Supply chain expert predicts 2018 to be a game changer
By Canadian Packaging staff
General E=MC2 Innovation Awards MA Consulting Group Inc. Manufacturing Council of the Inland Empire Summit manufacturing supply chainLMA Consulting Group president Lisa Anderson says the manufacturing supply chain for 2018 will outpace last year’s demand.
CLAREMONT, Calif.—Supply chain expert LMA Consulting Group Inc. president Lisa Anderson predicts 2018 to be a game changer for the manufacturing supply chain, with manufacturers and distributors focused on automation and leveraging technologies to achieve scalable and profitable growth.
Anderson sees a sharp uptick in executives calling to evaluate, select and leverage the best ERP (enterprise resource planning), CRM (customer relationship management), customer collaboration, automation and business analytics systems to support business growth and provide a superior customer experience.
“Based on discussions with clients and supply chain professionals, 2018’s demand will far outpace the recent past and remind us of Y2K. More reason for businesses to look at their supply chain holistically,” she says.
Many confluences are affecting the supply chain. The Amazon effect continues to outpace and drive dramatic change. Near-shoring continues to increase as the customer gains in importance and demands a superior customer experience.
Yet, to enable scalable growth, technology abounds, noting that the use of artificial intelligence has already begun to transform industries.
“Robotics, IoT (Internet of Things) and predictive analytics will surge. The strategic use of data is becoming a game changer, and blockchain has vast potential to transform high-value, transaction-intense, global industries,” she continues.
The upside is opportunity for those willing to invest with an eye to strategy.
“It is, however, creating an even larger skills gap for highly-skilled supply chain resources. Those companies who get ahead of this curve will have a strategic advantage. Yet, the priority remains the same, the customer. This unique combination of high-tech married with high-touch, clustered around the customer and consumer with an eye to mass customization and differentiation will continue to propel Southern California as the new manufacturing center of excellence,” she concludes.
Anderson will be discussing these strategies at a panel discussion at the upcoming Manufacturing Council of the Inland Empire Summit on February 15, 2017, where she is also chairing the E=MC2 Innovation Awards.
About LMA Consulting Group – Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD
Lisa Anderson is the founder and president of LMA Consulting Group, Inc., a consulting firm that helps manufacturers and distribution organizations innovate, elevate and transform their end-to-end supply chain to align with customer demand. Anderson has been named a Top 40 B2B Tech Influencer by arketi group, a 50 ERP Influencer by Washington Frank and ranked in the top 46 most influential in supply chain by SAP. She recently published, I’ve Been Thinking, an inspiring collection of 101 strategies for creating bold customer promises and profits. She is a regular content contributor on topics including supply chain, ERP and SIOP (Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology) and is regularly interviewed and quoted by publications such as Industry Week, tED magazine and the Wall Street Journal. For more information, to sign up for her Profit Through People Newsletter or for a copy of her book, visit www.lma-consultinggroup.com.
Image purchased via www.fotolia.com.
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