Our favorite moments from Kinexions '22 now available on demand

If there’s one statement to summarize the energy at Kinexions ’22, it’s this: “Supply chain planners are fun at cocktail parties again.” Whether it’s cocktails or conferences, that statement from Kinexions ’22 speaker Brent Williams of Qualcomm sums up the highs and the lows supply chains have faced over the last two years -- and the energy and passion that hundreds of supply chain professionals have brought to solving these challenges. We were happy to reunite this community to share its trials and victories, and now we invite you to rewatch your favorite moments on demand. Here are a few of the moments we recommend revisiting.

1.    We are entering a supply chain renaissance

For years, supply chains have experienced daily microdisruptions and adjusted accordingly, but recent events have been felt by every country and industry at the same time, reaching levels of disruption not seen in our lifetimes. “Supply chains have a higher purpose now. They exist to serve humanity,” said Kinaxis CEO John Sicard in his opening remarks at Kinexions ‘22.

That urgency has shifted supply chain planning away from cascaded, waterfall approaches to full concurrency; away from techniques that tax the planet and towards earth-friendly solutions; away from obsessing about the perfect plan and instead embracing a combination of accuracy and agility. Supply chain practitioners are rethinking what’s possible and making our lives better in the process.

2.    Supply chain planners no longer have to choose between speed and accuracy

One of the biggest events of Day 1 was the announcement of Planning.AI, the only concurrent planning solution to automatically detect and fuse the best combination of heuristics, optimization and machine learning to provide a highly accurate answer in the fastest time possible. Andrew Bell and Andrew Dunbar of Kinaxis shared how Planning.AI will allow planners to create agile plans while also continually minimizing costs and maximizing supply chain potential for their companies. For example, a high-tech company with excess inventory could use Planning.AI to determine how to use materials and available, uncommitted capacity to create the best possible set of finished goods to maximize revenue. Or, a company could use Planning.AI for co-product optimization, ensuring that raw materials are broken down to get the most output for customers based on demand and materials constraints. You can learn more on our Planning.AI page in addition to rewatching the Kinexions session.

3.    Supply chain transformation works best when it’s “deployed on fertile soil”

Kinaxis customers have always been generous with their experience, and this year was no exception. We were joined by speakers and panelists from new and longtime RapidResponse users, including PQ Corporation, Amgen, Honeywell, Qualcomm, Lippert, Jabil, and L3 Harris. Each shared how the trials of this period have reshaped their approach to planning and to digital transformation.

Al Beninati, President and CEO of PQ Corporation, a global supplier of performance chemicals, shared how teams can successfully translate vision into values by taking an outside-in approach, starting planning cycles with customer demands first. Even within its transformation journey, PQ Corporation asked, How can we turn what we’re doing with our customers into evergreen processes? And how do our systems match up to those processes?

Paul Collier, Global Supply Chain Manager, Digital Platforms of Amgen, a biopharmaceutical company, shared how 12 years after its initial supply chain transformation, the company continues to explore the latest opportunities for optimization – and to recognize significant benefits from doing so. A recent pilot of Production Scheduling from PlanetTogether helped Amgen identify ways it could reduce 200 hours of manual work to just two hours.

Benji Green, Vice President, Digital Planning Transformation, Integrated Supply Chain of Honeywell, shared how the company successfully embarked on a rapid deployment of supply chain improvements beginning in 2020 thanks to thoughtful change management. His advice for success: Deploy on fertile soil. Ensure that your organization is ready for success by securing executive support and accountability, finding the right vendor and partner, and investing in talent.

Establishing the culture for transformation and innovation was the key factor in the supply chain planning and transformation success of each customer who spoke at Kinexions.

But wait, there’s more!

We encourage you to experience the excitement of Kinexions ‘22 for yourself. All of our main stage sessions are now available on demand, including insights into semiconductor demand swings from Qualcomm, a rich Q&A on managing your supply chain through disruption with panelists from different industries, a keynote session from New York Times-bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, and more.

WATCH NOW