In the latest episode of Supply Chain Unfiltered, our monthly live series produced by Let’s Talk Supply Chain, I had the pleasure of speaking with Douglas J. Kent, Executive Vice President of Corporate & Strategic Alliances at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). We explored the transformative value offered to ASCM members, discussed the SCOR model and its pivotal role in benchmarking and assessments in performance management, and highlighted the opportunities awaiting supply chain leaders at the upcoming ASCM Connect Conference. This episode was packed full of invaluable insights for the supply chain community, so let’s jump right into it, shall we?
Unpacking ASCM Corporate Membership Value
As a member of the ASCM Board of Directors and as a supporter of everything ASCM does to strengthen the supply chain management ecosystem, I was excited to sit down with Douglas for a deep dive into the various benefits ASCM offers its members, both professionally and personally.
Douglas kicked off the conversation with ASCM’s mission statement to give our listeners a macro perspective. “Our mission is to make the world better through supply chain,” he explained. “So, we do that by relying upon our more than 60-year history of talent development, making sure that supply chain professionals feel equipped to do the job they’re being asked to do.”
This is much easier said than done, considering the pace of technology development in our industry. Douglas expanded on the unique aspects of ASCM—which counts an astounding 50,000 individuals among its members—and shared some of the benefits associated with individual and corporate memberships.
One of my favorite things about ASCM as an individual member is its networking opportunities. The ability to interface with like-minded industry members at conferences, through corporate roundtables, webinars, and more is priceless. Supportive connections are incredibly powerful for driving professional growth.
Individual growth is critical for building a robust supply chain management ecosystem, but it’s also important for companies to get involved and that’s where ASCM’s corporate memberships are crucial.
“[Corporate members] can do things like [perform] different assessments. Whether they’re assessing digital capabilities, or the maturity level across their end-to-end supply chain, or [their level of] sustainability, these assessment tools are unique to the supply chain community,” explained Douglas.
Mastering the SCOR Model
I’d be remiss to not mention the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model when speaking to ASCM corporate membership benefits. Having access to the SCOR framework is a gamechanger—and here’s why.
“The SCOR model actually maps the processes that we support from a technology standpoint within [your] organization,” shared Douglas, who uses SCOR regularly for various aspects of performance management like benchmarking and assessment. “The reason why the SCOR model was initially created was as a tool to communize the language between [various teams],” he explained.
Companies can take this model, create a current state view of what’s happening across their own supply chain, examine critical intersections from a process perspective, and then measure to an industry standard what their performance looks like. Even more importantly, they can use the SCOR model to architect the future state of their supply chain. It can help answer questions such as:
- “What does a new operating model look like for us?”
- “How does a production planner fit in?”
- “How does a financial controller fit in?”
I appreciated learning that over 5,000 companies have utilized this model over the years to help diagnose internal issues and optimize the long-term futures of their business.
Maximizing ASCM Connect Conference Benefits
Finally, we touched on the upcoming ASCM Connect Conference in Austin, TX. The conference, which will be held from September 9-11, 2024, will dive deep into the world of supply chain management alongside industry trailblazers and innovators. It’s a must-attend event for industry professionals, where they will have the opportunity to listen to world-class speakers, participate in interactive sessions, and exchange ideas with the best in their community.
“All the hot topics, all the innovations, all the technologies, will be showcased,” Douglas shared. “There’ll be an innovation center and you’ll get to see lots of best practice presentations. I think this is going to be really one of the best we’ve ever had.”
For more about ASCM membership benefits and the upcoming conference, which I hope to see you at, check out the full episode here. While you’re listening, be sure to take note of our sustainability conversation which didn’t make it into this webinar recap.
I also invite you to keep a pulse on our evolving industry by registering now to join me for the next episode of Supply Chain Unfiltered featuring special guest Chris Nimietz of MSI Express. See you soon!
