FMI, GMA Hold First Joint Retailer-Manufacturer Supply Chain Conference
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) this week hosted the first-ever joint Supply Chain Conference under the banner of the GMA-FMI Trading Partner Alliance. With almost 500 industry executives attending, the event brought together the best aspects of FMI’s annual Supply Chain Conference and the GMA Information Systems and Logistics/Distribution Conference (IS/LD) in a single event with the aim of fostering greater collaboration between retailers and manufacturers along their shared supply chain.
“Retailers and manufacturers are united around the same key priority: serving consumers safely and efficiently,” noted Stephen Sibert, SVP of industry affairs at Washington-based GMA. “This joint conference platform brings trading partners together to find new ways to take time and costs out of the supply chain so they can meet consumer needs more effectively than ever.”
The joint conference, which took place Feb. to Feb. 2 in Phoenix, featured retailer-manufacturer small-group discussions and collaboration case studies spotlighting Kraft Foods, Publix, Campbell Soup Co., Safeway and Hannaford. Attendees were also first to learn the results of the 2010 Survey of Collaborative Supply Chain Effectiveness. Commissioned by the TPA under the “New Ways of Working Together” program, the survey report outlines new initiatives and operating models that can help trading partners boost supply chain efficiencies. The study can be accessed online at www.gmaonline.org/publications and www.fmi.org.
“High attendance at this event is testimony to the fact that retailers and manufacturers are committed to enhanced collaboration that will benefit the consumer,” said Pat Walsh, VP of industry and trade development at Arlington, Va.-based FMI. “GMA and FMI will look for more opportunities to bring our memberships together in forums such as the Supply Chain Conference.”
Presentations from the conference will be available at www.tpasupplychain.com.
“Retailers and manufacturers are united around the same key priority: serving consumers safely and efficiently,” noted Stephen Sibert, SVP of industry affairs at Washington-based GMA. “This joint conference platform brings trading partners together to find new ways to take time and costs out of the supply chain so they can meet consumer needs more effectively than ever.”
The joint conference, which took place Feb. to Feb. 2 in Phoenix, featured retailer-manufacturer small-group discussions and collaboration case studies spotlighting Kraft Foods, Publix, Campbell Soup Co., Safeway and Hannaford. Attendees were also first to learn the results of the 2010 Survey of Collaborative Supply Chain Effectiveness. Commissioned by the TPA under the “New Ways of Working Together” program, the survey report outlines new initiatives and operating models that can help trading partners boost supply chain efficiencies. The study can be accessed online at www.gmaonline.org/publications and www.fmi.org.
“High attendance at this event is testimony to the fact that retailers and manufacturers are committed to enhanced collaboration that will benefit the consumer,” said Pat Walsh, VP of industry and trade development at Arlington, Va.-based FMI. “GMA and FMI will look for more opportunities to bring our memberships together in forums such as the Supply Chain Conference.”
Presentations from the conference will be available at www.tpasupplychain.com.