November 09, 2021 at 8:00AM - November 09, 2021 at 5:00PM
The labor shortages that are disrupting supply chains are part of a wider set of work-related challenges that include demographic shifts, the impact of automation, and AI-driven changes to job specs. In this rapidly changing employment landscape, leaders must find ways to ensure that their organizations can recruit and retain the workforces they need to stay competitive over the next decade.
These issues will be explored during the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL) Crossroads 2021 one-day conference. The hybrid event will take place at the MIT campus, Cambridge, MA, for in-person and on Zoom for remote attendees.
At the conference, MIT thought leaders will consider critical questions such as how analytics can help companies better understand workplace environments, the relationship between company culture and worker retention, and how humans and machines can work together to improve productivity.
Contact us at ctl-events@mit.edu to receive a coupon code for the fee waiver if you have not already received one.
Please see our FAQ tab for guidelines about attending in person and virtually.
Agenda (Download a pdf agenda here.)
8:00 Program check-in
8:30 Welcome and Introduction
8:35 1st Session – Dr. Joe Coughlin, Director Age Lab, CTL
Dr. Joe Coughlin will kick off the conference and provide an overview of the current labor
situation and outline some of the challenges, noting current demographic trends.
9:45 Break
10:00 2nd Session – Prof. Daron Acemoglu, MIT Department of Economics
Prof. Daron Acemoglu will introduce the use of automation in the workplace and the impact on workers and he will be highlighting the implications for jobs.
10:45 Break
11:00 3rd Session- Dr. Elisabeth Reynolds, National Economic Council, Executive Director -MIT Industrial Performance Center (on leave)
Prof. Elisabeth Reynolds will discuss issues related to the Work of the Future. She will interweave these issues with the supply chain work at the White House and touch upon the Administration’s Executive Order on Supply Chains and the work of the Task Force.
12:15 Lunch Break
1:00 4th Session – Prof. Julie Shah, MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Prof. Julie Shah will talk about the application of collaborative robots in the workplace, and discuss how these machines are being used to help smaller firms.
2:00 Break
2:15 5th Session – Dr. Donald Sull, MIT Sloan School of Management
Dr. Donald Sull will talk about the relationship between corporate culture and workforce efficiency, and the use of AI in developing the workforce to meet the demands anticipated in the future.
3:15 Panel Discussion
4:15 Adjourn
About Crossroads
Discover how emerging innovations intersect with supply chain management. Crossroads is a one-day annual event offering a unique learning opportunity for participants. The event connects experts from MIT, the world’s foremost center for technological innovation with the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), the global leader in supply chain education and research, for a day of discovery and learning.
No other event provides this blend of expertise in one day. This is one reason why the Crossroads conference series has become the SCM community's most important venue for new ideas since its inception more than 15 years ago.
“Crossroads has become the industry’s most compelling forum for the ideas that will shape tomorrow's supply chains,” says Yossi Sheffi, Elisha Gray II Professor of Engineering Systems at MIT and Director of the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics.
A note about joining in person.
As we bring back in-person events at MIT, we want you to know that we will be taking Covid-19 precautions to provide a safe environment for our guests. MIT requires vaccinations, weekly testing, and wearing of masks indoors for its community. We will have masks available for all conference attendees, and we will be practicing social distancing protocols. We encourage you to register at your earliest convenience as capacity will be limited.
Here are some helpful links for attending our Fall 2021 events:
Information on visiting MIT: https://www.mit.edu/visitmit/
Where to stay: https://institute-events.mit.edu/visit/where-to-stay
Please contact us with any registration questions at ctl-events@mit.edu