The best is yet to come

How will we define 2020 in the future? As a year of change? A year of disruption? A time of innovation? As the beginning of the “supply chain decade”?

Recently, I wrote, “With the pandemic disrupting supply chains, industry professionals have an opportunity to create innovative solutions and rewrite the future supply chain landscape.” We are certainly traveling along that path now. We are creating solutions, some of necessity, some of opportunity, that we will undoubtedly rely on for years to come.

I recall a U.S. Marine slogan that inspired me years ago, “Adapt, improvise, and overcome.” It was a rallying cry during a time when the supply chain world was focusing on customers and consumers like never before while simultaneously adapting to new technology. My colleagues and I improvised and created solutions that were built into our everyday supply chain operations. This included overcoming all kinds of dynamics like capacity shortages, weather-related disasters, and other types of disruptions that today’s professionals now consider standard operating procedure.

Innovation knocks infrequently, so take this opportunity to welcome it. During the uncertainties in which we find ourselves, we are still facing the disruptions and innovations we have been discussing for years like blockchain, artificial intelligence and deep machine learning, drone technology, and more. COVID-19 entered our reality, and our focus immediately shifted to urgent needs like securing our supply availability, switching to alternative sales and distribution channels, and instilling a relentless focus on safety for both our employees and customers. We’ve altered delivery processes, installed new safety and security protocols, and upgraded our technology. And we did most of this while adjusting to working from our homes.

This year’s “State of Logistics Report” is aptly entitled, “Resilience tested.” The “big picture” may be hard to fully see at the moment, as we’re still in our journey through the pandemic, but the report features some of the key events of 2019, highlights what we are currently facing, and offers a lens through which we should consider the future. 

CSCMP’s EDGE 2020 Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition will further help you navigate that future. EDGE 2020 Live! will be 100% “virtual” for the first time in history. Scheduled for September 20–23, EDGE 2020 will deliver a digital experience where attendees can learn, interact, and connect with professionals from anywhere in the world. 

Creativity is alive and well. Innovation continues to be a foundational element of modern-day supply chain management, and CSCMP is committed to staying on top of this for you. We care, and we want you to stay connected.