The annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition took place at Sun City recently, and positive feedback from delegates has reinforced its ranking as the premier educational and networking event in Africa for supply chain management professionals.
The conference is designed to offer practical and relevant information by providing delegates with educational presentations, case studies and interactive workshops. The theme of this year's event was 'Supply Chains in Rhythm', and it was aimed at helping supply chain professionals to fine-tune the performance of their supply chains.
Says SAPICS president Tracy Cheetham: "For a flawless performance, supply chains must be in rhythm. Every component must work together, in perfect harmony, to ensure efficiency. If any element is out of tune, the entire supply chain is in jeopardy. This year's line-up of some of the most sought-after and renowned local and international speakers in the conference's history was designed to help delegates attain that perfect rhythm in their supply chains. In response to the demand for more case studies, we had a diverse range of both local and international case studies, to complement the compelling array of speakers that educated, motivated and even amused us."
There were a number of new additions to this year's conference offering. "The first and foremost of these was the impressive SCOR track, and we were proud to welcome the Supply Chain Council as our co-host for the 2005 Conference. Their presentations focusing specifically on the SCOR-Model, a proven methodology aimed at maximising supply chain efficiency, were very well-received."
Also new in the line-up was the conference's 'Interactive Wednesday', which gave those who prefer more participative sessions the opportunity to attend one of five dynamic workshops on Wednesday afternoon.
The 'CPIM Overview Sessions', aimed at CPIM (Certified in Production and Inventory Management) students or those interested in finding out more about this certification, were another new offering at this year's conference.
The exhibition was a vibrant, exciting mix of organisations with products and services to enhance supply chain management, Cheetham says. "We are grateful to all the exhibitors and sponsors for their time and investment. The SAPICS Conference and Exhibition has always been the perfect place to network with fellow supply chain professionals from a broad spectrum of companies across South African industry, and to learn more about the latest products and services available. And this year was no exception. Feedback from delegates has been extremely positive," Cheetham says. "This event combines intensive hard work with just the right amount of fun and socialising. We believe it is the perfect balance, and delegates at this year's conference are echoing this view."
Awards
Keynote speaker, Ron Ireland, received the award for the 'Best Idea' for his presentation at this year's conference. This award recognises the year's most innovative paper. US-based author and management consultant, Ireland, is regarded as a pioneer of the retail industry standard called Collaborative Planning, Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR), having first defined Supply Chain Partner Collaboration while working as IT strategy manager for Wal-Mart. His presentation focused on the content of his new book, 'Supply Chain Collaboration', which was released earlier this year.
Dr Beverley Kujawa was named this year's 'Best Speaker'. A senior lecturer at the University of Johannesburg, she explored logistics outsourcing, which is receiving increasing attention in South Africa, as a means to improving customer service and lowering costs.
Two speakers shared the award for 'Best Paper'. The automotive industry was the subject of Peter Adams' paper, in which he used two case studies to demonstrate the performance levels that real global supply chains achieve when executed effectively. Adams is general manager (supply chain management) at Schenker South Africa. Peter Greaves, an e-business consultant to Anglo Platinum, outlined how companies can smooth the 'source to settle' process with e-business.
The award for 'Best Exhibition Stand' at this year's SAPICS Conference and Exhibition was presented to Value Logistics.
SAPICS - The Professional Society for Supply Chain Management - comprises professional members from across the spectrum of South African industry. Since its foundation in 1966, SAPICS has become the leading provider of knowledge in supply chain management, production and operations in South Africa. The society is closely affiliated to APICS - The Association for Operations Management in America.
The South African custodian of two internationally recognised certification programmes - Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM) - the society's education offerings are aimed at advancing manufacturers' ability to succeed in a changing and increasingly competitive market place.
The Annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition is the premier educational and networking event in Africa for Supply Chain management professionals.
For more information contact Jenny Lazell, SAPICS, 011 805 6616, upavon@icon.co.za, www.sapics.org.za
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