Supply Chain Strategy Roundtable

Supply Chain Strategy: Overcoming New Competitive Challenges

Supply chain strategy is the vital link between business strategy and operations. It is here where supply chain vision is translated into actions.

Maintaining alignment between supply chain’s strategic direction and the organization’s corporate goals presents managers with some unique challenges. The wide gap between the actions senior executives assume are being taken and those that are being executed is one of the hurdles that many companies struggle to overcome. Another is that some enterprises lack of the kind of forward-thinking, robust supply chain vision needed to drive alignment.

These issues are not new; the intricacies of supply chain strategy have preoccupied academics and industry professionals for decades. But there is renewed interest in the subject as companies adjust to a changing business climate. A number of leading firms have even created positions and/or units dedicated exclusively to supply chain strategy.

Many questions remain unanswered.
•    How can organizations reformulate their supply chain strategies in response to shifting market demands?
•    How do enterprises evaluate the merits, strengths, and weaknesses of a given strategy?
•    What are the elements of an effective supply chain strategy, and how can it be described in clear, actionable terms?
•    When should an existing supply chain strategy be modified or replaced, and what factors or events should trigger such a reformulation?
•    If a strategy is to be replaced, how should it be moved from its present state to the desired future state?  

A special roundtable event organized by the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) will address these questions, and give companies the opportunity to share their experiences of plotting a strategic course for their supply chains. The event will bring together senior executives from shippers, carriers, and third-party logistics providers, charged with the responsibility for setting and executing supply chain strategy. The overarching aim is to identify state-of-the-art practices, build a deeper understanding of the issues, and generate interest in further research now being planned at MIT CTL.

Please note: This event is designed as a roundtable discussion.  MIT CTL roundtables are highly interactive and to facilitate the discussions at this event the number of attendees will be limited to 24, so reserve your place as soon as possible.

FAQs

What is the cost of this conference?

Where is the conference being held?

When does the conference officially begin and end?
Are accommodations provided?
Where should I stay?
Where is the nearest airport?
What is the best way to travel from the airport to the course?
Should I rent a car?
If I drive, how do I get there and where can I park?
What should I wear?
What if I have a dietary restriction or allergy?

What is the cost of this conference?

This conference will be free of charge.

Where is the conference being held?

The conference will be held at the MIT Faculty Club - 6th floor, located at 50 Memorial Drive (building E52). You can locate building E52 by using MIT's interactive campus map.

When does the course officially begin and end?

Conference check-in and informal networking will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 22, 2012, and adjourn at approximately 5:00 p.m..

 When booking your return flight, take into consideration the following recommendations for travel time and security checks at Logan: allow two hours for a domestic flight and three hours for an international flight.

Are accommodations provided?
No, each person is responsible for his/her own accommodations.

Where should I stay?
Guests are responsible for their own hotel accommodations. We do not have a block of rooms reserved. However, the hotel property most conveniently located to the campus is the Marriott Cambridge Boston.

Marriott Cambridge Boston
Two Cambridge Center
50 Broadway
Cambridge MA 02142
617-494-6600

For additional accommodation listings, please see Visiting CTL; however, please note that the room rates do not vary greatly for those hotel properties in proximity to MIT.

Where is the nearest airport?
Boston's Logan International Airport.

What is the best way to travel from the airport to the conference?
To get to MIT from the airport, we strongly suggest taking a cab. The trip will take anywhere from 15-30 minutes, and the fare is roughly $30-35. The cab fare from Logan is always a bit more than the return, because a surcharge at the airport and a tunnel toll add approximately $5 to the total fare.

If you live locally and prefer public transportation, take the MBTA Red Line to the Kendall/MIT stop. It is a short three block walk from the T.

Should I rent a car?
We do not recommend renting a car. The expense on top of poorly marked streets and lack of available parking makes having a car more of a nuisance than a convenience.

If I drive, how do I get there and where can I park?
If you are renting a car or will be driving, MapQuest and Google Map offer excellent mapping services to get you from your doorstep to MIT.

The nearest self-parking garage is adjacent to the Cambridge Marriott. Rates are approximately $20/day. This garage is not owned or operated by the Marriott.

What should I wear?
Appropriate attire is business casual; no ties or suit coats are necessary.

What if I have a dietary restriction or allergy?
If you have a dietary restriction or allergy, please email CTL Events Coordinator, Nancy Martin, nlmartin@mit.edu to let her know.