“The time has come for all in Africa to unite and release the potential of this magnificent continent. It is time that the world acknowledges the wealth of Mother Africa – and not only the wealth she carries in her crust, but also the wealth engrained in the potential of her children.” These words of Liezl Smith, President of SAPICS (The Association for Operations Management of Southern Africa) marked the onset of the 34th annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition at Sun City on 3rd June. The well-organised event focussed on the releasing of Africa’s potential and saw the amalgamation of high calibre local as well as international speakers, more than 70 exhibitors and just under 1200 delegates, who gave the thumbs up for the ample opportunities which existed to network, collaborate and share knowledge.
Alan Milliken and Liezl Smith, President of SAPICS A brilliant presentation by Temitope Ogunfayo, CPIM, Group Manager at Procter and Gamble in Nigeria, earned him both the Kingfisher Award for most innovative speaker (sponsored by South African Breweries) and The SAPICS Award for the best written paper from a practitioner. Mr. Ogunfayo shared some profound, but very simple, well-tested and proven strategies with delegates to unleash their full potential by maintaining a healthy work life balance. “Achieving a better, personalised work life balance is a global issue and nothing has done much to help. We can’t focus on time management anymore. The issues at hand are indeed much more complex than that,” he told attendees.
David Crewe-Brown and Temitope Ogunfayo Alan Milliken CFPIM, CSCP, Senior Supply Chain Education Specialist at BASF Group and the 2012 winner of the Terry Smee trophy for best speaker commented: “I have attended countless supply chain conferences over the years and the annual SAPICS Conference is one of my firm favourites. The conference offers an excellent blend of strategic, tactical and operational topics for participants.” Alan, a resident of the USA, found the African milieu enticing and added tongue in cheek: “The climate at Sun City always lives up to its name and the people are warm and friendly. Recreational activities in the area are vast, including the opportunity to see African animals in their natural habitat. If you are lucky you may even have a lion or elephant walk close to your vehicle to remind you where we humans fit into their supply chain!” The passionate presentation from Prof Patrick Lumumba, Director/Chief Executive of the Kenyan Anti-Corruption Commission on the rising of Africa as a global force, was indicated by many as a highlight of the conference. Professor Lumumba’s optimism over the fact Africa will take her pride of place at the dinner table of human development inspired delegates and earned him an enthusiastic standing ovation. “All of us must arise, roll up our sleeves and be in the forefront of efforts towards establishing an Africa we all yearn for,” Professor Lumumba said. “After all, we are not the Cradle of Humankind in vain – we ignited the first fire! The time has now come for us to reclaim innovation and restore our dignity.”
A new addition to the conference was the Africa Café which was well-received by the conference goers. The highly interactive session focussed on sustainable growth in Africa and delegates were able to contribute ideas about how business resilience and sustainability are interconnected.
Attendees have heaped praise on the exhibition segment of the conference as well. Not only did exhibitors showcase the latest services and products of the industry, but also thrilled delegates with handing out varied and valuable prizes such as Apple I-pads, ASTL Certification exam sponsorships, GPS devices and the like. Exhibitors were equally delighted by the massive exposure their brands received. Says Almie Visagie, Director of BTS, winner of the award for the best multiple stand unit and sponsor: “The SAPICS Conference and Exhibition enables corporates to broaden their reach, spread their message and, through increased exposure, integrate with a large variety of brands that make up our logistics management and supply chain.” The award for the best single stand unit went to Pragma Africa whose innovative shoe shine man on the stand ensured maximum time with delegates. The organiser of this prestigious event, Upavon , has announced that the 35th annual SAPICS Conference and Exhibition will take place from 2-4 June 2013. SAPICS is the South African custodian of two internationally accredited certification programmes from APICS – Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) and Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). The association’s education offerings are aimed at advancing industry’s ability to succeed in a changing and increasingly competitive market place.
