Tech-Chain 2024

TECH-CHAIN 2024

 

The standard registration cost is $150; however, we offer an early bird registration fee of $99, ending on October 4th at 5:00 pm. Take advantage of these savings!
 

Date: Friday, October 18th
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
 

Location: Saint Louis University 
Busch Student Center (BSC)
20 N. Grand Blvd.
Saint Louis Room - BSC 300
St. Louis, MO 63103


Below is the information on distinguished speakers and workshops for this event.

  • 8:00 am - 9:00 am - Breakfast and Networking
  • 9:00 am - 9:45 am - "How Machine Learning will Transform Supply Chain Management" by Dr. Naren Agrawal
  • 9:45 am - 10:30 am - "One Mile at a Time, Bayer's Digital Journey towards Smart Customer Experience" by Johnny Ivanyi
  • 10:30 am - 11:15 am - "Navigating Gen AI Transformation & Governance in Supply Chain" by Mohit Ahuja
  • 11:15 am - 12:00 pm - "Digital Twins in Operations and Supply Chain" by Dr. Rajinder Bhandal
  • 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm - AI Product implementation: Best Practices and Strategies" by Gowri Selka
  • 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm - Lunch
  • 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm - KNIME workshop on AI and Gen AI modeling

TECH-CHAIN 2024 - Speaker Lineup

 
1. Dr. Naren Agrawal
Title: How Machine Learning Will Transform Supply Chain Management
Position: Benjamin and Mae Swig Professor, Department of Information Systems and Analytics, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
Session Overview: Senior executives today understand the strategic importance of resilience and agility in supply chains. Unfortunately, many firms have discovered that their current supply chain planning methods have failed to deliver the required performance for resilience and agility. While much has been written about the promise of recent developments in machine learning, the results have often been disappointing. In this talk, Naren Agrawal will explain why the application of machine learning has fallen short in delivering supply chain resilience and introduce Optimal Machine Learning, a new paradigm developed to enhance its impact on supply chain planning. He will illustrate this approach with successful implementations in complex global supply chains and conclude with a framework to design effective strategies for resilience and agility.
Speaker Bio:  Naren Agrawal is the Benjamin and Mae Swig Professor of Supply Chain Management and Analytics at Santa Clara University, where he has served since 1992. He has held key leadership roles, including Interim Dean of the Leavey School of Business and Associate Dean of Faculty. Naren holds degrees from the Institute of Technology, B.H.U., India, the University of Texas at Dallas, and The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. An expert in supply chain management and service operations, Naren has consulted with numerous companies across various industries and advised startups. He has published extensively in top journals and co-edited a book on Retail Supply Chain Management. He is an Associate Editor for Management and Business Review and has been recognized with multiple teaching awards, including the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence.

2. Johnny Ivanyi
Title: One Mile at a Time: Bayer's Digital Journey Towards Smart Customer Experience
Position: Global Head of Logistics Excellence, Bayer
Session Overview: In this presentation, Johnny Ivanyi will explore Bayer's digitalization journey in the supply chain. Focusing on end-to-end digital visualization of operations, Johnny will discuss how to increase the speed and efficiency of delivery networks and foster a data-centric culture. The session will cover key innovations, including real-time supply chain visibility, predictive analytics, and customer-centric platforms to boost omnichannel experiences.
Speaker Bio: With over 21 years of international business experience across world-class supply chain organizations, including leadership roles at General Motors, Monsanto, and Bayer, Johnny Ivanyi brings a wealth of knowledge in logistics excellence. He drives logistics transformation across Bayer's Crop Science Organization, implements innovative strategies, and leverages cutting-edge technologies such as Global TMS, WMS, RPA, Machine Learning, and Digital Twins.


