Loftware at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ 2024: key takeaways for supply chain leaders

The Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™, which took place last week in Orlando, Florida, delivered future-focused insights, strategies, and frameworks to help leaders navigate the turbulent supply chain landscape.  

Members of our leadership team attended the event and enjoyed three days of networking, thought leadership presentations, and panel sessions. From sustainable supply chains to automating through artificial intelligence, the show covered a broad range of interesting topics. 

Read on as I unpack their key takeaways and delve into the strategies that will shape the future of our supply chain ecosystem. 

#1 Jim Bureau, Loftware President & CEO. “AI for a predictive supply chain was a hot topic. Attendees I spoke to learned how AI can optimize operations, enhance decision making, improve customer experience, and drive innovation. The event also emphasized the importance of reducing risk by integrating broader supply chain initiatives into business processes.  

“Additionally, collaboration between partner trading on the Cloud was a key focus of many presentations. Attendees learned how cloud-based platforms can enable data exchange, visibility, and coordination among supply chain partners.” 

#2 Kip Amedeo, Loftware Chief Revenue Officer. “Key trends observed at the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium revolved around the use of AI, digitization, sustainability, resilience, and agility. Embracing advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, and IoT to optimize operations and enhance visibility across the supply chain remains a key focus.  

“Additionally, businesses are increasingly prioritizing sustainability initiatives, incorporating circular economy principles, and seeking ways to minimize their environmental impact. Building resilient supply chains capable of navigating disruptions, whether caused by natural disasters or geopolitical tensions, is essential, driving the adoption of risk management strategies and diversified sourcing approaches. Agility continues to be paramount, with organizations striving to streamline processes, accelerate decision-making, and adapt swiftly to evolving market dynamics.”  

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#3 Michelle Northey, Loftware EVP Product. "One overall takeaway for me is the vital role that data plays in enterprise success. Supply chains face continued data challenges, such as managing data integrity and a lack of dedicated teams to design digital tools. As such, there is a growing need to reimagine legacy processes with digital transformation initiatives. 

"It's also clear to me the use of AI is evolving and will continue to play a key part in the advancement of global supply chains." 

#4 Josh Roffman, Loftware EVP Marketing. “For me, the focus on sustainability was an undercurrent of the show. Many of those that I spoke to were at the show looking to learn and talk about what their organizations are doing about sustainability.  

“Unlike prior years where sustainability was viewed as a lofty corporate initiative, I talked to people who were trying to find detailed, tactical approaches for addressing sustainability. Interesting as well is a desire to focus first on sustainability initiatives that also save their company money (a positive dual effect). One attendee talked about the need to drive down emissions while distributing products and he referenced optimizing the shipping process to go fewer miles and use fewer vehicles, which both cuts emissions and cost. Other topics revolved around sustainable suppliers and making sure they meet corporate standards, while others spoke about circularity of goods and packaging materials.  

“While AI had maybe the newest buzz, it appears sustainability initiatives are being actioned upon and will be an important topic for the foreseeable future.”  

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