On Thursday 20th October DLC Training attended the IoSCM Supply Chain Conference and Exhibition, hosted at the Copthorne hotel in Newcastle. The event took place in celebration of IoSCM reaching its 10th successful year as an accredited institute for the supply chain industry. The event included a fantastic gathering of exhibitors, guest speakers, a panel discussion, and workshops throughout the day. The conference proved to be an excellent opportunity for the DLC Training team to network and collaborate with so many industry professionals and those looking to develop their skills and knowledge in the supply chain.

As one of the exhibitors, we held our own DLC Training stand, showcasing our accredited qualifications and discussing potential career opportunities with attendees. Along with IoSCM’s main stand, there was also a stand for the Sustain Chain, IoSCM’s initiative which addresses the environmental and economic impact of the supply chain industry and encourages innovation within the sector for a more sustainable future. There was an extensive range of interesting exhibition stands to attend, from Heyllo!, one of the largest manufacturing recruitment agencies in the North-East, to Smart Outdoor, the UK’s innovative specialists in digital outdoor advertising.

The workshops took place at different times throughout the day and included sessions on No-nonsense Stress-Busting for Busy People by Gillian Fortune, which included tips and techniques on how to tackle stress effectively. A member of the DLC Training team, Jennifer, took part in the workshop and said, “Gillian presented information in an easy-to-digest manner and added humour to balance out the scientific facts. The workshop provided techniques that can be applied to both work and home, it was very engaging and fun to take part in!”.

Guest speakers held talks throughout the day, including Steven Bates, a representative from Croner providing guidance on equality and diversity in the workplace, and Andrew Clark who discussed cyber security requirements within an organisation. The final guest speaker was Lt Col Andy Black who covered the topic of leading through uncertainty. With years of experience as a senior leader in the military, Andy discussed his experiences of facing many challenging and uncertain situations where he had to adapt and implement leadership techniques that he has developed over the years. 

The panel discussion began at 1pm and included four industry expert panelists, the overriding theme of the discussion was challenges and solutions in the supply chain industry. The panelists answered questions throughout and discussed key topics including the fragility of the supply chain, balancing high levels of service with cost controls, and building trust after negative events such as greenwashing.

Megan, head of Sales & Business Development at IoSCM and a member of the Advisory Council, explained why it was important to cover this topic. “The challenges that the Supply Chain industry are facing are affecting us all – whether you know it or not. From the bigger issues of sustainability and improving the environmental consequences of the supply chain, to the price of common household goods which are affecting our pockets and lifestyles day-to-day.  It’s not only imperative that these discussions take place, but that they are brought to light by organisations like IoSCM in an open forum, to keep us informed of what businesses are doing to fight these challenges. Whether it’s changing your approach to consumerism or simply being more aware of how the choices you make can have a knock-on effect. From the panel discussion, I know I became aware of a few things that I could change which would contribute to easing the strain on the supply chain – if everyone did that, we would make a huge impact.”

It was a great event from start to end, with interesting talks, workshops, and exhibitors all throughout the day, there was always something to do. We also asked Megan how the day went for IoSCM and she said, “What an amazing success, it was wonderful to see individuals and businesses that we work with on a daily basis face-to-face, when we started organising the event we didn’t know what the situation would be following COVID – so for the day to come together so well, it was fantastic to see. 

The whole day was a testament to the professionalism of the institute, its employees, clients and members all came together to create a great day of conversation, debates and strategic thinking around the future of supply chain. To finish the day with an Awards Celebration was just the icing on the cake, to see everyone receive the recognition of their achievements throughout the year, it makes all the hard work and dedication of the teams worthwhile.”