EDGE 2023 Core Educational Tracks 
 

EDGE presents a highly rated educational program spanning the end-to-end supply chain with the latest innovations, insights and perspectives shaping the industry. 

 
EDGE content is developed and curated by member volunteers, known as Track Chairs. Track Chairs are responsible for delivering up to four sessions via EDGE Sessions 1-2 on Monday, October 2nd and EDGE Sessions 3-4 on Tuesday, October 3rd. Session format varies from panels, dynamic workshops and lectures offering actionable takeaways and best practices. Below, you will find the list of EDGE 2023 Tracks. Please review the objectives and apply your session idea to one track on the submission page.
 
 
Track Objectives & Track Chairs
 

C-Level Discussion Forums

This track offers attendees the opportunity to get up close and personal with leaders of companies in a shared-group experience. The audience will gain insight into the thoughts and concerns of executives who manage complex supply chains and their counterparts who lead logistics solutions companies. Share ideas, ask questions, compare experiences, and learn in a casual peer-to-peer setting.


Global Supply Chain
Track Chair: Marisa Martin, Sales Director, Blume Global

There has never been a better time to be a leader in the supply chain! Join The Global Supply Chain Sessions to learn with industry leaders.  We will discuss how you can harness complexity, find your competitive advantage, and explore commercial innovation. Collaboration will be a theme in all these sessions to the help power your global supply chain today and beyond.

Leadership & Talent Development presented by CSCMP’s Young Professionals Committee
Track Chair: Meagan Kidder, Project & Implementation Manager, FreightPlus

Leaders drive organizational change that moves business forward, but leaders aren't born. They are made. This track will explore new and innovative methods to attract and develop the future leaders of supply chain and to capture that talent for the betterment of your organization and the industry as a whole.

Network Planning and Optimization
Track Chair: Chris Tuttle, Director, Customer Solutions, ORTEC


This track will focus on the processes and best practices that companies utilize to design their networks and continuously evolve them for better cost, service, resilience, and sustainability. Defined as a methodical process to establish a complete view of the organization's supply chain, a company’s supply chain network can position them for the future. Organizations that thrive and succeed in today's business environment, have unlocked the power of making better and faster decisions through systemic network planning and optimization processes. Every decision around facilities, sources, partners, demand, capacity and logistics methods is a chance to stay ahead of your competitors and build a more efficient supply chain network. 

 
Order Fulfillment & Customer Service
Track Chair: Megan Smith, CEO, Symbia Logistics

 

Order fulfillment is the process of receiving goods, as well as processing, delivering, and returning the product. Order Fulfillment is more dynamic than ever, and the continued disruption is set to continue. Fulfillment operations are dealing with higher wages, worker shortages, increased shipping charges, more stock-outs, smaller customer orders and greater competition. These effects are substantial and have driven leading companies to embrace technology for improving throughput and performance, while keeping the customer always in focus. Find out how some of the leading E-commerce and distribution operations have used innovative equipment, robotics and system strategies to handle their current financial and operational pressures. Learn how they intend to position themselves in the future to thrive, always seeking to improve the customer ‘touch’.

Risk Mitigation of Resource Scarcity

Track Chair: Suzanne Richer, Director, Global Trade Academy, e2open

 
Resource scarcity is increasingly becoming the greatest risk to supply chain management. Wars, weather, depleting natural resources, and cargo transport restrictions are impacting where raw and intermediate goods are sourced from, and can be transported to.  

Changing regulations are targeting inputs that may be prohibited for use in the manufacture of products in many industries. Ensuring your firm will be viable in meeting production and sales demands, now and in the coming years, requires an advanced strategic approach to managing these challenges.

Join this track to learn how leading companies are managing the risk of resource scarcity in their global operations. Learn from experts across economic sectors, as we showcase how companies are adapting their supply chains to overcome resource scarcity with calculated strategies and innovative approaches to using technology to prepare for current and future disruptions.

