
The CX Iconoclast
If you’re exhausted by traditional approaches to CX, impatient with the stunning lack of progress in the field, and done re-hashing the “best practices” that don’t change anything, you’ve found your podcast. Here’s what we know: Companies gain competitive advantage through exceptional customer experience, and customer insights are the best decision-making tool there is. But traditional CX approaches have run their course and it’s time for the next revolution in CX. Tune in every two weeks as Richard Owen, co-founder of OCX Cognition, hosts conversations and interviews with business leaders, academics, and thinkers whose ideas can guide the CX profession to think in new ways about what success looks like. Most of them aren’t CX professionals, but all of them have something to teach us about CX. We’ll take a clear-eyed look at the problems that have hampered the discipline and explore the compelling ideas behind a re-engineering CX for a modern world. Come disgruntled, leave inspired. Find us at www.ocxcognition.com
The CX Iconoclast
Chris Gopal on Breakthrough Supply Chains in complicated times
In this episode of the CX Iconoclast Podcast, host Richard Owen welcomes guest Chris Gopal, a renowned global supply chain expert. Chris shares his insights on the challenges faced by companies in managing their supply chains and how AI and analytics can enhance predictability and mitigate risk.
Chris Gopal’s extensive experience in supply chain management includes leading the corporate transformation of Dell’s manufacturing logistics in the 1990s and holding key positions at Ernst & Young Consulting, SAIC, Tata, and IBM. He is also the author of the book “Breakthrough Supply Chains” and currently teaches at the University of California, San Diego, and USC.
The discussion covers the impact of recent global events, such as the pandemic and geopolitical conflicts, on supply chains. Chris highlights the compression of what has historically been a hundred-year cycle into a five-year cycle. He emphasizes the importance of placing the customer at the forefront of supply chain design and execution.
The conversation also explores the increasing significance of direct sales channels, even as customers have become accustomed to buying direct. Chris and Richard agree on how little has changed since the industrial revolution, suggesting that the core principles of supply chain management remain relevant.
Chris further discusses the evolution of supply chains, noting three major inflection points: the financialization of the supply chain, the recognition of the supply chain as a network with the customer as a critical component, and the external factors that significantly impact the supply chain, such as risk and sustainability issues.
The podcast concludes with a discussion on the changing face of manufacturing. Chris argues that manufacturers today sell more than just physical products; they also provide information and services across the customer lifecycle. This shift necessitates a new approach to cost, metrics, and priorities, with a focus on customer retention and segmentation.
All in all, great insights for all companies that manufacture or distribute physical goods.
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