Andrew Downard on supply chain management
From Supply Chain Rewired: Episode 7 - Andrew Downard · · ketteQ
“Our customers are not particularly interested in hearing why we have disruptions. We can control our part of the supply chain but we can't control the parts that are upstream of us. The only defense in that situation, which seems to be getting worse, is to become as robust to the variation as possible.”
On , Andrew Downard, Chief Supply Chain Officer at MATIV HOLDINGS INC, spoke about supply chain management during Supply Chain Rewired: Episode 7 - Andrew Downard on ketteQ.
About Andrew Downard
Andrew Downard, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Mativ Holdings, has discussed the prevalence of manual processes in supply chain management, stating that many supply chains still rely on spreadsheets and emails, which he said can break down during disruptions. He emphasized the importance of data quality and technology, noting that companies often lack basic data such as tariff codes in their master data, which complicates rapid analysis amid fluctuating tariffs. Downard described resilience and anti-fragility as new terms for supply chain professionals in response to disruptions like global political events and supplier issues. Downard also commented on the evolving role of supply chain professionals, stating that supply chain now regularly has a seat at the table due to ongoing disruptions. He highlighted the potential of natural language interaction with supply chain planning systems, suggesting that allowing non-experts, such as salespeople, to query data in real time could be transformative. He noted that open architecture and data visibility are increasingly important in deployments.