This round table discussion session is an open moderated session where delegates are divided into group of tens to discuss a set of topics. This session aims to bring out issues/problems/ ideas, etc. from individual delegate. Moderated by key industry experts, the round table discussion will ensure debate and discussion on thought-provoking and controversial issueswith industry peers. Key topics of discussion will include :

• Latest supply chain models and initiatives
• Global sourcing and procurement trends, challenges andinitiatives
• Reverse logistics management in a complex and diversify Asian marketplace
• What proven supply chain software applications are emerging, and how can clients determine if their companies are ready to implement them?

This round table discussion session is an open moderated session where delegates are divided into group of tens to discuss a set of topics. This session aims to bring out issues/problems/ ideas, etc. from individual delegate. Moderated by key industry experts, the round table discussion will ensuredebate and discussion on thought-provoking and controversial issues with industry peers.

Key topics of discussion will include :

• Latest supply chain models and initiatives in the CPG and retail sectors
• Collaboration strategy that balances both the needs of retailers and suppliers
• Global and regional sourcing and procurement trends and challenges
• Category management and inventory control

This opening panel discussion brings together a top-notch line-up of speakers who have witnessed a changing business environment through the last decade. Our speakers will share how changing business rules have forced companies to re-shape their supply chains in order to stay ahead. They will discuss:

• Globalisation from 1996 – 2006: What analysts predicted that didn’t take the world by storm!
• Reviewing the love-hate “reliant yet independent” relationship between the U.S. and Asia and how economic trends are changing manufacturing and supply chain dynamics globally
• Rise of GEMS, the opportunities they present, and their domino effect on manufacturing models, supply chain challenges and importantly, pricing implications forcing tighter processes
• Best-in-breed companies and a look at their transformation process

Less than five months after IBM announced the sale of its PC business to Chinese computer maker Lenovo on Dec. 7, 2004, the completion of the most complex divestiture in IBM history was finalized on April 29, 2005. The 143-day transition shifted more than 11,000 employees and thousands of PC clients to Lenovo by applying supply chain principles and disciplines that were used across 22 unique job functions spanning 66 countries.The divestiture was executed so perfectly that IBM has filed for a patent on it. This presentation will look back on the strategy and processes that were put in place to transfer a multibillion dollar business from one company to another.

Almost everything in the world is “made in China” these days. With China holding the reins of manufacturing and it not being an exactly easy market to operate in, the challenges and obstacles faced in supply chain and logistics management are especially real. This session will focus on:

• From China to the rest of the world – Assessing the complexities and difficulties of fortifying a supply chain system stemming from China
• Identifying obstacles and risks across the supply and demand chain in China that can impact time to market, competitiveness and customer satisfaction
• Overcoming the supply chain hurdles in China – Learning to move towards a revolutionised supply chain

• Identifying today’s risk exposure for your supply chain
• Impact of external and internal risk drivers on all parties of the supply chain, and its implications on your bottom line
• Role of CxOs in communicating the importance of supply chain risk mitigation
• Measures to mitigate risks in your supply chain

• A top level approach in developing corporate supply chain strategies
• Executing DDSN and overcoming challenges and complexities along the way
• Creating cross-functional best practices that review production against demand

Facilitating seamless flow of goods and information in a rapidly evolving and physically distributed global network of suppliers, facilities, partners and customers is the cornerstone for success. It is important for businesses to move away from the organisation centric, silo-based, disjointed systems environment to gaining consolidated view of the inventory and orders across the extended enterprise. This session with case studies drawn from leading corporations across the world will help in understanding:

• Emerging business realities
• The distributed nature of the businesses
• Challenges faced in streamlining the supply chain - IT perspective
• Path to transformation

• Outlining the Indian economy from the perspective of the automotive industry
• Enhancing transportation and material handling according to Asia’s infrastructure network
• Enhancing distribution strategies despite the increased portfolio of product offerings

• What’s next after achieving a global supply chain
• The operational, financial and technological changes that will impact your supply chain by 2010
• How to take advantage of these changes to increase supply chain responsiveness, flexibility and security

The need to drive customer satisfaction throughout supply chain operations has become a significant trend because it is very apparent that increasing your value to customers alone has a direct impact on your journey to capture new developing markets. Increasing value to consumers can transform the perception of  your business and help you to penetrate further market share.

