Envisioning a more innovative supply chain
It’s possible, if distributors, and all supply chain professionals, see their work as an act of creation—creating value for customers, not adding it to products.
Rick Rubin’s new book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, is a must-read for all supply chain innovators. Rubin is an American original, a music producer par excellence who has helped to shape the art across genres, working with artists including LL Cool J, Run DMC, Johnny Cash, Slayer, Adele, and the Dixie Chicks. I learned about his book in a conversation with Brian Koppelman, filmmaker, writer, and podcaster, on his podcast, The Moment, here. In my last several editions, I have drawn on Julio Mario Ottino’s excellent book, The Nexus, to argue that the best supply chain innovations, ones that can help us all overcome the challenges of living through epic times, must come at the intersection of art, science, and technology. Rick Rubin shows us the way in his book and on the Koppelman podcast.
Changing the narrative
Distribution’s innovators are speaking a new language, using repurposed and invented words to describe their work as the supply chain’s last mile. Here’s one example, one of the most important: Adding value to products is out; creating value for customers is in. And by this seemingly simple choice of words, distributors are heralding a revolution. Here’s why:
When a distributor defines its role as adding value to products, manufacturers are supreme and products are the origin of all value. All other contributions are essential, but they occur only to complete the value. However, when distributors create value, they leverage their unique knowledge, experience, labor, data, and connections—often in ways far beyond what is made possible by the products they sell. In other words, products are selected, stocked, and sold to complement the value that distributors uniquely generate at the tip of the supply chain.
In one fell swoop, a turn of phrase inverts supply chain roles. Distributors are no longer the last mile for delivering products and completing their value. Instead, distributors are the first step of the supply chain, harnessing its power to create value for customers, their communities, and society. Distributors become the star of the supply chain, its guiding light, shaping its purpose and catalyzing its contributions.
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And there’s more. Distributors are bringing art to the supply chain by going all in on creating value and sparking a renaissance. Art, because just as an artist’s work is more than making something, a distributor’s actions are more than delivering products. The acts of artists and distributors create human things that did not exist before—ideas, emotions, understanding, productivity, beauty, accomplishments, and innovations. And a renaissance because if supply chain innovations help better our lives and work, then it makes manifest previously impossible human experiences, scientific advancements, technology applications, radical collaborations, and more. All of this is possible if distributors, and all supply chain professionals, see their work as an act of creation—creating value for customers, not adding it to products.
Crafting a new vision
Looking for an artist’s imagery to help reimagine supply chain possibilities, I worked with ChatGPT as a research assistant and editor. Together, we found inspiration in John Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row, a story of struggles, camaraderie, and being in the sardine canning district of Monterey, California, during the Great Depression. One character, Doc, runs a lab to collect and study marine life. He affects other characters’ lives and helps the reader see them as worthy humans living and striving in difficult times.
Through the power of AI, I have recast Doc as a distributor named Casey and transformed his observations about cannery life into a vision for the future of the supply chain, one that is worthy of our current time of epic change and, perhaps, rebirth:
Standing on the brightly lit, industrially clean, but too-empty distributor’s docks, Casey’s eyes, deep with thought, imagined the pandemic as a storm flattening a forest, a relentless force reshaping the landscape of commerce and community. In better times, Casey considered the supply chain a symphony of human aspirations—resilient, enduring, each soul a note in a larger melody of existence. Casey saw distribution not as mere machinery of commerce but as a living organism, pulsing and evolving. In each truck, each box, each hurried step of workers, Casey witnessed the art of value creation—the transformation of physical goods into community nutrients.
Here, amid the rhythmic clatter and sway, amidst the scents of pallets and packages, Casey understood that this was not just logistics; it was a grander story: One where technology, humanity, and the relentless waves of tragedy and triumph spoke of a future woven with innovation. Each element, each connection, was a stroke of paint on a vast canvas, depicting not just the movement of products, but the rhythm of life itself. In this storm, under the gaze of this quiet observer, the supply chain was reborn—not as a path of efficiency, but as a testament to human creativity and resilience, a beacon of hope in a transformed world.
