• Supply Chain X-factor

  • I have been helping my customers with actionable and tangible strategies on sustainability. Being a long time and active CSCMP member has helped me keeping track of global developments, and enriched my global network on this topic. And although sustainability has been somewhere on the priority list in the last couple of decades, the last few years it has been put much higher by consumers, governments, shareholders and employees, impacting all supply chains globally. What does this mean for the supply chain industry?

  • A significant development is that due to the Paris agreement and its clear targets, governments, companies and researchers are trying to quantify the daunting task of reaching them. What do we need to do today to reach a milestone in 2050? And how do we know when it is sufficient? I am delighted to see several efforts to take actionable steps to quantify the task ahead of us.

    For example, in the Netherlands it has been calculated that considering the expected economic development on the one hand, and the CO2 emission targets for 2050 on the other, the Dutch need to become a factor 6 more efficient. In terms of transportation that means they need to be able to move the same ton of goods with a factor 6 smaller carbon footprint. In China, researchers found that the Chinese need to increase their CO2 efficiency even more, calculating a mind-boggling factor 13. Although I find it quite satisfying to have an actual number we can work on, realizing these factors seems very challenging if not impossible,

    But wait: isn’t the supply chain professional perfectly equipped for this job? Our profession is based on managing scarcity; getting the right quantity in the right place at the right time against the right cost. And managing environmental issues is very much about managing scarcity as well. However, to help you achieving factor 6, 13 or any other factor you might be dealing with like increasing protectionism or keeping up with technological advancements, I would like to introduce the supply chain X-factor.

    The X-factor, as you know, is that special something that makes the difference between good and extraordinary. CSCMP can help you to get your X-factor, by providing an international network to educate, connect and develop yourself. Our global network will expose you to vibrant events, the latest developments and international professionals enabling you to exceed all expectations. Speaking for myself, it surely has given me an edge to deliver the best results for my customers. Please join us at our next event to discuss your biggest challenge and share your experiences. I am confident you will learn something new, expand your network and return to your office with new ideas and energy. Are you ready for some X-factor?

    Jeroen Bolt is founder of Fluas and President of the CSCMP Benelux Roundtable. This blog has also been pubished by the CSCMP Benelux Roundtable as the President's welcome of the first CSCMP Benelux Annual Magazine 2017 edition.