Supply chain event has omni-channel emphasis

Thought leaders from the supply chain world are scheduled to participate in a forward-looking event scheduled for April 11 in Northwest Arkansas.

The event is organized by the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the University of Arkansas and this year’s theme is, "Supply chains 2020: collaborating to win in an omni-channel world."

The topic is appropriate given the ongoing shift in the retail industry. Traditional operators are striving to deliver a seamless and integrate experience across multiple platforms while online only retailers are gaining share in the fastest growing segment of the industry.

The keynote speaker at this year’s event is James Tompkins, Ph.D., president and CEO of Tompkins International. He will address the topic of "taking supply chains beyond the crossroads."

Also scheduled to participate are Gibu Thomas, SVP of mobile and digital at Walmart and representatives of supplier and service provider companies. For example, one panel discussion on the topic of transportation will address the thorny issue of final delivery in a multi-channel world. Panelists will include Ken Braunbach, senior director of transportation for Walmart, Scott Harkins, vp of marketing, FedEx Services, Nick Hobbs, president dedicated contract services, J. B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., and moderator, Pete Spanos, vp of logistics, Nestlé Purina.

Another panel exploring the topic of collaboration will include Brenda Hambleton, chief strategy and marketing officer for ES3, David Hughes, ITS senior business partner for Walmart at Kimberly-Clark, John Lowe, senior manager retail consulting at Cognizant and David Vehec, SVP with GENCO.

For full agenda and details on attendance, click here