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Supply chains, which became the first priority of the business world with the pandemic, were also affected by global economic fluctuations and regional crises. Supply chains, which have gained efficiency, sustainability and durability with technology-oriented investments, were discussed at the event held in Istanbul by PwC Turkey and SAP Turkey.  

TURKEY - A conference titled “Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Management” was held in Istanbul by PwC Turkey and SAP Turkey. PwC Turkey Senior Partner Cenk Ulu and SAP Turkey General Manager Uğur Candan opened the event, which was attended by many important names from the business world. PwC Germany EMEA Region Operational Transformation Services Leader Stefan Schrauf and SAP EMEA South Region Supply Chain Solutions Director Tuna Atmaca also spoke at the opening session. During the half-day event, supply chain issues such as smart factory transformation, sustainability, traceability and integrated logistics management were discussed with a focus on different sectors. The value created by Digital Supply Chain solutions for companies by connecting all processes, including design, planning, production, logistics, maintenance and service, was discussed.

“Artificial intelligence systems are now indispensable for supply chain management”

Making the opening speech of the event, SAP Turkey General Manager Uğur Candan said, “We need to strengthen our supply chains with flexible and agile structures in order to withstand the winds of change. In this direction, all over the world, especially production companies, are accelerating their Smart Factory investments within the scope of Industry 4.0. I would like to proudly state that the field in which we invested the most and the most important factor that brought SAP to today is supply chain management. We have been offering many solutions with cloud technologies for supply chain processes for more than 5 years, and we will add new ones in the near future. It is now inevitable for the artificial intelligence systems supply chain, where the system, human and object come together. In particular, we foresee that ChatGPT will be used much faster in the business world. SAP will continue to have an important place in this changing equation as a technology company that provides end-to-end solutions.” 

46% of CEOs are preparing for new regulations in their supply chains

Another person who made the opening speech was PwC Turkey Senior Partner Cenk Ulu, “In today's interconnected and rapidly changing world, supply chain management is vital to the success of companies. Developments in recent years have brought many challenges, such as natural disasters, geopolitical instability and global epidemics. Sustainable supply chains focus on reducing the environmental impact of production and transportation, promoting ethical and fair labour practices, and supporting local communities. According to our 26th Global CEO Survey, which we conduct every year as PwC, 46% of CEOs aim to make new arrangements in their supply chains in order to cope with the geopolitical challenges they may face in the next 12 months. We see that the current studies on issues related to the supply chain function, such as reducing operational costs and searching for alternative suppliers, will continue in the coming periods, especially for CEOs in Turkey.”

At the event of PwC Turkey and SAP Turkey, it was explained how SAP Digital Supply Chain solutions create value for companies while connecting all processes, including design, planning, production, logistics, maintenance and service. It was also discussed how PwC Turkey provides end-to-end digitally oriented supply chain transformation with supply chain management services from strategy to implementation. Within the scope of the event, the panel titled "Critical Success Factors in Supply Chain Transformation" was attended by Temsa COO Fatih Tunçbilek, Kastamonu Entegre Global Supply Chain Director Halim Sırçancı, Tüpraş Supply Chain Director Göksel Baydar, PwC Turkey Supply Chain Services Leader, Company Partner Dr. İsmail Karakış and SAP Turkey Deputy General Manager for Cloud and Business Solutions Bülent Karal attended.

Human resources prepare for transformation

Speaking at the panel, Temsa COO Fatih Tunçbilek said, “The troubles that started with the chip crisis in the automotive grew with the pandemic, war and fluctuations in the exchange rate. Due to these crises, the sector has been delayed in catching the demand; it has almost come to the point of not being able to produce products. In this period, issues such as end-to-end traceability of all processes, management of relations with remote contacts, and competence of teams came to the fore. As Temsa, we are preparing our company for the future. We are in an agile transformation. We prepare our human resources for transformation conceptually and culturally. We are investing in making all functions agile and reaching the efficiency that can make decisions on their own.”

“Agile and resilient structures are needed in the business world where uncertainty has become a way of life”

Kastamonu Entegre Global Supply Chain Director Halim Sırçancı said, “In recent years, we have carried out digital transformation projects with all our stakeholders in order to avoid serious disruptions in supply chain functions in the face of the crises experienced both in our country, in our region and all over the world. Meanwhile, we have made new facility investments in order to respond to the customer demands that we anticipate will increase in the future. In order to keep the logistics costs, which have fluctuated a lot in terms of cost and service quality recently and which have great importance in our sector, we have invested in transportation vehicles such as ships and trucks and implemented vertical integration projects. In today's business world, where uncertainty has become a way of life and risks are increasing, it has become an indispensable goal to establish more resilient and agile structures, to procure and retain the human resources to establish and develop these structures, and to focus on the large supply chain that includes all stakeholders.

“In the future, competition will be between supply chains” 

PwC Turkey Partner and Supply Chain Management Services Leader Dr. Ismail Karakis, “We define the supply chains of the future as connected, autonomous ecosystems, and to achieve this vision, it is fundamentally necessary to invest in five competence areas: closed-loop integrated planning, smart logistics, transparency and sustainability, dynamic supply chain segmentation and Artificial Intelligence (AI). From the perspective of PwC, supply chains are evolving to a point where they can make digital, agile, synchronized, transparent, forward-looking data-based modelling. In this direction, supply chain-related issues are now a priority on the agenda of CEOs. In the coming period, supply chain leaders' agenda items, Value creation, digitalization, agility, risk management, ESG, and Innovation, will come to the fore among companies. The need for transformation in supply chains related to these agenda items is now inevitable; companies should evaluate process, system and organization & competence areas together to achieve success in their transformation journey, with the support of senior management. Collaborators should give importance to the fields of participation in the transformation and change management”.

“The supply chain has become the most critical success factor”

Bülent Karal, SAP Turkey Deputy General Manager for Cloud and Business Solutions, said, “Although the supply chain has always had an important function, it has recently become a critical factor in the success of institutions. Businesses without a strong supply chain run the risk of failure. That's why supply chain leaders take on more important and valuable responsibilities than ever before. In the new period, the COOs who run the operations of the institutions and the CSCOs who lead the supply chain appear as the CEO candidates of the future.