The Health Pulse S3E3: Why Forecast Agility Is King in the New World of Supply Chain Disruption

The Health Pulse

For Felipe Sotelo, it’s all about priorities. That’s why Dad & Husband are the titles on his LinkedIn profile. It’s also why he now believes demand forecast agility is more important than accuracy in the post-pandemic world of supply chain disruptions.

On this episode of The Health Pulse, positive thinker, business reinvention leader and writer Sotelo joins host Alex Maiersperger to share his insights as a supply chain leader for organizations including Johnson & Johnson, Teva Pharmaceuticals and PepsiCo. Forecast accuracy can never be perfect, and in a scenario full of disruptions, Sotelo argues that it’s more important to focus on agility and speed so that organizations can respond more effectively to disruptions. In his opinion, prioritization plays a big role, and the organizations that succeed are those that have both a strong leadership strategy and investment in technology and analytics to drive insights into keeping the strategy on track. The main focus now is regulating supply chains to ensure essential equipment is available. And, the new normal will prioritize both cost efficiency and reliability over cost efficiency alone.

When asked about a light at the end of the tunnel for pandemic-related disruption, Sotelo predicts we won’t see it before 2024. But, that doesn’t keep him from being optimistic about the role of supply chain leaders in shaping a better, more sustainable future.

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.