Supply chain operations management association Sapics will focus on ‘Business Unusual’ at its upcoming yearly Sapics conference and exhibition for supply chain professionals, where delegates will be equipped to meet challenges linked to factors such as poor infrastructure and political uncertainty, according to Sapics president Mungo Park.

The conference will be held in Cape Town from June 4 to 7.

The thirty-ninth edition of the event, which is hosted by Sapics and managed by Upavon Conferences Management, will highlight the potential for exponential technologies to transform supply chain management, incorporating innovations like digitalisation, three-dimensional (3D) printing, driverless vehicles and the effective management of information overload.

He avers that the impact of poor infrastructure and political uncertainty, together with the skills shortage crisis, emphasises the need for supply chain management to be acknowledged at executive level. “There is often the misconception that supply chain management is only procurement; this conference and exhibition will help reinforce awareness about the complexity of this profession in its entirety, and build the skills to take the economy forward.”

A line-up of renowned speakers has been confirmed, including futurist, author and business transformation expert Sean Culey, who will deliver a presentation titled ‘Supply Chain 3.0 – how to survive in disruptive times’. T

he event will also feature speakers from Egypt, South Africa, Canada, the US, the UK, France and the Netherlands while showcasing the experience of innovative groups and companies such as Nandos, McCain Foods SA, Dis-Chem and SABMiller. The conference will also provide a platform to share the results of Barloworld’s annual supplychainforesight survey – an industry-standard qualitative research study into South Africa’s supply chains.

Supply Chain Risk Management Consortium founder Greg Schlegel is also scheduled to return to the Sapics stage, where he will cover supply chain risk and resiliency.

In addition, delegates wanting to get a deeper understanding of how to mitigate supply chain risk can also attend two workshops at the conference. Delegates attending all three sessions of the event will be awarded a Supply Chain Risk and Resiliency Certificate from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, in the US.

Other contributors include Next Renewable Generation CEO Dr Dino Petrarolo, who will discuss the impact of operational excellence on the looming transformation in manufacturing, which explores the impact of smarter robots, 3D printing, big data, machine-to-machine communication and mobility, with specific focus on the transformation in manufacturing.

Dr Steven Melnyk from Michigan State University, in the US, will discuss the emergence of the strategic supply chain leader, in which he aims to highlight the skills and orientations needed to transform supply chains from being tactical to strategic.