Data from the Harvard Business Review reveals that businesses are disappearing faster than ever before, and that companies are dying younger because they are failing to adapt to the growing complexity of their environment.

Today’s supply chains are more complex and volatile than ever before; despite this, however, many organisations are using material requirements planning (MRP) systems that still plan the same way that they did 50 years ago, according to Kea Mpane, president of SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management in Southern Africa.

To enable African supply chain professionals and businesses to benefit from the latest results, research and cutting-edge ideas in Demand Driven Material Requirements Planning (DDMRP), SAPICS will host the first ever Demand Driven World Africa Conference in Cape Town this year, she reveals.

“This event is an exciting addition to the annual SAPICS Conference, Africa’s leading event for supply chain professionals. We are delighted to have joined forces with the Demand Driven Institute (DDI), a United States based global organisation that is changing the way that businesses plan, operate, think and evolve,” Mpane expands.

She says that Demand Driven World Africa 2020 will be a show case for the emerging Demand Driven methodology and will feature case study implementations from Africa, including powerful Demand Driven success stories from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and Protea Chemicals. “It will also include ‘Demand Driven Alley’ in the exhibition, featuring DDMRP compliant software and service providers. There will also be educators on hand to discuss the vast array of education options, from Demand Driven Sales and Operations Planning to DDBrix, the hands-on simulation workshop and training solution.”

Founded in 2011, the DDI’s mission is to advance and proliferate Demand Driven strategies and practices in the global industrial community. Co-founders Chad Smith and Carol Ptak literally wrote the books on the Demand Driven method. Together and individually, they have written and co-authored numerous articles and books on Demand Driven principles, finance and information and planning systems. 

“Demand Driven essentially means sensing changing customer demand, then adapting planning and production while pulling from suppliers – all in real time,” Smith explains.

“Becoming Demand Driven requires a fundamental shift from the centrality of supply and cost based operational methods (commonly referred to as ‘push and promote’) to a centrality of actual demand and flow-based methods (commonly referred to as ‘position, protect and pull’).  The term ‘actual demand’ is extremely important in distinguishing it from a re-branded and somehow superior forecasting approach.  

​“The Demand Driven Adaptive Enterprise (DDAE) Model now spans the operational, tactical and strategic ranges of an organisation, allowing it to continuously and successfully adapt to the complex and volatile supply chains we see today. It combines the fundamental principles of flow management with the emerging new science of complex adaptive systems (CAS).  It is the way that successful organisations will work in the 21st Century.

“We very excited to bring Demand Driven World to Africa in 2020. Every business has a choice: continue to operate with rules, metrics and tools developed more than fifty years ago or make a break from convention, recognise the complex supply chains we live in and make a fundamental change in the way it does business; but don't take too long or the choice will be made for you,” Smith concludes.

DDI co-founder Carol Ptak will be speaking at the inaugural Demand Driven World Africa. “This is a not-to-be-missed opportunity for African supply chain professionals to learn from a leading authority in the use of ERP and Supply Chain tools to drive improved bottom line performance,” Mpane states. 

“Carol's expertise is well grounded in four decades of practical experience as a successful practitioner, consultant and educator in manufacturing operations. Her pragmatic approach to complex issues and dynamic presentation style has her in high demand at events worldwide.”

Now in its 42nd successful year, the annual SAPICS Conference is Africa’s leading knowledge sharing and networking event for supply chain professionals. Hosted by SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management, it takes place in Cape Town from 21 to 24 June 2020.

For further information or to register for SAPICS 2020 and Demand Driven World Africa, call 011 023 6701 or email info@SAPICS.org.za. Up-to the-minute information is also posted on the SAPICS Conference website: conference.SAPICS.org