from organizations including Wayfair, Eli Lilly, Tractor Supply Company, Apple, Amazon, Stanford Medicine, Target, DP World, Fanatics, Evonik and many other industry leaders. Through keynote presentations, fireside conversations, executive panels and interactive Small Group Sessions, attendees will explore artificial intelligence, warehouse automation, digital transformation, workforce development and operational execution through practical, real-world examples.

Sponsorship opportunities continue to fill

The NextGen Supply Chain Conference continues to attract strong industry support from leading technology providers and service organizations committed to advancing supply chain innovation. Current sponsors include:

• Diamond Sponsor: Zion Solutions Group
• Platinum Sponsor: Gather AI
• Gold Sponsors: Cycle Labs, Dematic and Geek+
• Bronze Sponsor: Verity
• Associate Sponsor: AutoScheduler

Organizations interested in participating still have opportunities available, including a limited number of Gold Sponsorships.

Gold Sponsors receive a premium speaking opportunity featuring a 30-minute customer case study presented jointly with an end-user customer, allowing attendees to hear firsthand how organizations are solving today’s most pressing supply chain challenges through measurable business outcomes. With just 7 Gold sponsorship opportunities remaining, organizations interested in participating are encouraged to reserve their space soon.

Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here: https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/sponsors/

Experience NextGen in Nashville

Whether your organization is exploring agentic AI, modernizing planning processes, strengthening execution capabilities or preparing the workforce for the next era of supply chain leadership, the NextGen Supply Chain Conference offers practical insights from the executives leading these transformations every day.

To view the latest agenda, visit: https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/agenda/

To register for the conference, visit: https://ngsc.regfox.com/nextgen-supply-chain-conference-2026

Organizations interested in sponsoring the conference can learn more here: https://www.nextgensupplychainconference.com/sponsors/

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