• What do retail customers in Asia value in terms of customer service?
• How can you incorporate customer service into your strategic supply chain and logistics planning: The importance of focusing on improving service, reducing costs, improving quality and maximising speed to market all at the same time
• Collaboration with your suppliers and retailers to achieve perfect order: Why is achieving excellence customer service not a single company concept?
• What are some best in class examples of customer service and what can FMCG companies like Unilever do about this in Asia?

• Using Adaptable Change Management models to meet the expectations of diverse cultures
• Integrating Change & Talent Management Strategies to increase talent levels in the organisation, improve performance and drive for world-class status
• Implementing a Planning Excellence Competency Assessment & Development Program, including succession planning, organisation design, common job profiles and a Web-based assessment tool available in five languages, to improve Supply Chain performance

• Identifying that the CIO role beyond IT
• Driving IT-enabled supply chain: Reducingc osts and inefficiencies by deploying technologies that enhance supply chain execution
• Working closely with external & internalpartners in supply chain development: Managing systems-integration efforts with supply chain executives in achieving supply chain optimisation

• Collaboration and synchronisation with the supplier - an enablement of e-business processes
• Improving customer service through logistic optimisation with effective warehouse management solutions
• Enhancing the customer experience through proactive field service management in mobile solutions

• Building alignment and commitment of Business and IT stakeholders to the enterprise SCM strategy
• Active participation of key stakeholders and users in the execution of any SC initiative
• Integrate industry best practices to the specific on-the-ground realities and set meaningful threshold limits

• Basics of how a RFID systems works
• EPCglobal Gen2, usage & licensing implications
• Case studies: Metro AG, Dept of Defense & Dept. of Home Security
• Check list to successfully implement RFID

• RosettaNet Value proposition for best in class supply chain
• Emerging trends of RosettaNet over conventional EDI
• Logistics collaborative trends in Asia - 3PLOutsourcing, Vendor Managed Inventory, eCustoms, Shipment notification, 3PLloosely coupled
• Cross broader logistics initiatives:on eCustoms, Tradexchange and WCO
• Industry ROI with RosettaNet as the next generation of collaborative standards

•     Understanding the challenges to adopt this technology in an international environment
• Increasing inventory visibility and in-transit visibility using RFID
• Overcoming the challenges in managing ever more extended global supply chains
• Reviewing recent redesign projects: Implementing meaningful step-changes in Intel’s supply chain performance

• Going down memory lane - the supply chain process between then and now
• Delivering value to to customers and suppliers with an efficient supply chain
• A continual drive towards supply chain excellence - the next steps ahead for Fonetrra

• Assessing the mega-trends changing global supply chain’s collaboration and outsourcing/offshoring
• Logistics function is growing in increased importance.  What do the following imply:
  - For logistics providers: assessing the market and investing in newc apabilities?
  - For users: setting a high bar for your logistics providers and how do you ensure that they continually redefine their efficiency and reliability?
  For investors and acquirers: the impact of continued evaluation on attractive business opportunities
• Avoiding major integration pitfalls and the high costs of supply chain integration

Delegates can hear from experts in their field on a range of  topical issues, business strategies and best practices over a full afternoon. The breakout sessions are tailored for greater interaction between the presenter and the audience. Mix and match the streams for greater focused learning and discussion.

• Building an efficient and competitive network: a reliable and predictable product delivery system and a frictionless customer’s interaction structure
• Teaming up with representatives of the required discipline as the central control point
• Coordinating all deliveries of customers orders and consolidation of finished goods
• Integrating the best supply chain network and overcoming potential upheavals in managing each logistical activity according to customer’s specifications

• Defining “innovation” in your logistics operations - what does that mean for your organisation?
• Developing innovative logistics solutions to increase the efficiency of your supply chain and that of your customers
• Deploying innovative initiatives and technologies along your supply chain and the educational processes involved - from conceptualisation to implementation

The Asian export juggernaut – driven by European and North American consumer demand, favored-nation trading status in the WTO, harmonized tariffs, relaxed regulatory policies, and Free Trade Agreements – is changing trade patterns permanently.  This isn’t a trend; it is the way things are going to be. Simultaneously – from seaports and terminals to rail, motor carrier and warehousing/distribution centers -- the infrastructure in Europe and North America is becoming stressed to the breaking point. The prognosis: transportation delays and supply chain disruptions end-to-end. In this session, Peter Barnesby will outline the crisis drivers and offer logistics process improvements that are both practical and achievable, to neutralize delays proactively and reducethe delivered cost of Retail and FMCG exports from Asia.

