Dive Brief:
- APICS will update The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model — a model celebrating its 20th anniversary — to adapt to a changing profession, the trade association announced at the Gartner Supply Chain Executive Conference.
- The new model will include "emerging drivers" of supply chain success including Big Data, omnichannel and automation.
- The decision to update the model followed a survey of 1,600 professionals who saw an increased importance in: sourcing and procurement; metadata, digitization and omnichannel; data science and predictive analytics; and the need for continuing education.
Dive Insight:
You know the supply chain is changing when the trade organizations serving it consider deep changes, too.
APICS, known for operations focus, is updating its trademark model. CSCMP, known for its logistics allure, is rebranding its trade show to CSCMP Edge to showcase its renewed focus on the end-to-end chain. Meanwhile the procurement-focused ISM is considering changes to its proprietary manufacturing and non-manufacturing indices, the institute's CEO told a gaggle of reporters this week.
A skeptical view may be simply that, in an age of abundant digital learning opportunities, the organizations are attempting to create news to draw in new membership. Or that such changes are routine shifts for trade associations. Perhaps.
But a greater trend is evident in industry news as well as in the organizations' announcements.
Digitization has come for the supply chain, and now that complex platforms are in place and visibility has increased, managers are wondering how best to use data to their advantage. Meanwhile, retail supply chains are consistently toying with omnichannel practices, with few having mastered how to do so profitably. As to automation? The buzz around IoT, AI, and self-driving cars should be enough to highlight the changes.
There's no denying the shifts in the profession, and the organizations' are scrambling for new models and strategies better guide professionals to success.
