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Designing Flexibility to Address Uncertainty in the Supply Chain with AI

Identifying different sources of uncertainty is critical to designing flexibility in supply chains and are central to the use of modern AI techniques in machine learning and sequential decision analytics. Adaptable inventory staging, substitutable suppliers, modular product designs and flexible processes are all mechanisms that contribute to the resilience of a supply chain.  In addition to identifying mechanisms for flexibility, we need to understand the different sources of uncertainty and the types of exogenous inputs that can affect the performance of the system. At this conference, leaders from industry and academia came together to identify sources of uncertainty and the methods for improving flexibility.

Key takeaways and highlights

Missed the event? Click here to read a post-event write-up or flip through the event photos below or on Flickr.

Event details

Date: June 29, 2022
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (CT)
Location: Loyola University, Lewis Towers, Beane Hall, 111 E. Pearson, Chicago, IL

	Scott Friesen EVP Strategic Analytics Echo Global Logistics
	Derek Gaskins Chief Marketing Officer Yesway
	Mike Hewitt Professor, Faculty Director Supply Chain and Sustainability Center
	Michael Joyce SVP Supply Chain Strategy, Inventory and Demand Management Dollar General
	Andy Kettlewell Group VP Inventory and Analytics Walgreens
	Rajiv Malik EVP Sourcing and Product Services Kohl’s Corporation
	John McCarville Former Senior VP, Global Supply Chain and IT Griffith Foods Worldwide
	Ray Nair VP, Supply Chain CDW
	Maciek Nowak Interim Dean and Professor Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago
	Warren Powell Co-founder and Chief Analytics Officer, Optimal Dynamics Professor Emeritus, Princeton University
	Cerag Pince Associate Professor Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago
	Solomon Ray Director, Innovation Iterate.ai
	Brian Reed Supply Chain Leader, Global and Strategic Accounts Amazon Web Services
	Wesley Rhodes VP Technology Transformation & Research and Development Kroger
	Brook Rucinski Sr. Director, Inventory Management W.W. Grainger
	Krishna Chaitanya Sanka Lead Data and Applied Scientist Microsoft
	Federico M. Sciammarella President and CTO M×D
	Tom Siegmund Founder and Chairman Harvest Sporting Group
	James Sutton Co-Founder and CTO Elevate
	Annie Valkova Associate Partner McKinsey & Company
	Brooke Wagner SVP Merchandise Planning and Allocation Designer Brands

Agenda

8:00 a.m.	Breakfast
8:30 a.m.	Conference Intro
8:50 a.m.	How Sequential Decision Analytics Builds Flexibility in Supply Chains Speaker: Warren Powell Download the slides or watch video.
9:30 a.m.	Panel: Retail Supply Chain
10:30 a.m.	Break
10:45 a.m.	Panel: Distributor Supply Chain
11:45 a.m.	Lunch
12:45 p.m.	Panel: Inventory Demand Planning
1:45 p.m.	Panel: Manufacturing Supply Chain
2:45 p.m.	Break
3:00 p.m.	Panel: AI Solutions
3:45 p.m.	Closing Summary & Remarks
4:00 p.m.	Adjourn