The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management (SAPICS) has announced that its Spring conference takes place in Johannesburg on 29 August 2024.

This event will explore the latest trends, innovations and best practices in the industry. The programme includes compelling presentations from the 46th annual SAPICS Conference which took place in Cape Town in June and saw more than 750 supply chain managers from 30 countries gather to share knowledge and network.

The organisers state that the SAPICS Spring Summit offers supply chain managers who were unable to attend the 2024 SAPICS Conference in Cape Town a chance to catch up on some of what they missed. The half-day event is also aimed at supply chain professionals looking for a high calibre, high impact, affordable and informative event that doesn’t require extended time out of the office.

The 2024 SAPICS Spring Summit kicks off with a networking lunch at 12:00 with the presentations starting at 12:40 at the Focus Rooms in Moddernfontein, Johannesburg. Attendees can expect to be entertained and inspired by the opening keynote presented by Tshepo Mekoa, chief executive officer and founder of Brima Logistics. Mekoa’s presentation at SAPICS 2024 in Cape Town was commended by delegates and he will return to the SAPICS stage for the Spring Summit in Johannesburg. In the story of his “14-Year Startup”, author and entrepreneur Mekoa shares what he learnt while growing his one-truck startup from a venture operating from the garage at his home into a multi-million Rand business with branches across South Africa and more than 150 employees.

Supply chain leaders are increasingly recognising that customer data is the fuel that can supercharge a supply chain and give their business a competitive edge. According to Khuthala Myende, a supply chain specialist who has been recognised as one of “Africa’s Top 100 Influential Women In Supply Chain”, customer experience should be at the forefront of decision making throughout the supply chain. Myende, who is the customer logistics lead at Mondelez International, will share her experience and insights at this year’s SAPICS Spring Summit.

Vanya Jansen won the award for Best Speaker at this year’s annual SAPICS Conference in Cape Town. Her outstanding presentation on how an organisation’s leadership style and organisational culture impacts its resilience and agility is a highlight of this year’s SAPICS Spring Summit. “Due to the many recent disruptive events that have severely impacted the retail sector, executives managing organisations must understand which capabilities are lacking and which capabilities require further development,” says Jansen. “When organisations have the correct capabilities entrenched, it will safeguard the business to withstand and absorb disruptions and allow for opportunities to be identified and actioned,” she contends, noting that organisations that employ the correct leaders and foster a nurturing culture that stimulates resilience and agility have thrived in the current volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.

Vultures may seem like an unlikely discussion at a supply chain conference, but the logistics and security involved in transporting these magnificent and highly sensitive birds will absorb attendees, SAPICS says. The captivating story of DHL’s partnership with Vulpro to transport 160 Cape and African White-backed vultures from Hartbeespoort to Shamwari Game Reserve - covering 1,042 km in 18 hours - will be shared at the Spring conference by Nadia Opperman, distribution centre controller at DHL Supply Chain.

Supply chain visibility and the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model's impact on enhancing supply chain efficiency are other important topics on this year’s SAPICS Spring Summit programme. Grant Swanepoel, regional lead, Global Channels and Alliances at the Association for Supply Chain Management will share with the audience the SCOR model's impact on enhancing supply chain efficiency. A not to be missed panel discussion will focus on the importance of supply chain command centres in identifying and addressing blind spots, ensuring better visibility and efficiency in supply chain operations. The panel will be moderated by Dr Juanita Maree, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) with expert panellists Dr Jacob van Rensburg, head: Research and Development at SAAFF, Garry Marshall, CEO of the South African Express Parcel Association (SAEPA), Evert de Ruiter, principal consultant at Auctoro Advisory and Jayce Lane, managing director at Crickmay & Associates.