Retail’s new rules have altered the face of fulfillment forever – and modernizing your DC from warehouse to awarehouse is Rule 1. For years, many companies have treated fulfillment as largely a “backroom” function. Enter the COVID-19 pandemic – and its attendant global shutdowns and quarantines – and a company’s ability to keep its products flowing to buyers is in the spotlight. Supply chain leaders now must determine for their companies what “normal” looks like, and guide their executives and Boards to support new decisions and investments based on changing conditions. Whether defining a “new” normal…a “better” normal…a “safer” normal…a “riskier” normal…a “more flexible” normal, or whatever adjective fits best, supply chain leaders need new evaluation and decision frameworks to shape their fulfillment operation investments. Join Jeff Cashman, a 30-plus-year supply chain veteran, as he and Cyndi Lago, Vice President at Capgemini, a global leader in consulting, digital transformation, technology and engineering services, explore various considerations, dilemmas and options facing Chief Supply Chain Officers as they move into what has traditionally been “peak” fulfillment season and – more importantly – what 2021 is likely to have in store.

As the repercussions of COVID are still echoing through supply chains around the world, how can businesses adapt to the new reality of constant uncertainty? Optimas Solutions, a major parts distributor and manufacturer, has seen both supply and demand reliability turned upside down. In this session, we’ll have a candid discussion with Optimas’ President of Americas, Daniel Harms and ToolsGroup’s General Manager, Americas, David Barton, about how Optimas maintains service to customers amid protracted supply constraints. You’ll hear practical advice for how manufacturers and distributors can actually plan for uncertainty and lean on technology to keep performance high despite staffing challenges.