Learn from the Supply Chain Masters – Q&A with Dominic Thomas

Moving along with our ‘Learn from the Masters’ series, which features answers to your burning supply chain-related questions from our talented business consultants, we bring you the newbie – Dominic Thomas. Dominic has only been with Kinaxis a few short months, but he’s no slouch in the supply chain field, with more than 20 years experience! How did you come to find yourself in a supply chain software business consultant role – what was your path to here? I applied for a co-op job in university in which the description said “opportunity to travel”. A few years and several software implementations later, I switched over to business consulting and have done this ever since. What’s the biggest lesson about supply chain management you’ve learned? After being in this business for 20 years, I know that developing the “perfect” plan is a fruitless exercise. Supply chains are getting more complex, competition is increasing and consumers are becoming more demanding. The only certainties in life are death, taxes and that (supply chain) plans change all the time. Responding to these changes in a timely way is what matters. What advice would you give to anyone considering a career in supply chain? It’s a fascinating area to focus on. The supply chain matters! It delivers things that you and your family use every single day. Learning about it and being creative in your approach to problem solving can be very rewarding. If you had to name three priorities for a company looking to evolve their supply chain processes, what would they be?

1. Strategic:
   • Understand what your strengths, and more importantly your weaknesses, are from a supply chain perspective. Determine where your organization is headed and set your strategy. Develop quantifiable goals that support the overall strategy.
2. Tactical:
   • Hire good people and allow them to do what they do best. Support them with the right technologies (supply chain software) so that they don’t need to do unnatural acts to be successful.
3. Execution:
   • Measure them and reward them when they achieve their goals.

I have no idea! Will I be able to get away with that? Perhaps my esteemed colleagues will give me one at some point. What’s the one app on your phone that you can’t live without? Can I have two? Google maps and Words with Friends.