Supply Chain Managers to Examine Recession's Impact on Global Business

Recession-related pressures on supply chain management will be the topic of the first industry conference sponsored by the Boeing Center for Technology, Information and Management (BCTIM) at the Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis, Wednesday, June 3, 2009.

“Supply chain challenges and strategies in the midst of economic turbulence” will be the theme for the one-day meeting featuring presentations and panel discussions with seven major corporations involved in global supply chain management. Executives from Boeing, Emerson, Emeraldwise, Express Scripts, Monsanto, Solutia and APL Logistics will participate.

“The economic crisis has forced all companies to look at ways to better control their costs and renew their capabilities across their global supply chains,” says Panos Kouvelis, BCTIM director and professor of operations and manufacturing management at Olin. “These days there is competition among supply chains, not just firms, and the better chains will win.”

When a company manufactures parts in India and South America with materials from China, assembles them in U.S. and sells the finished product world wide, coordination is key. And the risks are many. Kouvelis says strategies to managing supply chain risk will be a major focus of the conference, “Continuing crises from supplier bankruptcies, political risks, fluctuating commodity prices, exchange rates, Somali pirates and the recent Swine flu outbreak remind all companies of their supply chain vulnerabilities.”

Reporters are welcome to attend individual sessions or the entire conference to be held at the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center on the Danforth Campus, Washington University in St. Louis. Participants will be available for interview between sessions.

For information on attending the conference, please contact: Gina Kisner, kisner@wustl.edu, 314-935-5577

Conference schedule for June 3, 2009, Knight Center, Washington University in St. Louis

Session 1 – 8:15 am to 9:30 am:World Class Best Practices in Supply Chain

Boeing's approach for driving lean throughout its supply chain

Vince Tappel — The Boeing Company
Director Lean Operations & Supplier Management – Integrated Defense Systems
Automated product tracking using RFID
Bill Lenger — Monsanto
Global Distribution/Warehouse Optimization Lead
Session 2 – 9:45 am to 11:00 am: Supply Chain Strategies In A Turbulent Global World Economy

Proactive use of supply chain strategies to navigate through turbulent times

Tonya Mattix — Solutia
Global Business Operations Planner
The growing complexity crises in the supply chain and strategies necessary to eliminate, mitigate and manage
Craig Doiron — Emerson
Emerson Corporate Vice President Product Development
Session 3 – 11:15 am to 12:00 pm: Risk Management
Managing supply chain risks and the current environment
Panos Kouvelis — Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis
Director of the Boeing Center for Technology, Information and Manufacturing
Emerson Distinguished Professor of Operations and Manufacturing Management
Session 4 – 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm: Global Operations And Logistics Challenges
Supply Chain Best Practices For Turbulent Times: A 3pl Perspective
Bill Villalon — APL Logistics
Vice President of Land Transportation and Product Development
Rx drugs: opportunity and peril
Managing a highly regulated supply chain in a global world
Everett Neville — Express Scripts, Inc.
Vice President, Pharma Strategy & Contracting
Session 5 – 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm: Preparing Your Supply Chain For The Economic Recovery

What happens when the economy recovers?

Ray Keefe — Emerson
Vice President of Manufacturing