Event Title
Playing Together in the Global Sandbox: A Case Study on Amway's Advancing Supply Chain
Location
Exhibition Hall, DeVos Center
Description
Global supply chains are shifting the way we do business and changing the world as we know it. As technology continues to shrink our world, it becomes clear that to stay competitive and prevail in a constantly changing environment, the supply chain must adapt. As companies journey through globalization, it is essential to keep in mind that besides adjusting the physical footprint of the supply chain, companies must also change their culture, processes, and policies to fit. As Amway moved from a multi-national company to a global enterprise, the need to break down functional silos and cultural barriers became clear. One such example of this transformation is the relationship between Marketing and Supply Chain. Historically, these two groups operated in separate functional silos and seldom had much interaction. From my desk within the Supply Chain, I observed that Marketing saw Supply Chain as “just operations and shipping” and Supply Chain viewed marketing as “creative types who don’t understand operations.” This mindset created many challenges as instead of working together to build a castle, these two groups played in sand. To become a truly global and integrated Supply Chain, the organization must play in the same sandbox, with the same tools. Three examples of how this is manifesting are explored including: shared goals across the organization, partnership with the customer and development of a global product offering. As these two groups continue to share accountability and success, playing collaboratively in the same global sandbox, Amway’s Supply Chain continues to advance.
Playing Together in the Global Sandbox: A Case Study on Amway's Advancing Supply Chain
Exhibition Hall, DeVos Center
Global supply chains are shifting the way we do business and changing the world as we know it. As technology continues to shrink our world, it becomes clear that to stay competitive and prevail in a constantly changing environment, the supply chain must adapt. As companies journey through globalization, it is essential to keep in mind that besides adjusting the physical footprint of the supply chain, companies must also change their culture, processes, and policies to fit. As Amway moved from a multi-national company to a global enterprise, the need to break down functional silos and cultural barriers became clear. One such example of this transformation is the relationship between Marketing and Supply Chain. Historically, these two groups operated in separate functional silos and seldom had much interaction. From my desk within the Supply Chain, I observed that Marketing saw Supply Chain as “just operations and shipping” and Supply Chain viewed marketing as “creative types who don’t understand operations.” This mindset created many challenges as instead of working together to build a castle, these two groups played in sand. To become a truly global and integrated Supply Chain, the organization must play in the same sandbox, with the same tools. Three examples of how this is manifesting are explored including: shared goals across the organization, partnership with the customer and development of a global product offering. As these two groups continue to share accountability and success, playing collaboratively in the same global sandbox, Amway’s Supply Chain continues to advance.