Specification Management Summit 2023 Day 1: Bringing Together Industry and Technology Leaders to Address Critical Supply Chain Challenges

We’re officially halfway through January, which means Specright’s annual Specification Management Summit is finally here! After a buzzing registration period, we’re extremely excited to welcome nearly 200 attendees to Nashville for this year’s event. 

Chat with Matt

Day 1 of Summit began with an introduction from Ring Container Technologies President and CEO Brian Smith, followed by a keynote from our CEO Matthew Wright. Brian and Matthew shared stories from their time together at International Paper, where they experienced specification challenges firsthand while supplying boxes to the produce industry, where demand was constantly changing.

During his presentation, Matthew stressed the urgency to better manage data in today’s world. Disruptions and economic challenges have forced companies to reimagine supply chains and build relationships that are dynamic, flexible and responsive. As Matthew emphasized, the future must include a supply chain in which all companies work together through one digitized dataset for specifications, so that all can visualize, optimize and deliver successful business outcomes. 

Matthew went on to explore how data should be the driving force in navigating uncertain times, especially when it comes to meeting sustainability goals, recession-proofing your business (cost optimization at its finest) and addressing a changing workforce (quiet quitting anyone?). 

To end the Summit’s first presentation, Matthew left attendees with three key actions to help improve supply chain resiliency (a major theme across the rest of the event): stay focused on business strategies, use data to drive decision making, and implement the right tools to empower your teams.

Welcome Reception + Dinner 

Following Matthew’s presentation, all guests moved to the welcome reception in the Sound Room and Living Room Bar at the W Nashville hotel for drinks, dinner and a bit of industry networking and live music to end the night. 

A Look at the Days Ahead

We can’t believe day one is already over, but we’re thrilled to have two more content-filled days to bring you! Attendees can look forward to additional presentations, breakout sessions, panels and more. Here’s a look at some of what’s to come:

A presentation from Brittany Ohr, Director of Product Development at Sugar Foods, on the importance of leveraging a single-source-of-truth for specification data to drive product innovation and stay ahead of trends. ‍Bridget Grewal, Director of Packaging Continuous Improvement at Magna International, will also present on driving cost savings across your enterprise through data digitization and standardization. We’ll have a panel of sustainability experts from our Specification Management ecosystem, addressing new regulations, reporting requirements, and trends forcing businesses to take action now.

Summit has only just begun…we’ll see you tomorrow for Day 2! 

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