Power of the Profession Awards 2018: The Finalists Are In!

Barcelona this week was the site not only of a political firestorm but also SCM World Live and the official announcement of our finalists for the 2018 edition of the Power of the Profession Awards.  Catalonian independence has gotten most of the airtime so I’ll use this opportunity to give some public kudos to twelve companies who’ve achieved breakthroughs in their supply chain organizations.

Best of the Bunch

Now in its fourth year, the Power of the Profession Awards are designed to select and highlight the best examples of breakthrough work in supply chain.  The process is a kind of tournament which culminates in the selection of two winners (one for Talent Breakthrough and another for Supply Chain Breakthrough) that exemplify what our community of practitioners thinks is best.  We start with a rigorous nomination process, move then into an open community voting phase, and last, promote a group of twelve finalists to our executive judging panel to choose the winners.

They have traditionally comprised a healthy combination of innovative, strategic thinking about supply chain and practical, repeatable initiatives that others can learn from.  This year is no exception.

Talent Breakthrough Finalists

Keynote presenters this week in Barcelona were consistent in identifying the vital role of people in making change happen.  Talent management has emerged a must-have focus for top supply chain leaders and our finalists have all shown excellence in this area:

• Benjamin Moore – Having launched the Benjamin Moore Supply Chain Academy, the company has seen promotion of 22% of salaried employees and an 85% retention rate.
• Cisco – In order to offer talented staff a compelling career progression Cisco created the Career Power program which allows employees to design individualized career paths inclusive of internal communities of practice.
• 3M – Through groups including the New Employee Opportunity Network, Women’s Leadership Forum, and Military Support Network among others 3M is working to double its pipeline of diverse talent in management.
• Land O’Lakes – Looking over the horizon includes not only development of young talent, but also long-term thinking about global food supply. Land O’Lakes offers a year-long fellowship for university sophomores focused on food security and agriculture which includes an 11 week internship.
• Kimberly Clark – As part of its wider transformation effort KC created their first ever Developing Leaders Program to build end-to-end capability and break down silos among mid-level executives.
• Colgate Palmolive – In 2016 Colgate initiated its Emerging Leaders Future of Work program to build a management talent pipeline for the next generation. The pool includes 45-55% diversity candidates and a non-US contingent that is half the total.  They report 100% satisfaction among participants.

Supply Chain Breakthrough Finalists

Supply Chain Breakthrough is about thinking strategically, but acting practically.  This year’s six finalists have all demonstrated this:

• Arrow – Using drones to deeply analyze warehouse operations, the company has increased productivity by 82% in targeted processes. Digital innovation, plus practical thinking saved 6 million steps in six months.
• Pfizer – With a smartphone-based system for disease mapping Pfizer is targeting donations in the Global Trachoma Mapping Project. The number requiring treatment today is about half what it was in 2011.
• Procter & Gamble – As part of a wider citizenship effort P&G has created a new shampoo bottle made from beach plastic. The image is compelling and the impact could be substantial.
• Schneider Electric – Schneider’s development of a Network Design Team has helped double customer satisfaction, improve on-time-delivery by 3.2 points and save 150M euros per year on logistics costs.
• Intel – Taking its responsibility as a supply chain powerhouse seriously has led Intel to drive a supplier accountability initiative demanding fair labor upstream in its supply base. 20,000 migrant workers have already seen the benefit.
• Merck – With a focus on developing small and diverse businesses, Merck is using its procurement power to include more underrepresented suppliers in its base.

And the Winners Are…

…To be announced in Miami this February!

I have seen CEO’s congratulate their CSCO’s for winning these awards.   I have also seen teams internalize the recognition and up their game accordingly.  Goals matter because they focus effort, and recognition matters because it catalyzes confidence.

Congratulations to our finalists.

Good luck with the judges!