Lisa Anderson was interviewed by Douglas Squirrel of the Squirrel Squadron on LinkedIn Live about technology in manufacturing and the supply chain. It was a wide-ranging discussion about manufacturing, supply chain, and technology. We started by discussing the future of supply chain and its impacts on technology, and that led us into discussions about ERP and related technologies. We did a deep dive on whether ERP is good, bad or something in the middle and how to know when you should upgrade. Additionally, we went into details on technology selection and how to evaluate technology choices. For example, we discussed the Ooda loop and the value of trialing in technology and manufacturing.

Another key topic was the transition from the physical world to the digital world. That led us to a conversation on using the agile approach in technology, manufacturing, and supply chain. We talked through a case study in the manufacturing environment and how the agile approach and supply chain technologies were used to get in front of changing business conditions including the war in Russia-Ukraine war and align demand with supply. In addition, we addressed the hot topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and whether the impact was being felt or if it was hype thus far in practical business improvement terms. Thus, we talked about a few commonsense strategies for AI in manufacturing and supply chain including the use of robots and autonomous vehicles. Diving into use cases kept the conversation stimulating.

Finally, we discussed business consulting, how to get into supply chain consulting, and we provided advice for people interested in jumping into the consulting field. If you’d like to watch the webinar on LinkedIn Live, click here.