Now that we have returned from a trip to cold Minneapolis it may be a good time to look back at Supply Chain World North America. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good. 

  • The “New Challenges and Leading Practices” track was well attended and highly rated. Topics such as the environmental impact of supply chain management and global risks for supply chain management were main topics in the sessions and during the breaks.
  • The second keynote speaker captured the problems of companies starting with SCOR very well. “It is a journey of integrating SCOR into your company, not about your company conforming to SCOR”.
  • Breakout sessions were considered valuable for those new to SCOR and those just starting. The half-day free benchmarking with SCOR class introduced the ’standard’ SCOR benchmarking process using SCORmark clearly and concise. 
  • The “Truly Great People” track marked the direction for the future research and development of the SCOR model. Today SCOR is focused on processes and hardware (equipment, facilities), future revisions will address the people aspect of running excellent supply chains.

The Bad

  • Attendance was low for the second year. Many quoted the location (Minneapolis in winter) and timing of the event (spring break) as a key reason. This would mean next year in Houston must guarantee high attendance: The Houston Rodeo, warm temperatures (mid to high 70s), plenty of golf courses and two airports serviced by most US and many international airlines.
  • Although both keynote speakers provided excellent insight in todays challenges, an event like Supply Chain World North America needs keynote speakers that attract audiences. 

The Ugly

  • No board members were available during the majority of the conference. As the number of events organized by the council has decreased, the annual events left are the only means for SCC members to provide feedback to the board. This should definitely be a point of attention for SCW’09: All board members should be available during the full 3 days, listening to member needs and answering member questions.