The Fresh Connection, one of the best supply chain learning tools in the world, is heading back to South Africa in 2015.

Hans Kremer, partner at The Fresh Connection’s developers, Inchainge, will be presenting a workshop about the tool at the Sapics 2015 conference.

Billed as the ‘ultimate value chain learning experience’, The Fresh Connection has taken the global supply chain community by storm, with Appletizer and Resolve (previously Volition) having emerged as the overall winners the first two times the learning game was run in South Africa some years ago.

Worldwide, the tool has been lauded by the likes of Coca-Cola, BASF, Canon, UTi, Henkel and DHL and is regularly used as a training tool within these organisations.

“A high-performing supply chain depends on the collaboration of team members from across the organisation,” says Kremer. “With this in mind, tearing down silos and creating the correct cross-functional mindset is critical, but can often be a serious challenge. This is where getting your team to work together on The Fresh Connection is an excellent solution.”

How it works
“Quite simply, it’s the next best thing to a real-life scenario,” says Kremer of this cross-functional business simulation. As a web-based simulation, The Fresh Connection can be offered in many ways. For example, all the teams can be in one room and compete against each other, or different teams can be on different continents and still interact through the game, with the between-rounds learning delivered in a webinar environment.

A typical round of The Fresh Connection takes between 90 minutes and two hours to complete, but the length of the simulation can be varied to suit particular needs.
“It’s also possible to tailor the training to specific learning objectives,” he says.

Benefits
The benefits of engaging with The Fresh Connection are endless, according to Kremer. “Through the experience, your team is able to experience the power of true alignment and a well-articulated supply chain strategy, supported by tactical skills and knowledge. “

The alignment that’s in view concerns departments, strategy and execution, as well as alignment between partners in the supply chain.

While achieving greater alignment between functions, team members will also develop critical skills and knowledge, while building strong teams and strengthening relationships with customers and partners.

“In the end, it’s a proven fact that learning through experience is 10 times more powerful than other classical training methods,” he says. “With The Fresh Connection, we bridge theory and practical application in a real-life environment, while creating an optimal fit with specific learning objectives.”

The SAPICS 2015 Conference will place from 31 May to 2 June at Sun City.