“Supply Chain…Capital Decisions”
Summary of the OIPMAC 12th Annual Conference

The 12th Annual Conference held on October 23 and 24, presented by the Ontario Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, “Supply Chain…Capital Decisions,” focused on the role procurement and supply chain management professionals play in the decision making process.  

The two day conference, held at the Hampton Inn Ottawa & Conference Centre, featured academics and practitioners presenting on current trends and practices within Supply Chain Management. The underlying theme of the keynote sessions focused on how supply chain professionals affect the decision making process surrounding capital expenditures.

Over the two days attendees were joined by 11 exhibitors in the main hallway showcasing their products and services. The companies varied from office supplies to e-tendering services. The many vendor giveaways, including an office chair from Teknion, a computer monitor from Staples and a travel bag from BMO, complimented the giveaways from our sponsors at Porter Airlines and WestJet. Attendees were keen to visit the booths and learn more about their products and services. 

The conference began with Dr. David Cantor’s insight into a research paper he developed surrounding the decision making process and information availability within the supply chain. He discussed two different types of problem solving approaches – abstract vs. concrete – and how they contribute to supply chain performance. His presentation was insightful and gave conference participants a high level overview prior to dissecting various aspects of supply chain throughout the rest of the day.

Vijay Gandhi’s mid-morning concurrent educational session on Scrutinizing Contract Performance was an excellent opportunity to learn about supply chain benchmarking at Canada Post. As the Manager of Quality Assurance and Sourcing Management for Canada Post, he was able to provide an insightful presentation as to why supplier performance should be measured and how to develop a measurement model.

The next series of speakers included Judy Wilson who spoke on the topic of Successfully Managing Tendering and Public Private Partnerships. Her vast and in depth knowledge of the legal aspects of partnerships (P3s) allowed her to deliver one of the most intriguing presentations of the day. She walked through issues to look out for when entering into a partnership agreement and how to protect your company from legal liabilities.

The luncheon keynote speaker, Kate Davis, roused the crowd with a presentation on Humour in the Workplace. She focused on the positive effects of humour and how it can help you create and maintain healthy relationships at home and at work. Her interactive nature and comedic style got everyone attentive and reenergized before the afternoon educational sessions.

Following Kate Davis was the second luncheon keynote, Jacqueline Iny, who focused on Working Capital in the Supply Chain. To support the theme of Capital Decisions she, with her co-presenter Sean Watson, focused on optimizing cash flow while reducing exposure to potential weak links in the supply chain. Together they provided many examples of liquidity tradeoffs and the areas to focus when making vital supply chain decisions.

The afternoon sessions concluded with topics of Government Procurement, Risk Management and Sustainability in SCM.  This diverse range of topics allowed attendees to select sessions that would benefit them the most by focusing on what they are faced with on a regular basis in their careers. 

As educational sessions drew to a close attendees retreated to a Wine and Cheese session sponsored by MERX. Attendees wound down after an eventful day with a drink and hors d’oeuvres prior to the convocation ceremony.

At the convocation ceremony, family, friends and colleagues sat proudly to watch the 2009 C.P.P. graduates cross the stage. With a bagpiper leading the way, 63 new C.P.P. graduates walked down the aisle to receive their certificates. Dave Fletcher and Sandra Gilmer opened the ceremony with speeches congratulating the grads on their achievements. The ceremony concluded with the announcement of the 2009-2010 Board of Directors and recognition of Sandra Gilmer’s efforts over the past two years serving as OIPMAC Board Chair.

Conference attendees and new graduates ended the evening with a dinner and dance. The DJ’s upbeat style, and willingness to play requests all night long, gave everyone the urge to get out on the dance floor.

Saturday morning started early with keynote speaker Shahid Minto, who enlightened the audience with news from the Latest Procurement Operations Report. His office has the goal of increasing the confidence of Canadians in public procurement. The presentation outlined examples of poor practices through which the audience was able to learn what not to do as a public purchaser.

The second keynote speaker of the day, Susan Laing, engaged the crowd with a discussion on Negotiations.  She examined aspects of the Harvard negotiation framework called “Principled Negotiation.” This framework suggests that you can maintain a relationship during the negotiation process by focusing on the hard facts and less on the emotional aspects. Her insight will surely be used to conduct future negotiations and help build long-lasting relationships.

The day continued with additional presentations on Bid Rigging, C-TPAT and Ethical Sourcing before the featured C.P.P. roundtable discussion. The interactive session encouraged peer-to-peer discussions focusing on the economy, managing up and sustainability. These ideas and discussions help set the bar for future discussions among fellow C.P.P.s. As professionals working in the field it is often the easiest to learn from each other. 

The day drew to a close with closing keynote speaker from IBM, Laurian Brunet. He discussed the research findings from a study called the “Global Chief Supply Chain Officer Study”, which was conducted at the end of 2008. Although the economy has significantly changed since then, many of the issues still remain at the forefront of business. The five areas he identified to have a Smarter Supply Chain of the Future were cost containment, visibility, risk management, increased customer demand and globalization.

OIPMAC would like to thank all the speakers, sponsors, and volunteers for their contributions to our 12th Annual Conference.  We hope to see you next year!