The Supply Chain Excellence Awards celebrated their 20th anniversary last night – and the celebration in London highlighted the way in which supply chain professionals have driven excellence in the face of a changing market – notably with globalisation.
Political events in the past few months have highlighted the extent to which globalisation is being challenged – in Europe with the UK’s Brexit vote, and in the US with the election of Donald Trump as president.
But as the 2016 Awards showed yet again, supply chain professionals are adept at dealing with such challenges.
As an Awards judge, I am always struck by the drive and commitment of the entrants, as well as innovative thinking – that determination to find new ways to manage operations to deliver a better customer experience, at lower cost and often in increasingly difficult trading conditions.
The entries this year included many examples of excellence across extended supply chains and demonstrated how supply chain thinking has developed over the past two decades. More than 120 companies entered the Awards this year and the standard was higher than ever.
Expertise in operating international supply chains was a key element in the success of many organisations – notably MAN Truck & Bus, the Overall Winner.
These are skills that are going to be needed in the new environment. But for the moment I would like to congratulate all the Award winners.
