'Ideas in Practice' Supply Chain Summit 2024: Collaboration, social value and sustainability in complex supply chains

The Supply Chain Summit 2024 will address how managing complex supply chains is increasingly vital to all organisations.

POSTPONEMENT: Due to the announcement of the 4 July 2024 UK General Election, this year's Supply Chain Summit has been postponed until Friday 29 November. 
 

Register your place on Eventbrite

In its eighth year, this Supply Chain Summit will be held in partnership with the Institute for Collaborative Working, focusing on how the management of complex supply chains is increasingly vital in achieving cross-sector social value and sustainability goals. 

Leeds University Business School (LUBS) has been pursuing multiple strands of the collaboration discipline alongside colleagues from the Institute for Collaborative Working (ICW). It has also been developing case studies with major programmes and alliances with businesses that are already actively engaged with the ICW.

Further, the Public Procurement Specialist Interest Group, launched by the ICW and supported by LUBS, is working closely with industry, academics and the Government Commercial Office (GCO) to curate a new playbook to be launched in early 2025.

This summit will be an opportunity to hear about progress on this activity, along with many other allied topics related to complex supply networks, and interact with those directly involved.

Key topics for discussion include:

  • Unlocking how we can deliver on sustainability and social value
  • Why circular supply chains need collaboration
  • The growing challenge of modern slavery and how to tackle it
  • Do contracts act as enablers or blockers?
  • Ensuring resilient supply chains and cost control are treated as priorities

Our target audience are leaders, managers and specialists in supply chain management, procurement, contracting and social value/metrics, as well as anyone who has an interest in collaboration, sustainability, social value and their growing importance and impact.

The ‘Ideas in Practice’ Supply Chain Summit is an annual forum for supply chain professionals and senior academic researchers to exchange knowledge about the latest thinking and developments in supply chain management, influenced by research conducted by Leeds University Business School’s Centre for Operations and Supply Chain Research since 2017.

The programme includes a keynote address from Edward Green OBE, Deputy Director of Commercial Policy at the UK Government Cabinet Office; presentations from the Business School’s supply chain experts on circular economy and social impact as a contracted outcome; a panel session with industry figures such as Caroline Hinchcliffe (Kier Highways), Stephen Rose (National Air Traffic Services) and Simon Diggle (National Highways); fireside interviews on modern slavery and contracts as enablers or blockers; as well as breakout sessions led by Leeds University Business School academics Dr Jyoti Mishra and Gary Graham and practitioner Gareth Williams (TRU West Alliance). The day will close with a networking drinks reception.

Event Programme: 

09:30 Registration and refreshments
10:00

Event chair: David Loseby, Visiting Professor of Research Impact at Leeds University Business School

10:05

Keynote: Knowledge and experience

Frank Lee, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Collaborative Working

How structured collaboration can deliver sustainability and social value, and why social impact also delivers economic benefits both directly and indirectly

10:25

Presentation: Circular supply chains

Dr Jyoti Mishra, Associate Professor in Information Management at Leeds University Business School

Why we need collaboration in circular supply chains

10:45

Presentation: Social impact as a contracted outcome

Dr Chee Yew Wong, Professor of Supply Chain Management at Leeds University Business School, and Brian Walton, Deputy Alliance Director at TRU West Alliance

Collaborating to develop cutting-edge research impact on how supply chains and contracting teams can effectively support entire supply networks

11:10 Refreshment break
11:30

Panel discussion

Is the public or private sector better placed to deliver on sustainability and social value through complex supply chains?

Chair: David Loseby, Leeds University Business School

Caroline Hinchcliffe, Procurement Lead, Kier Highways

Stephen Rose, Head of Supply Chain Services, National Air Traffic Services

Stefan Jastak, Supplier Development Group Leader, National Highways

12:15 Networking lunch
13:15

Fireside interview: Tackling modern slavery

How can affirmative action reverse the increase of modern slavery through proven approaches and techniques in procurement and supply chain?

Chair: Dr Chee Yew Wong, Leeds University Business School

In conversation with: Mel Worthy, Government Engagement Manager, and Thomas Harrison, Partnerships Manager UK, both British Standards Institution

13:45

Fireside interview: Contracts as enablers or blockers 

Many contracts seek to transfer all risk and apply financial remedies and incentives to the principal providers of a contract from a purchasing entity. How can we change the paradigm to more collaborative forms of contract that balance risk allocation? 

Chair: Dr Matthew Davis, Associate Professor at Leeds University Business School 

In conversation with: Tim Cummins, President of World Commerce & Contracting, and Clare Waller, Partner in Commercial and Corporate at Spencer West LLP

14:15 Coffee break
14:30

Breakout sessions

Chair: David Loseby, Leeds University Business School

Breakout 1: Cotton

Costs and resilient supply chains are top priorities to survive as an organisation; how do we keep an actionable focus on sustainability, social value and Scope 3 emissions?

Chair: Dr Manish Shukla, Associate Professor of Operations Management at Leeds University Business School 

Breakout 2: Herringbone

How can collaboration across sectors ensure mutually inclusive approaches to social value within supply networks that lead to positive outcomes?

Chair: Gareth Williams, Sustainability Director at TRU West Alliance

Breakout 3: Tailors

Where should research focus to ensure we connect circularity, sustainability and social value to ensure practitioner impact?

Chairs: Dr Jyoti Mishra, Leeds University Business School, and Ken Webster, Visiting Professor at Cranfield University

15:15

Closing remarks

Dr Chee Yew Wong, Leeds University Business School  

15:30 Drinks reception and networking 
16:30 Summit close

 

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Grace Carter at Leeds University Business School.