THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Supply Chain developments in the world have undergone many transformations over the last 2 decades. While it longer remains a back room activity or treated merely as a cost center, much still needs to be done in terms bringing the entire industry to a new level of excellence. As a regional body for logistics and supply chain professionals, Supply Chain Asia is embarking on a project to build the next generation Excellence Center that is fully equipped with new logistics and supply development with innovations for faster, more flexible and ecologically sound logistics of the future.

The Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY will be unique to the industry here in Asia. The focus is the setting up of a Regional Center that provides practical and skills-based training for the professionals in Asia; it will also function as a platform whereby researchers and developers from various parts of the Asia can exchange their knowledge and design practical innovations in supply chain for local and regional applications. The vision is to create synergistic networks for new ideas and accelerate their development from a conceptual to actual implementation.

The Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY will also be a place for communication. We intend to encourage and opened up the center to representatives from politics, business or society and investors who can obtain information on the latest developments in the logistics and supply chain sector and experience them directly.

CREATING SOLUTIONS TO BRIDGE A FRAGMENTED STRUCTURE

As Asia continues to transform itself into the world’s leading economy, its infrastructure remains highly fragmented and inconsistent. Such fragmented structures add to the complexity of integrating a regional and globalize transportation and supply chain networks that are changing the regional and global landscape at an ever increasing speed.

Logistics and supply chain will become a crucial factor for securing jobs and the quality of service and life. Our focus is to find innovative answers that have a positive effect on today's business, social and climatic challenges.

With regard to social structure change and the deviating climate change, there is an urgent need to develop socially acceptable, environmentally-friendly and resource-saving solutions for the increasing flows of goods. In the Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY, there will be future prospects for training and implementing intelligent merchandise controlling, for example, avoiding sending incorrect orders, optimized route planning or the use of vehicles with alternative fuels.

Demographic changes in our society pose another challenge. Ageing populations in the industrial nations result in new demands in terms of logistics, too. With innovative products it is worth looking at the needs of the growing share of the ageing population with special service offers, for example to make it easier for them as a customer to participate in e-Business.

CONNECTING THE PAST WITH THE FUTURE

Supply Chain Asia believes that that future of the global economy lies in the success of many countries in Asia. The Supply Chain Asia Academy will be created as a place where knowledge is made usable from various areas for the future.

We will pursue regional and global partnerships with research institutes and technologically leading companies that will result in the exchange of modern practical knowledge and academic research results. However, the Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY Center is more than just a research center. Creative directors, developers and users can use it as a meeting place and discussion forum for the latest logistical and supply chain trends. The ACADEMY will have three core focus areas of developmental support for the industry:

Supply Chain Excellence Center

The Supply Chain Excellence Center will be the core structure of the ACADEMY. It will showcase latest logistical innovations and visions and presented as an emotional experience. We envision an entire center that is fully equipped with RFID-controlled handling technology and other logistics applications as and when it developed. We also intend to turn the entire Excellence Center into a training platform to complement our provision of skills-based training to logistics and supply chain personnel in this region.

At the moment, YCH has kindly consented to the use of its facilities as a source of showcase for the EXCELLENCE CENTER. In the next 18 months, we expect to specially design and build an EXCELLENCE CENTER that can truly showcase latest technology used in Supply Chain applications.

Training/Conference Center

Besides the usual use of hotels and conference venue for training, we also intend to create our own training and conference facilities within the EXCELLENCE CENTER. Such training facilities must be properly equipped to tap on the use of latest internet and telecommunication technologies.

An example is the setting up of a fully equipped, internet-connected room. This specially designed room will provide a platform for the ACADEMY to host fully interactive, live presentations and discussions of major issues, thoughts and developments affecting the industry today with a regional and global audience.

We have already tested such new technologies as Webinar and are now exploring how we can use some of these technologies to bring the event closer to a regional audience.

Research Center

We will set up a Research Center that will enable members of Supply Chain Asia community from various countries and companies to work together with external partners to research new technologies and innovations. The center's infrastructure will facilitate the promotion and exchange of basic research and practice and offers an initial platform for testing new ideas in the form of prototypes.

INNOVATIVE POWER THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS

The Supply Chain Asia Excellence Center will need to rely on strong partnerships to develop innovative logistical concepts and products. A differentiated partner concept ensures that the most powerful and innovative companies in the world make their latest technologies available to the center.

To start with, we will be working closely with vendors and developers of logistics and supply chain equipment, systems and technologies. Amongst these would include i+o Industrial & Organization Planning (design and implement the Innovation Center), technology partners such as Oracle, SAP, IBM and Intel. In return for the technologies that they provide, we give these companies an insight into the logistical business processes so they can bring their own products and solutions into line with this future market. Furthermore, the center is promoting exchange between basic research and practical application through its partnerships with logistics research institutes that it build up with such as the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Korea Institute of Logistics Council and Kainan University in Taiwan.

TRAINING AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

Unlike most supply chain and logistics courses that are available in the market today, Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY does not intend to focus its training entirely on the academic aspect. Instead, we intend to engage proven professionals who have been in the industry to form a part of the Faculty Team. We also intend to appoint seasoned professionals into our BOARD OF VETERANS to support our cause.

Supply Chain Asia ACADEMY programs are designed with at least 50% of practical applications to ensure its relevancy to the market place. We do not believe in the idea that “those who cannot do, teach” but instead believe that those who can do, MUST TEACH.

As such, we intend to design and create programs that will engage industry professionals into its entire course curriculum.

A major component of our plan is the formation of a BOARD OF VETERANS. This group of seasoned professionals will comprise leading CEOs, Vice Presidents and Directors in supply chain related work as well as retiring professionals into the board. Board members are expected to be active participating Faculty Member, who will need to get involved in selected part of all our training programs.

Some of the programs that we intend to launch over the next 18 months include:

• Supply Chain Executive Development Program (early 2008)
• Professional Certification in SCM in Asia (2008/2009)
• Executive Diploma in SCM in Asia (2008/2009)
• Professional Degrees and Masters Programs (2009 onwards)