In the expanding markets of the modern era, the connectivity between business units, internal customers, and external supply chains from vendors to consumers are becoming more complex. Supply chains no longer extend exclusively across towns or even cities — distances now range from 30 minute drives down the interstate to 30 days of ocean freight to other continents.

As the market evolves, so does the necessity for supply chain quality management to adapt alongside it. In addition to these complexities, there are now cultural differences affecting the changing business environment, whether regionally within a country or globally between nations.

What hasn’t changed is that the customer still expects products and services to be delivered on time and to specification. How does the evolving company best position itself to deliver these demands?

Attendees will be introduced to three Evolutionary changes needed in order to maintain pace with assuring customer/ consumer quality amidst the challenges of the modern supply chain:

Evolution 1: Data Delivery and Consistency

How One collects data and makes comparisons between manufacturing sites. Is all data created equal? What’s the difference between real time data collection vs. real time SPC? Can a process be “over-standardized”?

Evolution 2: Quality Touch Points

How does a typical 1950s US supply chain compare to a 2008 international supply chain? How do these changes in supply chain complexity make quality controls all the more critical? How does one incorporate logistics and freight forwarders into the quality equation?

Evolution 3: Cultural Convergence

How do companies face the modern challenges of cultural and business practices, both regionally and globally, including language & time zone differences?