SAP, Frank Soudan: Resilient supply chains and procurement

April 2022, Procurement Magazine, Supply Chain Digital and Bizclik Media Group returned to the Tobacco Dock (London) to host our second Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE. 

Dubbed ‘The Risk & Resilience Conference’ the two-day hybrid event was held on the 27th and 28th of April, featuring keynotes, roundtables, Q&As, and 1-2-1s from inspirational and knowledgeable leaders in the procurement and supply chain space. 

Building a resilient supply chain and procurement network

Kick-starting the event on the Main Stage, SAP’s Frank Soudan, Head of Digital Supply Chain and Industry 4.0 stressed the importance of technology and its role in the functions becoming more resilient. “Starting on a journey to become resilient starts with technology,” said Soudan.

He added: “There is no time to lose! Organisations will have to invest in order to grow, and the journey to resilience starts with technology.”

While recent years have seen a positive shift in the conversation around supply chains, with the function viewed as a source of winning and growth, the last two years have highlighted the complexity of the functions and the dependency that businesses have on each other. Sudan commented on the fragile balance, with supply chains at the centre of that dependency. “Supply chains can be a source of strength or a vulnerability,” said Soudan.

However, while innovations and digital transformation technologies can be a lever of change, “beware a quick win,” warned Soudan. While technology will be significant in the industry’s future resilience, “Don’t create a Frankenstein enterprise, platforms need to integrate with the wider organisation.”

He added: “Resilient businesses need digitalised operations and supply chains built for speed and flexibility through agility, productivity, connectivity, and sustainability. With this digitalisation, supply chains can remove organisational silos and provide a competitive advantage.”

Did you see Frank Soudan’s keynote when attending Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE 2022? Watch on-demand Soudan delivering his keynote on ‘Building a resilient end-to-end digital supply chain and procurement network’:

To watch any of our other speakers from Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE: The Risk and Resilience Conference, click here.

PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN LIVE 2022

This October, Supply Chain Digital and Procurement Magazine return to London for an all-new event - PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN LIVE LONDON 2022.

Click here, to find out how you can attend PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN LIVE LONDON 2022.

Held at the QEII Centre between the 12th and 13th of October 2022, BMG’s all-new hybrid event incorporates two zones - SupplyChain LIVE and Procurement LIVE - to create a single EXPO style event. 

PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN LIVE LONDON 2022 will give those attending the chance to showcase their values, products and services to partners and customers. 

To find out more about PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY CHAIN LIVE LONDON 2022, click here.