Presentation
Battling the bottlenecks in the raw material supply chain with cutting-edge digital technology
Time & Location
Wednesday: 15.00 to 15.15, Stage 3
Speaker
Joshua HayesBusiness Development Manager - ACI Group
About this presentation
With geo-political tensions rising and raw material costs spiralling, tracking physical products through the supply chain, especially when it comes to quality control, is now more important than ever. While the distribution market has largely concentrated its efforts on physical tracking technologies, commercial accountability remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. Upcoming digital technologies that unravel the availability of raw materials and track the best prices on the market can prevent bottlenecks further down the chain and assist in the decision-making process. Today, distributors are working on delivering a supply chain management portal that can give those in the industry real-time access to current pricing and stock availability. Yet some distributors are going beyond this. Software that uses AI and business intelligence can begin to predict market trends and help manufacturers visualise the best route to market in terms of cost-effectiveness, environmental efficiency and more. For instance, those who import into the EU will need to declare CO2 emissions of non-EU materials from 2025, so tracking all components of chemicals and their environmental impact will be a significant challenge for many manufacturers. Integrating digital technology that can inform these decisions with real-time data, rather than anecdotal evidence will be the key to overcoming bottlenecks and gaining a competitive edge.
Speaker Bio:
Joshua Hayes is the Business Development Manager of ACI Group, a leading distributor working with some of the largest global food, pharma, industrial and road brands throughout Europe. His background in science and engineering, coupled with his expertise in developing strong relationships with the industrial sector – coatings, composites, inks and adhesives – means Josh is well-versed in uncovering new technologies to bring to market.