The edge we give ...

Since its inception, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) has been your one true, complete, and total end-to-end supply chain association.

This was demonstrated in extraordinary fashion this past October at our EDGE 2018 Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Nearly 3,000 supply chain professionals from all around the world gathered for this one-of-a-kind opportunity to hear from a remarkable lineup of speakers, panelists, and keynote presenters. From innovations like artificial intelligence, to the unprecedented use of data to connect key participants in the supply chain, to the current challenges the industry is facing in transportation and talent, it was all discussed and debated. This convergence of supply chain professionals sharing their knowledge and best practices establishes, once again, what this great association continues to deliver to our members and the rest of the supply chain community.

Conference attendees hailed from manufacturers, retailers, and distributors, colleges and universities, research and consulting firms, technology companies, logistics and supply chain service providers, government agencies, and many more. As this remarkable diversity illustrates, our discipline continues to become more and more prominent in the business world.

In fact, we can't recall another time when supply chain management was this dominant and global.Representing 7.7 percent of U.S. gross domestic product and 37 percent of all jobs, supply chain management is big and getting bigger. Supply chain is now a hot field and a competitive weapon for forward-looking companies.

A tour of the exhibit floor at EDGE revealed that our field is driving global business like never before. The Supply Chain Exchange Exhibition showcased innovations in automation as well as new technologies in product design and development, sourcing and procurement, demand planning and inventory management, manufacturing and material handling, transportation and fulfillment, and reverse logistics. There were deals done on the show floor, for sure, but just as importantly every participant had the opportunity to become immersed in current best practices as well as the actionable tools and business processes that exist right now.

If you attended EDGE 2018, I'm sure you greatly benefited from what you learned from the formal program as well as from the people you met throughout the conference. But don't let it end there! We've already started planning for EDGE 2019 in Anaheim, California, USA, from September 15-18, 2019. I look forward to seeing you there!

Afterall, connecting, educating, and developing our supply chain professionals—from the supply chain student to the professional to the retiree who is paying it forward—that is the foundation and mission of your one true end-to-end supply chain organization, CSCMP.