The voices of the "pioneers"

This year, as the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) celebrates 50 years of success as a professional organization, it's worth taking note of the many individuals whose contributions shaped the supply chain profession into what it is today. These folks were true pioneers, trailblazing many of the practices and ideas that are now commonplace in the discipline.

That's why when CSCMP proposed inviting many of these thought leaders for a discussion about the past, present, and future of the supply chain profession, I was honored to be asked to participate.

A gathering last November brought together some of the most influential members of the supply chain profession: Ken Ackerman, Joe Andraski, Dee Biggs, John Bowersox (son of the late Don Bowersox), Bob Camp, Ann Drake, Ralph Drayer, George Gecowets, Howard Gochberg, Nancy Haslip, Roger Kallock, Doug Lambert, Cliff Lynch, Richard Murphy, Mark Richards, Tim Richards, Rick Schorr, Tom Speh, Jim Stock, Fran Tucker, and Justin Zubrod.

Over the course of two days, CSCMP President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Blasgen and I moderated a series of discussions on a range of topics. One day, for example, participants talked about how the discipline of supply chain management has evolved since its early days and what might be in store in the years ahead.

We delved into the impact of certain developments on the profession, exploring how U.S. transportation deregulation in the 1980s changed the motor carrier, rail, airfreight, and maritime industries, and examining the effects of globalization on logistics and supply chain operations. The explosive growth of technologies that have enabled advances in logistics and supply chain efficiency was an especially hot topic, as was the growth of outsourcing and third-party logistics over the past 25 years. Other widely discussed issues included how advances in supply chain management have changed customer service, and why supply chain management has gained greater prominence in the executive suites of many corporations.

Fortunately, even if you weren't there, you'll still have an opportunity to hear those thought-provoking conversations. Our sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly, captured all of the sessions on video so that CSCMP members and other interested parties will be able to listen to these respected supply chain leaders and learn from them.

Titled "Supply Chain Pioneers," our video series will provide a historical record of CSCMP's 50-year legacy and of the people who founded the organization, fostered its growth and success, and made it the leading association for a discipline that is vitally important in today's fast-paced world of global commerce.

"Supply Chain Pioneers" will premier Oct. 20 as CSCMP's 2013 Annual Global Conference kicks off in Denver. If you'll be attending the conference, I hope you'll join me and your peers to watch this fascinating history of the association and the supply chain profession. Can't get to Denver? Following the conference, you'll be able to see the opening episode, and then the complete series, on the Supply Chain Quarterly website.