Gartner Supply Chain in Berlin: Reunification

The first time I visited Berlin in the mid-1980s, it was still an island of western democracy in the middle of the old DDR. I came again in early 1989 while the Wall was still up, but the border guards were no longer scary and it was clear that change was on the horizon.

Here again this week for Gartner’s Supply Chain Peer Forum, I have a sense of closure in reunification. Berlin is whole and I’m back with friends and colleagues from AMR Research, Gartner and SCM World. It feels right.

Transforming Supply Chain

The event’s theme is “Transform Beyond Delivering Products” and it’s an appropriate blend of classical supply chain thinking and forward-looking ideas about embedding digital in operations. Members have shared practical lessons learned about essentials like sales & operations planning, metrics and supply chain visibility, as well as breakthrough innovations in automation, analytics and digital supply chain.

Paul Hoffman, for example, explained Heineken’s approach to cost-to-serve with a fantastic presentation that showed not only how important this capability is to the business, but also how to do it in the real world of fragmented ERP systems and diverse country-based business units. A standing-room only crowd showed how hot the topic was and questions at the end of the session could easily have gone on for hours.

We also heard from Ulrike Wikner of Ericsson on the order-to-cash process, Jean Charles Labauvie of Arysta on S&OP and Narcis Vidal of Elix Polymers on the role of common language in developing and deploying supply chain metrics. These sessions are just a sample of nearly two dozen practitioner presentations comprising the event, many of which left attendees with clear takeaways to apply back at the office.

At the other end of the spectrum, digital breakthroughs in supply chain were explored in presentations by Johannes Giloth of Nokia, Felix Klinkner of HP and Mark Watson of Ocado. Use cases leveraging cloud, digital supply chain and sophisticated robotic fulfillment systems demonstrated where supply chain is heading as operational technology and information technology merge.

HP’s Instant Ink story, for example, brings important technology elements like the internet of things, digital demand and direct-to-consumer fulfillment together to offer a practical and yet transformative capability that’s easy to understand and use.

We also heard how the combination of digital technologies and pure process design makes it possible for L’Oréal to save money and at the same time have beneficial impacts on the environment and social justice. François-Régis Le Tourneau detailed L’Oréal’s three-pronged approach to sustainability, emphasizing transportation, waste and responsible sourcing as areas of opportunity for the business and the planet.

The event’s only significant problem was tight quarters. Having grown quickly in the past few years, it’s clear that Gartner needs to find a bigger venue next time. That said, the Waldorf Astoria Berlin is a fine hotel and the service was excellent.

Building for the Future

Last summer when Gartner acquired SCM World, I wrote that I saw goodness in three key areas of synergy: scale, digitization and community learning. The first of these is obviously working. In fact, the only thing I don’t love about having been acquired is the huge volume of work coming at me now that Gartner’s full might has been brought to bear. Scaling sales, account management and back-end process is working so well I can barely keep up.

The second has been a revelation. Gartner’s depth of knowledge on all things digital is a huge advantage when wrestling with supply chain strategy questions at the CSCO level. Topics like Blockchain, for instance, can be plumbed far more deeply now with dozens of use cases at my fingertips and colleagues whose full-time job it is to stay on top of these trends.

The third is working better than I had expected. SCM World pioneered the community-driven content model, based on the idea that practitioner knowledge dominates in a field-based discipline like supply chain. Having just drunk from the Gartner version of the practitioner fire hose, I now appreciate how big the movement can be.

By the members, for the members. It’s great to be back.