Uniqlo has just announced a 90% reduction of its employees by having completely automated one of its warehouses in Japan. One thing is certain:- supply chains are changing, becoming increasingly technology focused and demanding less manpower, therefore requiring a different, more engineer driven skillset from its employees than before.


00:08 Introduction
00:47 Régis, perhaps you could start by you telling us a little more about your background?
01:55 Nowadays, data is everywhere and tons of start-ups offering data analysis services have been founded. What is your take on this?
04:46 Is that something you are seeing in the academic world as well?
07:05 Are your students trained in the extraction and manipulation of data using softwares?
08:08 How is S&OP taught nowadays? How will this method be used in the future?
09:21 What is Lokad’s perspective on S&OP?
13:23 Regis, how do you choose the content of your courses?
16:50 What is your take on 3PLs specializing in supply chain software?
19:48 Are students nowadays more interested in new technologies and programming languages?
23:11 Which are the key skills that Lokad is looking for?
27:29 Where is your Master standing in the international scene? Which are your ambitions for the future?

Thus in an environment that is evolving so rapidly, what can be done to prepare those who will go on to lead supply chains? On this episode of LokadTV, we welcome Régis Bourbonnais, renowned lecturer, head of the “International Supply Chain” Masters at Université Paris Dauphine and logistics consultant, to discuss these evolutions and how he shares his expertise with his students in more detail.

We debate just what exactly is making the world of supply chains change so quickly, from customers that can be described as much more volatile - expecting higher service levels, a larger diversity of products than before and an ease of returning goods if they’re not satisfied -, to various social media influencers that can suddenly propulse a seemingly random product to great heights, without any prior warning for a business.

With the rapid transformation of technology and new ways of managing data, supply chain is also a world adrift with empty technological buzzwords. How do we know which of those are actually of substance and which should be avoided as they’ll simply end up as a short-lived trend that’ll die out? We discuss how to differentiate between these various fads and genuine innovations.

To conclude, we expand on how globalization has had such an impact on the domain of supply chain, and why this means that future supply chain leaders need to be ready to embrace different cultures.