2011
New England Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition

Future of Sourcing: Trends & Technologies in Logistics, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing
Bruce Arntzen, Ph.D., Senior Research Director at MIT’s Center for Transportation & Logistics

What are the big trends that are gaining momentum which will change how and where we do sourcing? By 2015 the Chinese middle class will be twice as big as the whole US population. They will consume 29% of the global production of luxury goods. Big changes are underway in the labor situation in China – wages are rising and workers no longer want to migrate en-mass to giant factories in the east. How long can the Yuan continue to be artificially held at 40% below its free market value – and how will that affect your landed cost analysis? Don’t forget the Green Revolution. Green is the new battlefield where companies will compete to be greener than each other. Expect to see Green Labels on products just like we have Nutrition Facts on food products today. Already activists are posting maps and carbon footprints of long distant supply chains to shame companies into near-shore / on-shore sourcing. Will you be their next target? And how will the race toward “personalization” change your delivery model? The speaker will address these and many other trends to put them in context of the size, timing, and direction of their impact on future sourcing strategies.