The devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on 10 March 2011 was perhaps the most significant challenge encountered by the extended global supply chain systems that have developed over the past decade. The scale, scope, and rapid evolution of the Japan crisis was unprecedented and was a key test of the preparedness and resiliency of operations across many industries. This session will provide an understanding of the evolution of Cisco's value chain risk management capability and its current approach to building proactive resiliency into the supply chain and ensuring business continuity during a crisis. This approach will be discussed within the context of Cisco's successful Japan crisis response to highlight key lessons learned and to identify future opportunities in supply chain risk management.

Value Chain Transformation: How Sun Reinvented Itself in One Year

Following Oracle's acquisition of Sun, the hardware manufacturer performed a dramatic one year transformation by radically redefining its supply chain strategy. Oracle Sun moved from a complex make-to-stock supply chain model to a simplified 100% make-to-order model. Oracle Sun achieved this transformation in under 12 months using standard software while launching an entirely new product line. Ms. Reese will share how they created a new, more efficient, and competitive supply chain operation.

The recession was marked by a severe inventory drawdown not seen in previous economic downturns followed by heavy allocation in the upturn. How are these swings explained, and what should we expect next? This session will summarize how the unique nature of the down- and upturn has affected supply chain operations, including changes in procurement practices and transport methods. Topics to be discussed include the economic growth, supply chain responses to the economic up- and downturn, and global trade flows. We will also look at developing, longer term issues that will likely effect the nation’s logistics industry, including: the effects of the widening of the Panama Canal, new distribution center designs, and the potential effects of rapidly growing internet retail operations on retailer’s supply chains.

Purolator is headquartered in one of the most dynamic global markets – Canada – and is benefiting from both NAFTA as well as the overall globalization of supply chains. Whether it is supporting aviation, technology, energy, or consumer goods, Purolator is designing its business and delivering services that allow its customers to capitalize on market opportunities. John Costanzo will share his perspectives on the major trends and opportunities that exist in supporting this exciting economy.

Mr. Lodi has spent much time involved with Petrobras Strategic Planning and as such, is very well informed of market trends, as well as economic and political climate. He will share his personal experience as an executive living the Brazil landscape.

Today's global companies do more than sell products or services worldwide—they operate globally across all aspects of their value chain. This panel will share viewpoints on how different supply chain strategies create winning businesses overseas.

This high-level panel will share different viewpoints around the management and demands of logistics given today's economic, infrastructure, and natural disaster challenges.

PRTM's annual Global Supply Chain Trends study follows supply chain trends, and this year's study shows with the "new normal" of demand and supply volatility, companies must have sufficient supply chain flexibility. Attend this breakfast to hear PRTM's analysis and critical steps you can take to increase flexibility and better manage complexity and volatility.

The price of potash, a key ingredient in agricultural fertilizers, quadrupled in price per ton following a global increase in demand for food. Based on unprecedented market signals, PotashCorp, the world's largest supplier of potash, needed to act. They fundamentally changed their relationship with supply chain partners in order to share in the risk—and reward—of an improved transportation network. The result: a transformed supply chain that is more flexible, more accountable, and more resilient to short-term disruptions. In addition, PotashCorp has benefited from a significant reduction in their overall cost of transport as well as cycle times that have been cut nearly in half.

Mr. Vincent will speak to the changes that gave the company a significant and differentiated long-term competitive advantage. Among the issues he will discuss are:

• How to partner with suppliers (railroad, barge lines, trucking companies) to share accountability;
• The importance of planning for all possible events—catastrophic natural disasters, derailments, labor strikes, etc.—and building response scenarios into supplier agreements; and
• Strategies to protect against force majeure clauses.

Did you know that nearly 900 CEOs reported they did not achieve financial targets simply due to supply chain disruption? Optimizing your total risk profile can be even more challenging since an increasingly complex network of suppliers can threaten business resilience and create new challenges for enterprise risk management. Today, the cost of breaks in the supply chain can cascade across your business, so active supply chain management can be an integral enterprise resilience tool to protect profitability. How resilient is your supply chain? Does it expose your brand? Have you quantified the chances of supplier insolvency, port closures, strikes, or geopolitical exposures? Have you assessed the potential financial and reputation effects of a disruption, or considered the possible increased cost of alternatives?

Historically, 40% of companies experiencing a sustained business interruption never recover. Ms. Conrad will explore ways your company can have a more resilient supply chain that can help ensure you are better able to anticipate surprises, recover from disruptions, adapt to changing conditions, and leverage emerging opportunities.