Encore: The Sustainable, Resilient Supply Network: A Paradox?

The Buzz: *** “Many supply chains are perfectly suited to the needs that the business had 20 years ago.” [MIT Professor Jonathan Byrnes] *** “Looking at the world through a sustainability lens not only helps us 'future proof' our supply chain, it also fuels innovation and drives brand growth.” [Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever] *** “Supply chains cannot tolerate even 24 hours of disruption. So if you lose your place in the supply chain because of wild behavior you could lose a lot. It would be like pouring cement down one of your oil wells.” [Thomas Friedman] In today’s world, manufacturing companies realize that to be successful they must consider both their profit and their impact on the planet. This means developing more sustainable products and running more sustainable processes – but at the same time, they need to cope with a constant stream of disruptions, such as natural disasters, geo-political events, and resource and talent shortages. How? Manufacturers need to collect and analyze the data to meet all the regulations and make informed decisions and tradeoffs. They also need to operate their production, logistics and business processes to lower emissions, reduce waste and ensure good social business practices – while still having agility to adapt and adjust. And they must develop and produce sustainable products that help their customers meet their own sustainability goals – at a profit. We’ll ask Ed Cone at Oxford Economics, and Andreas Queck and Moncombu Raju at SAP for their insights as we ask the big question, The Sustainable, Resilient Supply Network: A Paradox?