Tag: supplychaininnovation

The Importance of Compliance and Sustainability in Supply Chain Management with Topo Solutions

As the host of the Digital Supply Chain podcast, I’m always on the lookout for guests who can offer unique insights and expertise on the subject of supply chain management. Recently, I had the pleasure of welcoming Tobias Grabler, the COO of Topo Solutions, to the show. In this episode, Tobias introduces Topo Solutions as a SaaS company that provides a digital platform for end-to-end supply chain management.

Topo Solutions is a cloud-based solution that covers the entire journey of a product from sourcing to quality management, compliance, and sustainability. With offices in Hong Kong and the US, Topo Solutions primarily serves clients in Europe, but is expanding into the US market. The company celebrated its 10-year anniversary last year and has been growing rapidly, with a move to a larger office space in Hong Kong in 2022.

One of the things that sets Topo Solutions apart is its flexible approach to implementation. They can either implement everything for the customer, hand it over to the customer to build everything themselves, or start and then have the customer take over. They also offer templates for certain areas and allow for an empty canvas to build tools for the customer’s specific supply chain needs. The platform is also low-code, empowering business users, as IT and developer resources are often scarce.

Topo Solutions is designed for the consumer goods industry, and can be applied across various product groups, allowing users to go into nitty-gritty details. The platform starts with product ideas and helps buyers and product managers communicate with suppliers, getting feedback on minimum order quantities, prices, and logistics information. It can serve as an order management system for organizations without existing systems and is a collaboration platform that connects suppliers, third-party service providers, and team members for production follow-ups, project management, and quality control.

Another key focus of Topo Solutions is compliance and sustainability, including supplier onboarding, self-assessments, certificate management, and the ability to run audits. The platform is framework agnostic and can connect to various platforms such as BSCI and Sedex for audit data. It also allows for collaboration with suppliers to trigger corrective actions and improve sustainability. Topo covers topics such as packaging, circular economy, traceability, and chemical management, helping customers get more transparency and prevent issues.

Tobias mentions the importance of carbon emissions and how Topo Solutions is helping customers collect CO2 emissions from the supply chain. He also highlights Topo’s success stories, including their work with Puma for quality management, the implementation for the biggest European shoe retailer Deichmann for the German Due Diligence Supply Chain Act, and the sourcing arm of the Rewe group. Tobias explains Topo’s vision to become the most efficient and powerful supply chain platform in the market, with a focus on sustainability and compliance. He believes that a holistic approach to sustainability is important, as it encompasses social and environmental components, and notes that tackling a broad area is essential to avoid the appearance of greenwashing.

It was great to have Tobias on the show, and I’m excited to share this episode with you. If you’re interested in learning more about digital supply chain management and the role of technology in this field, I encourage you to give this episode a listen.

If you enjoy this episode, please consider following the podcast and sharing it with others who may be interested. And as always, if you find the podcast of value, and you’d like to help me continue to make episodes like this one, you can go to the podcast’s Support page and become a Digital Supply Chain podcast Supporter for less than the cost of a cup of coffee!

Thank you!

Photo credit Jason Rosenberg on Flickr

Supply Chain Opportunities in Times of Uncertainty: Insights from CEO Greg Price of Shipwell

I am excited to share that on my latest podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Greg Price, CEO of Shipwell. We discussed a range of topics related to the current state and future of the supply chain industry.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation was the importance of strong leadership in navigating the uncertain and rapidly-changing landscape of the industry. Greg emphasized that in times of economic uncertainty and recession, it’s crucial to take a step back and look at the bigger picture in order to identify opportunities and drive positive outcomes.

Another highlight of our conversation was the discussion on the role of technology in the supply chain. Greg shared insights on how Shipwell is using cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and improve efficiency for their clients. He also highlighted the importance of data and analytics in making informed decisions and staying ahead of the competition.

We also touched on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply chain and the ways in which it has accelerated the adoption of digital solutions. Greg shared his thoughts on how the industry will continue to evolve post-pandemic and the opportunities that lie ahead.

My 5 key takeaways from this episode:

  1. Strong leadership is crucial for success in the supply chain industry, especially during recessionary and inflationary environments.
  2. It is important to take a step back and assess areas and elements in the supply chain that need to be focused on in order to drive positive outcomes.
  3. In order to stay competitive and ensure job security, it is important to continuously drive impact and results in the supply chain.
  4. Cost efficiency and future-proofing are key areas to focus on in order to optimize supply chain performance.
  5. Collaboration and open communication with peers and superiors is vital in order to drive progress and success in the supply chain industry.

Overall, it was an enlightening conversation and I believe our listeners will find it incredibly valuable. I encourage you to give it a listen and let me know your thoughts.

I also want to thank Greg for taking the time to speak with me and for sharing his valuable insights. If you are interested in learning more about Shipwell or connecting with Greg, you can reach him at greg@shipwell.com or visit their website at shipwell.com.

And remember to follow and support the podcast, as I will continue to bring you valuable content and expert guests in the field of supply chain.

Image credit: Word Cloud by Epic Top 10