Coming back stronger: The new normal

I got a sneak peek at a department by Richard E. Crandall, Ph.D., CFPIM, CIRM, CSCP, that will be appearing in the May/June APICS magazine. Crandall offers an interesting perspective on anticipating and planning for change that is “beyond the control of the business—or, at least, containing elements over which the business has little control.” These elements include: “competitor innovations, economic conditions, government regulations, environmental changes, societal pressures, and consumer preferences.” The recession has contributed to our now acute understanding of how external conditions can severely impact our businesses. The question is: How do we adjust our operations to support a more agile response in the future?

Operations professionals at all levels in the organization are important to contributing to an integrated plan that enables company decision makers to anticipate and respond to a change that impacts the entire business.

As an operations or supply chain professional, you need to be a part of the conversation. Ask yourself and your colleagues: How have your operations changed over the course of the recession? What is your company doing to leverage this change to shore up your operations? How involved are you in developing the strategies that will gird your business to withstand the turmoil caused by change? And are you doing everything you can to prepare for the “great storms” that are sure to come in the future? Engage in the discussion on the APICS LinkedIn group.

Helping you to answer these and related questions will be part of the conversation at the 2010 APICS International Conference & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, October 17–19. In selecting a theme for the conference, our planning committee had the foresight to know that by the time October 2010 rolled around, operations and supply chain professionals would be grappling with doing business in the new global landscape created in the wake of the recession. The conference theme, “Excellence in the New Normal: Best Practices for Global Supply Chain and Operations Management” recognizes that we all are in the process of redefining best practices to make our operations stronger as a result of recent experience. I hope that you will come and take part this very important conversation.