Taking stock of the supply chain
Distribution needs to develop a wider lens if it is to fulfill its purpose as a change agent for business and society; your feedback can help make that happen.
I need your help! I am planning several changes to my newsletter—what I write and how I engage with readers. I am asking for your ideas and suggestions. In this edition, I start by offering a point of view on the future of distribution and the supply chain, ask for your feedback, then dig in further. Please click the button below to complete a two-minute survey.
Our purpose needs a reset
My newsletter explores the future of distribution and the supply chain. We live in epic times as our society and economy migrate through change, including digital transformation, generative AI, the emerging future of work and education, labor shortages, and a generational transfer like no other. Distribution and the supply chain can help, especially when creating value for the businesses. But we must first reset our fundamental purpose.
Distribution and the supply chain exist to help us flourish. Yes, the supply chain must be resilient and able to withstand disruptions that come with pandemics, global conflicts, economic turmoil, and shifting priorities and values. But the supply chain can be more. It can be responsive to immediate needs and future aspirations, enabling business today and tomorrow. And it can be regenerative, helping to restore dignity and wealth for individuals and communities. If meaningful work leads to soulful satisfaction, distribution and the supply chain can help us all be happier in our work and lives.
Going forward, I will tell stories about people with ideas and who are working to make them happen. The future of distribution and the supply chain is unfolding daily, not through the execution of a grand scheme but by the individual contributions of people willing to lean in and strive for new and better outcomes. The future is what we make it.
Your feedback is essential
Please consider the following questions as preparation for completing my survey. Your responses are confidential and will help me set goals, provide analysis, and suggest paths forward.
You. What is your mindset or philosophy for innovation? Are you guided by purpose? Do you follow a North Star, a guiding principle for generating ideas and making plans? Please explain.
Your company. Does your company articulate and enable an innovation mindset, philosophy, or North Star? Is your culture a safe and productive place for innovators? If so, please share. If not, why not?
Your industry. Is your industry undergoing sweeping changes or disruption? If so, please describe. If not, are they coming? Why or why not?
Assist. What are the things that can be done to enable or accelerate your innovations? Do you require knowledge or services? Ideas or examples? Introductions or networking? Do you belong to, or benefit from, a community of like-minded innovators?
I will act on your responses. At any time, please let me know if my future editions address your input. Hold me to task or point me in the right direction. My shift is ongoing, but I hope that every edition moves closer to whatever is most helpful for your work and for building a bold and bright future of distribution and the supply chain—one that is resilient, responds to needs and aspirations, and is regenerative for what ails us. Let’s build a supply chain worthy of our times, creating epic value for all.
Thank you! Please reach out any time at mark.dancer@n4bi.com.