Mindmap for the Supply Chain Director 2020

The rapidly changing world is forcing companies to continually adapt. Not only does this demand a new approach, requiring an organisation and its employees to display more agility and responsiveness, but it also creates the need for a supply chain architect in order to meet the changing needs of customers, both now and in the future. Supply Chain Media and BLMC Recruitment & Interim Management have therefore developed this mindmap for the Supply Chain Director 2020 outlining the route, with road signs indicating potential hazards along the way.

Mindmap manual

Commercial companies are experiencing fast and significant changes, not least due to demographic shifts such as the ageing population and social transitions, such as towards the ‘sharing economy’. In many sectors this is leading to increased competition – sometimes from a completely unexpected angle as Uber, Airbnb, HelloFresh and Picnic demonstrate. New technologies such as 3D printing, the Internet of Things and social media are creating a tide of digital disruption. Companies must redesign their internal organisation to prepare themselves to cope with disruptions and/or to cause them: Plan

These rapid changes are having a huge impact on companies. A firm’s mission must be clear at each and every level of the organisation. The reason for being, the ‘Why’, is becoming ever-more important; customers want to know what drives a company. As it becomes increasingly difficult to differentiate based on processes (‘How’) and especially products and services (‘What’), these are declining in relative importance. This requires companies to take a different, more flexible and agile approach, also at  individual level. In order to survive, organisations must take action: Do

The necessary agility has direct implications for the role of the supply chain director, who now more than ever must demonstrate the value of their contribution by acting as a ‘bridge-builder’, both internally with other departments such as Sales and Finance and externally with chain partners. This demands a different mindset and also new competences, particularly in terms of communication. The right person in the crucial position of supply chain director can achieve the necessary flexibility and agility: Execute

A supply chain architect understands how to apply the company strategy to customer needs to develop a value proposition with a relevant supply chain design and associated key performance indicators (KPIs) per chain. An essential precondition is that he or she is responsible for the planning, purchasing, production, logistics and customer service disciplines. The supply chain director has the necessary vision, experience and knowledge and is able to demonstrate the right leadership styles. This person can ensure that his or her company survives in the rapidly changing private sector, or perhaps even creates disruption of its own: Review