According to recent sound research evidence: the complexity of the supply chain has been continuously increased by digital disruptors, evolving customer requirements etc., leadership being challenged to both benefit from new waves of innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI, born in 1956 and driven today by deep learning and machine-learning techniques, transversing industries and functions, and considerably impacting the work together with automation), Machine Learning (a subset of AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain etc., and to responsibly address societal concerns accordingly; there is no doubt that AI will revolutionize customer experience (CX, as the element of engagement that correlates with loyalty, which increases at every level of CX), by improving human marketing decisions and capabilities.

The Academic & Business Partnership 2018 SCM 4 ECR Conference, 18-19 October, Târgovişte, Romania – with the theme “Future Leadership and Artificial Intelligence Drive Value Networks” – was organized by the SCM-ECR Laboratory, The Faculty of Economic Sciences, Valahia University of Târgovişte (being chaired by Professor Virgil Popa and co-hosted by Ruediger Hagedorn, Director E2E Value Chain & Standards Pillar, The Consumer Goods Forum, CGF – the Global Network Serving Shopper & Consumer Needs), in collaboration with The Consumer Goods Forum’s E2E Value Chain & Standards Pillar, Czestochowa University of Technology (Poland), Romanian-American University (Faculty of Management-Marketing), University Politehnica of Bucharest (Faculty of Transports), and “Vasile Goldiș” Western University of Arad.

This successful  2018 SCM 4 ECR Conference addressed a number of topics around the current new challenges –  LOGISTICS (Transport and Warehousing); SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT (Suppliers Relationship Management; Customers Relationship Management; Demand Chain Management; Reverse/Green Logistics; Financial Supply Chain Management; Business Intelligence; Internet of Thinks; Physical Internet; Blockchain; Digitalization; Data Mining, Data warehousing, Big Data, Cloud Information; Robotics and Machine Learning; Digital/Internet Disruption, and Disruptive Innovation; Innovation Strategy; Customer Intelligence; Efficient Consumer Response; 4 Customer ERA; Conversational Commerce; Value Chain Management; Omnichannel for Mass customization; Customer Experience and the New Technologies; Customer Engagement; Customer Empowerment); LEADERSHIP (Preparing the Future Leadership for Disruptive Strategy, Blue Ocean Strategy; New Technologies and Vision; Leadership Change; Change Management; The New Education for Future Leaders) – being well-attended. It was a natural evolution of the successful steps that occurred in SCM 4 ECR Conference’s history (1996-2018), also considering the book (introduced by the reputed Ruediger Hagedorn) launched last year by the renowned expert Professor Virgil Popa, the builder of this true brand – Supply Chain Management (SCM) for Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) Conference.

The first day of 2018 SCM 4 ECR Conference was attended by the globally recognized Keynote Speaker Ruediger Hagedorn – Director E2E Value Chain & Standards Pillar, The Consumer Goods Forum, Paris – who reconfirmed that strategic design thinking is the next competitive advantage. Another special guest was the reputed Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management Michael Bourlakis, Director of Research at the prestigious Cranfield School of Management, Head of Logistics, Procurement and Supply Chain Management, Cranfield University, UK. Both special guests delivered a high-profile talk and revealed their experience, expertise and wisdom.

The Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies – Rector Nicolae Istudor was a Member of the Advisory Board of the 2018 SCM 4 ECR Conference (he is also an Honorary Member of the Romanian Distribution Committee); Professor Gheorghe Orzan (also a Member of the Board of the Romanian Distribution Committee) presented the topic “Consumers Behavior Analysis through Big Data Technologies”) – and the Romanian-American University (Dean of the Faculty of Management-Marketing, Costel Negricea, as a Conference Co-Chair; Management-Marketing Department’s Director, Tudor Edu, as a Member of the Scientific Committee, and Alexandra Perju-Mitran with the topic “Customer Driven Value Co-Creation”; the topic “Supply Chain Excellence in the Age of the Ongoing Digital Revolution: Making Better Marketing Decisions with the Help of AI, Better Tracking CX and Driving It” was presented by Theodor Purcarea, a Member of the Programme Steering Committee) were also very well represented.

All the above mentioned topics around the current new challenges were approached by other distinguished Keynote Speakers (such as Professors Borna Abramovic, University of Zagreb and Jörn Schlingensiepen, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, and Dr. Gerd Wolfram, Founder RFID Implementation METRO Group, CEO and Owner IoT Innovation & Consult I Partner Digital Connection I Author I, Cologne Area, Germany, Management Consulting) and Participants benefitting from digital technology.