New Generation of Digitized Supply Chains to be Major Highlight of Upcoming BSR Conference

When the 27th annual BSR Conference convenes in San Jose, CA next week, the next generation of supply chain technologies will be a major area of focus. As one might expect from the epicenter of innovation, the buzz related to all things digitized will also be evident in Silicon Valley

Leandro Nunes, vice president of product development and innovation at Mastercard, will address “The Secret to Transparent, Traceable Supply Chains,” exploring their design and implementation.

During this interactive workshop, participants will look at real-life case studies of companies that are using technology, new collaborative approaches, and unusual partnerships to transform supply chains and create traceability stories for consumers. Participants will then work in groups to apply the learnings to a supply chain of their choice.

In his role at Mastercard Nunes leads initiatives that “de-risk” the development and execution of new technologies in the market both internally within the company and externally with key customers.

One of his key focus areas is in commercializing Mastercard's Provenance Solution, leveraging blockchain to establish trust, transparency, and traceability across the supply chain ecosystem for the authenticity and origin of goods.

Another session that should draw crowds is the one titled “Using Technology to Monitor and Improve Supply Chains: Lessons from the Field.”

As digital Technological advances change how products and services are made and delivered they are also enabling the creation and sharing of supply chain information in new ways,” notes BSR director, Tara Norton.

This has extended to the growing ability to monitor and manage sustainability impacts in supply chains, she adds.

This panel will explore how digital tools actually work in practice to gain traceability and visibility and better manage those impacts: How are brands using technology to mitigate climate risk in supply chains? How does forest satellite monitoring really work? We will also debate whether using technology is always better—what are its limitations, and how can we use these new tools to benefit those in the supply chain, such as smallholders, who are most in need?

Ms. Norton leads BSR's global supply chain sustainability practice, and advises chief product officers and senior directors at leading global companies on the development of supply chains that create business value and address urgent and long-term risks and opportunities.

“Our mission is to drive strategy and implementation projects across industry sectors covering sustainable procurement, supply chain strategy, collaboration, traceability, blockchain and supply chain finance,” she states.

Before she takes dais, we will read with interest most her most recent report, The Supply Chain Leadership Ladder 2.0.

More on that next week.

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