Gartner Trip Report: A supply chain technology pilgrimage

A trip to Gartner’s Supply Chain Executive Summit in Phoenix never fails to foster critical think around supply chain technology by bringing like-minded shippers together.    My favorite event of every year, hands down, is Gartner’s Supply Chain Executive Conference in Phoenix.
   There’s a simple reason: it’s the most complete overlap between the worlds of supply chain and technology. That’s nothing to sniff at, because those worlds are colliding at a rapid pace, and it feels like this event best captures the essence of that collision.
   To be sure, it’s hard to go to any transportation or trade conference these days and not hear about technology. But so often, those discussion are on the periphery – a single panel session, or paeans to the importance of automation.
   Gartner’s annual event is really just a summit where folks at various stages of their supply chain evolution can compare notes in a really unguarded setting. I’ve rarely seen so many shippers (and there were tons this year) walking around so seemingly unencumbered, so eager to learn and so willing to put aside the trials of day-to-day life sourcing, moving and selling freight.
   I think the interesting thing about the conference is that while it is best known for things like Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 and its magic quadrants (where 3PLs and transportation management software providers, among others are compared to each other based on internal Gartner metrics), the legacy of the show may really be in the spirit of openness it has fostered. People love lists and comparisons, and those instruments have drawn many a detractor to Gartner’s methods (some call them gimmicky), but this show is much more than those foundational elements.
   In many ways, the event has the feel of a supply chain technology Woodstock. People are excited to be there, and to be surrounded by like-minded individuals. The major bands play (HP, Coca-Cola and Nestle were among the keynote presenters), but there are a ton of indie “bands” playing in the smaller tents and telling cool stories about how they effected a specific change using technology.
   A big theme this year was the bi-modal supply chain, a way Gartner describes how companies need to balance the reality of managing (and improving) ongoing operations while simultaneously innovating. I like the concept, though in practical terms, not every shipper has folks to spare to think about nothing but improving processes and adopting technology to do so.
   I also thought that the event had the feel of a vibrant college campus. You can make of it what you’d like. Take lessons from the big boys, learn more about a set of vendors you’ve shortlisted, or just network with fellow shippers and inculcate their experiences.
   Those options are little different than what’s available at most conferences – the difference here is the homogeneity of the crowd’s interest in technology. You’d have to go to a software user conference (where users of a particular system gather to learn best practices about that particular software) to get a more niche supply chain crowd focused on technology. And Gartner’s conference has the added bonus of not being specific to any system or vendor.
   No event is perfect, and it certainly caters to shippers that have taken Gartner’s research and supply chain progression models to heart. But it’s worth a visit for anyone who’s interested in investing in technology, or looking to make better use of previous investments.