Event Description
An online guest session was organized by the MBA department on 26th June 2021 at 6 p.m. The session on Reinventing the Supply Chain was conducted on Microsoft Teams. The guest speaker was Mr. Mithleshwar Rai, Regional Head Business and Solution (North & East) TVS Supply Chain Solutions Ltd.
Through his deliberations, Mr. Rai drew the attention of the students towards the changes that have taken place and are still happening in the field of supply chain in the wake of the global crisis brought about by the pandemic. He explained that an inbuilt agility in supply chains is an essential characteristic that can help in coping with the uncertainties of this era. He said that an agile supply chain aligns organizational structures, information systems and logistics processes to exploit profitable opportunities in volatile marketplaces. It helps in synchronizing activities through shared information. He told that the need of the hour is smart work, not hard work. Companies need to partner with suppliers to reduce in-bound lead times and reduce complexities in supply chain.
Mr. Mithlehwar Rai discussed the framework of agile supply chain with the students in which he explained that an agile supply chain is more market sensitive, network based and process aligned. It utilizes the internet and information technology and works virtually by sharing information on real demand with the organizations involved in the supply chain. Further he explained that during the current market situations, supply chains should be flexible wherein short lead time companies can meet the demand for both volume and variety.
He also discussed the importance of IT in supply chain. He explained that today supply chains have become more digitalized. In his concluding remarks, he mentioned that the future belongs to more resilient and agile supply chains powered by technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins and blockchain. These technologies will digitally interconnect the supply chain ecosystem and improve network collaboration, visibility and risk management.
At the end of the session, the guest answered a number of relevant questions asked by the students.