I had the pleasure of attending the Gartner® Supply Chain Planning Summit 2024, held on Dec. 3 – 4 in Denver, CO. This event offered a unique opportunity to engage with industry leaders and gain firsthand insights into the latest trends and innovations in supply chain planning. The event, themed “Generating Value Together: Beyond Accuracy, Toward Intelligence,” included presentations, discussions and networking opportunities that highlighted the importance of intelligent decision-making to balance margin, cash and growth, moving beyond the traditional focus on forecast accuracy.

As a proud exhibitor, Blue Yonder showcased our commitment to advancing supply chain innovation by presenting alongside our customers, CONA Services (Baron Jordan, Chief Product Officer Supply Chain) and Western Digital (Ashish Rastogi, Sr. Director Supply Chain Digital Transformation). The session, titled “Driving Business Value with Autonomous Supply Chains: CONA Services & Western Digital,” delved into the transformative power of automating supply chain planning. The session highlighted CONA and Western Digital’s transformation journeys, focusing on speed, agility and resilience in supply chain operations. Session attendees learned about automating supply chain planning to achieve these objectives, offering insights into the practical application of autonomous supply chains.

Key insights from this Blue Yonder presentation included:

  • Autonomous Supply Chains as a Foundational Enabler: The session underscored the importance of a bold vision to automate supply chain planning. This automation is not just a technological upgrade but a foundational enabler that drives business value by enhancing operational efficiency and responsiveness.
  • Transformation Journeys of Industry Leaders: Leaders from the high-tech and food and beverage industries, specifically Western Digital and CONA Services, shared their transformation journeys. They provided valuable insights into the “why, what and how” of their experiences, offering practical examples of how they have implemented autonomous supply chain solutions to achieve remarkable results.
  • Practical Supply Chain Innovation: The session was a deep dive into the practical aspects of supply chain innovation, focusing on real-world applications and outcomes. Attendees gained a firsthand understanding of the strategies and Blue Yonder technologies that drive the next frontier of supply chain management.

In addition to the presentation, Blue Yonder’s participation underscored our role in promoting AI-enabled planning solutions. Blue Yonder has been recognized as a Leader in the 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Supply Chain Planning Solutions, which we believe reflects our strong performance and comprehensive vision in the field.

My Key Takeaways

The 2024 Gartner® Supply Chain Planning Summit provided a platform for professionals to discuss strategies for enhancing supply chain resilience and agility. Attendees engaged in sessions covering planning leadership, transformation, processes, technology and digital enablement.

  • Planning Leadership and Transformation: Sessions explored how planning leaders can drive innovation and resilience within their organizations — discussions centered on transforming planning processes and organizational structures to enhance adaptability and responsiveness.
  • Planning Processes and Metrics: Attendees delved into optimizing core planning processes and metrics to support strategic business performance. Topics covered included decision-making frameworks, sales and operations planning (S&OP), and aligning planning metrics with organizational goals.
  • Planning Technology and Digital Enablement: The summit highlighted the role of technology in enhancing supply chain planning. Sessions focused on leveraging AI and machine learning, integrating advanced analytics, and adopting digital tools to improve planning efficiency and effectiveness.

The keynote on the final day, “The Future of Human-Robot Interaction,” was presented by leading expert in Social Robotics and MIT Media Lab Research Scientist, Kate Darling. Who also presented at Blue Yonder’s ICON event in 2022 in Orlando, Fla. Darling challenged the audience to think critically about the future of human-robot interaction, and to consider how we can responsibly develop and deploy these powerful technologies in ways that complement and enhance human capabilities.

Overall, the 2024 Gartner® Supply Chain Planning Summit served as an essential event for supply chain planning professionals to gain valuable insights, explore innovative solutions for navigating the complexities of modern supply chains and connect with industry peers to drive future success in supply chain planning.

The Blue Yonder team left Denver excited and inspired about the potential of AI and intelligent planning to produce transformative results for every business. We’d love to discuss how AI-powered planning can benefit your business.

Why not reach out to Blue Yonder to get the conversation started?

Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Supply Chain Planning Solutions, Pia Orup Lund, Tim Payne, Joe Graham, Caleb Thomson, Jan Snoeckx, 23 April 2024.

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