• Curbing today’s constraints on delayed shipments, rising freight rates and dissatisfied customers
• Minimising the impact of capacity shortages – short-term strategies and solutions to mitigate shortages
• Working with carrier

• Best practices in logistics management and their impact on supply chains
  Creating a sense and response supply chain: Making a difference to the way you manage your entire operations
• Achiecing logistics excellence: Global case studies

• Enhancing time efficiency of post-sales supply chain: Ensuring right parts to be supplied on time and under an effectively controlled cost
• Managing the distribution operation of physical parts movement in between warehouses and customers efficiently
• Strategic vendor management of warehouses, customs clearance and parts transportation: Assuring performance and control of cost to meet the service target of parts supply chain

• Major differences between Humanitarian Supply Chain and Commercial Supply Chain
• Highlighting and overcoming the challenges in bringing aid to the affected people in remote parts of the world
• The criticality of situation: Higher stakes and a mistake can result in the loss of lives

• Understanding the disconnects in the supply chain
• Connecting the physical and financial supply chains to break down the wall between finance and operations
• Creating better collaboration through greater visibility and transparency with real-time data management
• Case study: Kellwood Company (a leading marketer of apparel and consumer soft goods with brands including Calvin Klein, Nautica and Liz Clairborne)

• Developing specialised capabilities throughout a company's systems and processes (from sourcing, to manufacturing, to marketing, and after-sales services) to ensure the right product gets to market in the shortest optimised timeframe is essential for success
• Delivery on these requirements effectively via collaboration between different companies that have developed specific, world-leading competencies
• Examples of effective collaboration between companies – demonstrating how the supply chain can be managed to deliver best-in-class, market-beating results
• Case studies from High-Tech and Life-science industries

• Configuring your inventory management model and inventory stocking strategies to reflect service priority and superiority
• Deploying superior inventory management as a competitive weapon to driving top and bottom line
• Demonstrating the impact of inventory optimisation on service level and customer satisfaction
• Striking a balance between “low inventory-high service” ideal – how to achieve the best of both worlds

• Understanding supply chains disparate processes: its capacity, responsiveness and reliability in its capabilities
• Using buffers to accommodate process differences: identifying lead times and inventories to your advantage
• Managing buffers that optimises tradeoff between stability and supply chain responsiveness

• Understanding customers’  requirements and designing business model accordingly
• Embracing the importance and criticality of inventory driven costs
• Reducing inventory step after step by modifying your supply chain
• Positive impacts of a reduced inventory, balance level of service with financial implications of inventory

The Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS) has predicted that there will be a shift to more centralized purchasing & supply organisations, both in terms of organisation structure & decision making. Conceptually, the functions that can be transitioned to a supply chain "Control Tower" may include:

• Managing consolidated purchase volumes & placing Global POs
• Coordinating execution against Global POs
• Monitoring inventory levels
• Working with suppliers on "what-if" scenarios

In the past, Asia looked to the U.S. as leaders and drivers of new initiatives. Thus, we always looked towards global MNCs for insights into the latest supply strategy. The emergence of heavyweight companies in Asia is turning the tides around. With increase in demand for raw materials, and the source being Asia, destination being primarily U.S. and parts of Europe, much of supply chain activities are now focused on Asia instead. From manufacturers to suppliers, increased outbound and also inbound logistics are forcing companies in the region to seriously look into developing supply chains that specifically incorporate the challenges of this diverse region.

This panel will bring you top Asian companies that have initiated change and growth in their organisations’ supply chains, to share with you their best practices in competing in the international market place.

The closing panel on brings together the Chairpersons from each stream across the 2 days to moderate the closing panel, with each presenting a 10-minute summary finding per stream.

From these findings, delegates can engage in an interactive Q&A session challenging all the issues discussed and form a strategic outlook on Asia’s supply chain – one that will set the tone for the year’s challenges and positive transformation for Asia to be a strategic growth area for the different vertical industries.

@ The Ritz-Carlton