What is “The Power of the Pilot” session at APICS2018?

There is always room for improvement within the supply chain. With new processes, tools, and technologies emerging daily, it can be a struggle to determine how best to allocate limited company resources. Even once we convince senior leaders that change is needed, it is often difficult to quantify ROI, test the integration of people/process/tools in a live setting, and gain leverage with middle management in order to ensure successful implementation and adoption.  A proof of concept (POC) or pilot strategy is often overlooked as a wonderful means of evaluating not just the feasibility of a new tool or process, but also for demonstrating effectiveness and helping to foster consensus for change. In this session, we will explore how Berry Global leveraged pilots to build momentum, driving a transformation of their supply chain planning processes.

An analysis of Berry’s supply chain revealed the need for an Advanced Planning System (APS) to better predict and control results. With almost $8B in annual revenue and 130 plants globally, this is not an easy or inexpensive undertaking.  The company was reluctant to invest millions of dollars in new tools with fuzzy returns.  The Integrated Planning team proposed a pilot strategy, limiting capital expenses, allowing for testing and alignment of business processes, and providing a mechanism to demonstrate value to senior leaders.

Over the course of 9 months, they deployed 6 carefully selected pilots, each providing additional learnings fed back into the Integrated Planning Implementation Playbook, which housed a project plan, change management documents, go-live checklists, and various implements designed to reduce risk and accelerate results.

One year after the initial pilot, Berry went live on its first, full scale, APS deployment at its largest global facility with great success.  Bolstered by demonstrated results, senior leadership was not only on board with a global deployment, but challenged the team to deliver additional sites ASAP.  Subject matter experts created through the pilot implementations, along with thoroughly vetted change management communications and training documents, lowered risk, accelerated adoption, and supported successful implementation of an additional 24 sites in less than 6 months.

In the session, I’m going to hit on what I think are the 5 keys to successfully leveraging a pilot to build momentum for change:

1. Establish Pilot Goals & Objectives
2. Select Pilots Carefully
3. Leverage Change and Project Management Methodology
4. Execute Rolling Wave Planning
5. Celebrate Success – Never overlook the need to give folks a well deserved pat on the back!

Hope to see you all bright and early on Sunday (9/30) at 8:15 AM.

Best wishes,
Christine (Reed) Barnhart

SDCE Top Women in Supply Chain - So thankful!

It’s always great when your hard work is rewarded.  Ironically, for me, I received verbal notification that I was being recognized as a Top Woman in the Supply Chain by Supply and Demand Chain Executive on the same day that my role as the Supply Chain Global Process Owner at Berry Global was ending. (Check out the wonderful article on all the winners here: https://www.sdcexec.com/professional-development/article/21015342/top-women-in-the-supply-chain)  

After three years of often grueling work on Berry’s Supply Chain Transformation, which was supported by a broad portfolio of programs and projects that touched everything from planning and sourcing to customer service and IT, the ground work to support a digital transformation was in place, but the appetite for change was sated. In fact, most stakeholders were beyond full and ready to push back from the buffet.  For me, being recognized by my supply chain peers for my work at Berry was a cherry on top of what was truly a wonderfully challenging and enriching career milestone.

As part of the award, I am further privileged to be speaking at Richmond Events’ Logistics & Supply Chain Forum in Marana, AZ on 4-6-November.  If you haven’t registered yet, I think you should.  November is a great time to visit Arizona and you can attend my session, “You need a tribe, not a mentor, to be successful in supply chain.”

In this session, we will explore why supply chain requires more than a mentor, how to create a tribe, and how to leverage your tribe to advance your career. Regardless of where you are in your career, you need support, feedback, guidance, direction, and understanding. Creating a tribe allows you to meld and develop your IQ and EQ both for your success and others.

Since leaving Berry, I have absolutely leveraged my tribe to challenge my perspective, provide coaching on prospects for my future, and to help me navigate the wonderful adventure of finding my next career opportunity. My tribe has not let me rest on my laurels this summer and has provided rich advice and mature counsel. 

I will always relish my time at Berry and be grateful to the folks that believed in me and gave me free reign to explore, innovate, and lead.   With that said, I’m beyond excited to keep feasting on supply chain innovation and am hopeful that I can help others in their own maturity and transformation journeys.

You can check out the forum using the link below:

https://www.richmondevents.com/Forums/Details/LGH18

Many thanks to Richmond Events and Supply and Demand Chain Executive on recognizing the great work that women do in supply chain.  I’m very appreciative and humbled to be included with such an amazing group of professionals.

Hope to see you in Arizona!

Christine