From the Desk of Wade McDaniel
Welcome to the Fall 2015 issue of Supply Chain Navigator.
Each year, Avnet hosts a supply chain leadership conference, bringing together some of the most innovative supply chain practitioners we know. It’s two days of high-value best practice sharing and networking. At the most recent event, I was struck by just how different the conversation around IoT and the digital supply chain was from our previous meeting. Last year, IoT was a frequent topic of conversation, but primarily around the expanding product potential: wearables, home automation, etc. The concept of a digital, supply chain of things (S.C.o.T.)™ was only just beginning to gain traction.
Twelve months later…boom! Attendee after attendee shared the various ways in which their organizations were using data aggregated from a range of digital sources to drive greater customer intimacy, improve operational efficiency and boost profitability in their supply chains.
In this issue of Supply Chain Navigator, we delve into both the opportunities and challenges supply chain professionals are facing in this new, extraordinarily connected world we live in. We share insights from practitioners on trending topics, including digital intelligence, enterprise security and 3D printing, and we present an in-depth look at how IoT and new manufacturing techniques have helped Lockheed Martin pioneer a new approach to product development, manufacturing and operations.
We are also very excited to offer readers an exclusive peek into the mind of one of the supply chain’s most distinguished and respected researchers and academics, Dr. Hau Lee. In our conversation with Dr. Lee, he updates us on the results of the global sourcing benchmark survey project, and he tells us what he thinks of Donald Trump’s China bashing. And finally, our Chain Reactions question this issue tackles the very topical issue of foreign exchange volatility. We ask our panel if they think companies should ride out the storm or alter their supply chain strategy to mitigate risk in the future.
I hope you enjoy this issue of Supply Chain Navigator. Please feel free to drop us a line at Avnet.velocity@avnet.com to share your thoughts about the topics we have covered or make suggestions for future articles.
Until next issue,
Wade McDaniel
Many thanks to the Supply Chain Navigator Editorial Advisory Board for their support and guidance:
 Don Hnatyshin Chief Supply Chain and Procurement Officer, Jabil Circuit |
 Alam Monsur Vice President, Product Management, Supply Chain and Advanced Procurement, Nokia Corp |
 Arnie Maltz Associate Professor, W.P. Carey Supply Chain Management, Arizona State University |
 Mark Cotteleer Research Director, Deloitte Services, LP |
 Chalam Kalahasti Director, Component Supply Chain Operations, Cisco Systems Inc. |
Questions or comments about our publication can be directed to Supply Chain Navigator Editorial Director Diane Trommer at Diane.Trommer@Avnet.com Connect with Diane via LinkedIn.