Are these paragraphs art? Probably not. But they are an attempt to evoke an artist’s ability to see the world anew, for deeper understanding, and perhaps, to provoke a response. In a small way, I found that by reading these words and attempting to immerse myself in them, I felt differently about the supply chain. Small steps, for sure, but I imagined a few new ideas. And I thought, if I view my work—writing my newsletter—as art, can I achieve something different? Can I help my readers see customers differently? Together, might we imagine a new future for the supply chain? Can we reinvent the role of humans in the supply chain to act as artists, creating value for customers? Is it possible to move the ball, make strides, push the envelope, or advance the cause?
Making a difference
Working as artists, distributors and all supply chain professionals can make a difference. We can build a supply chain worthy of our times. But first, we must work differently by adopting a new mindset as artists and adjusting our aspirations. We must reach into ourselves and embrace what makes us different as humans: our ability to create. This is hard, but far from impossible, and the very first chapter of Rubin’s new book points the way:
Everyone Is a Creator
Those who do not engage in the traditional arts might be wary of calling themselves artists. They might perceive creativity as something extraordinary or beyond their capabilities. A calling for the special few who are born with these gifts.
Fortunately, this is not the case.
Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.
Creativity doesn’t exclusively relate to making art. We all engage in the act on a daily basis.
To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route to avoid a traffic jam.
What you make doesn’t have to be witnessed, recorded, sold, or encased in glass for it to be a work of art. Through the ordinary state of being, we’re already creators in the most profound way, creating our experience of reality and composing the world we perceive.
In each moment, we are immersed in a field of undifferentiated matter from which our senses gather bits of information. The outside universe we perceive doesn’t exist as such. Through a series of electrical and chemical reactions, we generate a reality internally. We create forests and oceans, warmth and cold. We read words, hear voices, and form interpretations. Then, in an instant, we produce a response. All of this in a world of our own creation.
Regardless of whether or not we’re formally making art, we are all living as artists. We perceive, filter, and collect data, then curate an experience for ourselves and others based on this information set. Whether we do this consciously or unconsciously, by the mere fact of being alive, we are active participants in the ongoing process of creation.
To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention. Refining our sensitivity to tune in to the more subtle notes. Looking for what draws us in and what pushes us away. Noticing what feeling tones arise and where they lead.
Attuned choice by attuned choice, your entire life is a form of self-expression. You exist as a creative being in a creative universe. A singular work of art. (Rubin, Rick. The Creative Act: A Way of Being. 2023. pp 1-3.)
Sparking radical collaborations
All collaborations start with a conversation, and if you would like to put the ideas in this edition to work—to find a way forward as an artist innovating the supply chain—please contact me by leaving comments below or at mark.dancer@n4bi.com.
Pushing further, I asked my copilot, ChatGPT, to suggest three ways to collaborate: me as an author writing a purpose-driven newsletter and my readers as supply chain and distribution leaders looking to innovate. With only a few changes, these seem the best ideas to me. Let me know what you think:
Build an idea submission platform. Create a place where readers can submit innovative ideas or solutions for supply chain challenges. Highlight the best submissions in subsequent editions, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
Virtual roundtable discussions. Organize monthly or quarterly virtual meetings where readers can discuss specific topics in your newsletter. You or guest experts can facilitate these discussions, allowing a deeper dive into subjects of interest.
Collaborative case studies. Invite readers to share their success stories or case studies where they applied innovative solutions in their work. Feature these case studies in your newsletter, providing practical examples of the concepts you discuss.
Reader polls and surveys. Regularly include polls or surveys in your newsletter, asking readers for their opinions on various topics or for feedback on what they would like to see in future editions. This makes the content more relevant and gives readers a sense of ownership.
Let’s get started!
Help us think! Your comments help me connect more dots, drawing our community forward. Please click below or reach me at mark.dancer@n4bi.com.
Brilliant creation of Casey and use of Chat GPT to pull the dialogue forward! Encouraging distributors to see themselves as so much more than mechanical intermediaries is the key. They are the only ones with a full field of vision, from source to customer and even the customer’s customer. Well done!