 
S&OP and Inventory Planning
Track Chair: Henry Canitz, Supply Chain Solution Product Marketing & Industry Strategy

 

The Supply Chain continues to be under tremendous stress from geopolitical conflict, labor and raw material shortages, meeting sustainability goals, and constantly changing customer demand. Optimizing supply chain planning capabilities can have a powerful impact on an organization’s ability to shrink the times to sense, analyze and respond to disruptions and opportunities. This track will shine a spotlight on key changes and innovations that are driving the “state of the possible” in Supply Chain Planning and what that means to organizations. Sessions will feature industry and technology experts discussing how they are applying modern supply chain planning processes and enabling technology to solve today’s planning problems and while laying the foundation for the future.


Sourcing Strategies
Track Chair: Rafael Vasquez, Regional Vice President, Coupa

 

Effective sourcing strategies are key to build a supply chain that is both agile and resilient, enabling organizations to respond quickly to changing circumstances and mitigate risk. To achieve this, it is critical for organizations to focus on visibility, collaboration and building an ecosystem across the entire Value Chain, bringing together people, technology, strategy and processes across all supply chain management functions including procurement, manufacturing, inventory and distribution.


Specialty Supply Chain
Track Chair: Lisa Snyder, Corporate Transportation Manager, Armstrong World Industries

 

This track will give attendees a peek into some of the more unique supply chains operating today. Attendees can expect to understand the unique challenges each has faced and learn how leaders within those supply chains have overcome these challenges such as: aftermarket supply chain, reverse logistics, ecommerce and more. Each session will provide an interactive forum to explore innovative ideas and help attendees understand how they can adopt and tailor these ideas within their own supply chains.

 

Sustainability

Co-Track Chair: Bill King Director, Solutions Management SCE, SAP
Co-Track Chair: Simone Ross, Chief Operating Officer, Setlog Corp

 

This track will provide insights into how companies are taking the next step in managing their sustainability efforts and provide a glimpse into future trends. As interest in sustainability grows across the globe, there are increasingly more plans to expand environmental initiatives, increase social and regulatory compliance, and improve transparency across the supply chain. While sustainability can initially look like a burden for supply chains, if managed correctly, it can provide a competitive advantage and create additional value both from a top and bottom-line perspective.

 

Technology & Innovations

Track Chair: Greg Tucker, Vice President of Growth Marketing, FreightWaves

The Supply Chain industry has undergone significant disruption in recent years, with technology and innovation playing a central role in both causing and solving these challenges. As leaders in this field, we must embrace these changes and create a more collaborative and transparent industry. That's why our Technology and Innovation education track sessions are designed to help you build the Supply Chain of the future. We'll examine the impact of supply chain technology and innovative solutions to help you navigate the many challenges that lie ahead. Our sessions will explore best practices, lessons learned, and key performance indicators of these solutions. The future of supply chain success lies in building more efficient relationships throughout the entire value chain. To achieve this, we aim to create a highly collaborative environment that fosters new and lasting partnerships with vendors, peers, and partners through technology and innovation.
 
Transportation & Logistics presented by CSCMP’s Transportation of Excellence
Co-Track Chair: Geoff Muessig, Chief Marketing Officer/Executive VP, PITT OHIO
Co-Track Chair: Heather Dohrn, Chief Commercial Officer, Dohrn Transfer Company

 

The pandemic changed supply chains. Today logisticians are confronted with new challenges which include rising prices, volatile demand, ongoing labor shortages, and growing geo-political concerns. Learn how shipper, carrier, and 3PL executives are implementing new tactics and adjusting their strategies to address these new issues.


Warehousing & Distribution
Co-Track Chair: Rob Doyle, President, The Shippers Group
Co-Track Chair: Leah Clement, Market Development Manager, igility

 

Warehousing and distribution proved challenging over the past few years due to consumer purchasing behavior and the transition to on-line shopping. Whether through government-imposed retail restrictions, rapidly changing consumer buying habits and persistent labor challenges, even the most efficient and agile distribution operations were challenged with rising costs and throughput challenges, among other things. As we enter the post pandemic world, this track will provide actionable best practices, inspirational success stories from industry thought leaders while addressing current trends to prepare us for the road ahead.