 

3. Dr. Rajinder Bhandal
Title: "Myth Busters": Myth Busting Digital Twins in Operations and Supply Chain Management
Position: Lecturer in Management, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, UK
Session Overview: Understanding a digital twin and its strategic application is crucial for modern supply chain management. Dr. Rajinder Bhandal will demystify digital twin technology by unpacking the Digital Twin Consortium's definition and framework. The session will highlight various use cases across different sectors and discuss how digital twins can provide organizations with a competitive edge.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Rajinder Bhandal is a multidisciplinary researcher and lecturer in management at Leeds University Business School. She is a Fellow of the HEA and a member of the Digital Twin Consortium Academia & Research Working Group. Her research focuses on disruptive technologies within operations and supply chain management, including digital twins and big data.


 

4. Scott Fincher
Workshop on KNIME Analytics Platform focusing on enriching Data Analytics with GenAI Without Writing a Line of Code
Position: Data Science Community Manager, KNIME
Session Overview: In this hands-on workshop, Scott Fincher will guide participants through a practical exploration of data analytics and GenAI without writing code. Using a fraud detection use case, participants will learn how to utilize the KNIME Analytics Platform and GenAI via the KNIME AI Extension (Labs) to generate custom alert messages. The workshop will cover fraud detection techniques, prompt engineering for LLMs, and building and deploying data apps. Whether you're new to KNIME or an experienced user, this session will provide valuable insights and practical skills.
Speaker Bio: Scott Fincher is an experienced Data Scientist and the KNIME data Science Community Manager. He has extensive experience teaching and leading workshops on the KNIME Analytics Platform, machine learning, and data science. Before joining KNIME, Scott worked as an environmental consultant for nearly 20 years, focusing on numerical modeling of atmospheric pollutants. He holds an MS in Statistics and a BS in Meteorology from Texas A&M University.

5. Mohit Ahuja
Title: Navigating Generative AI Transformation & Governance in Supply Chain Management
Position: Transformation Program Leader, Caterpillar
Session Overview: In this talk, we will discuss
1.    Journey to Gen AI Transformation, beginning with identifying the right areas to invest in and the need to balance the potential benefits with the practicalities of implementation.
2.    Hurdles posed by the security of intellectual property and the need for buy-in from executives and employees.
3.    We will then delve into a framework designed to help organizations make informed investment decisions, focusing on how to select applications that offer the highest return.
4.    Explore change management strategies crucial for successfully integrating Generative AI-driven solutions into existing supply chain operations.
By the end of the session, you will understand how to approach these challenges and leverage Generative AI effectively to drive your business forward.
Speaker Bio: Mohit Ahuja is a strategic leader known for driving operational excellence and strategic transformation initiatives in diverse industries. Recognized for generating value across Fortune 500 companies such as Caterpillar and Biogen, Mohit Ahuja has led multimillion-dollar initiatives to optimize supply chains, enhance efficiency, and drive revenue growth. He is currently working as a Transformation Program Leader at Caterpillar. In this role, he is responsible for shaping and executing the supply chain transformation strategy for the wear components business unit. Mohit Ahuja holds a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from Thapar University, India; a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from the University of Cincinnati; and an M.B.A. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.


 

6. Gowri Selka
Title:  AI product implementation: Best practices and strategies
Position: AI strategist at Volantsys Analytics
Session Overview: Successful implementation of AI solutions necessitates a comprehensive approach, starting with a deep understanding of the product's purpose, the data it uses, and its legal implications. Ethical considerations such as transparency, accountability, and the impact on privacy and human rights are also critical. This discussion will explore best practices and key considerations while buying technology products with AI capabilities, highlighting the challenges, assessing solution effectiveness, and ensuring relevance to business needs. We'll also outline the roles needed within a cross-functional team to deliver expected business value while upholding ethical AI development and governance.
Speaker Bio: Gowri Selka is a former Head of Data Analytics for Walgreens Boots Alliance, where she established a Data Vision, Strategy, and Roadmap to implement an integrated analytics platform across multiple lines of businesses, such as Retail, Healthcare, and Supply chain. As an AI strategist at Volantsys Analytics, she spearheads their AI literacy programs and empowers customers to leverage analytics to realize business value.
 

KNIME Analytics Platform Workshop

During this event, we will explore a fraud detection use-case and we will exploit the multilanguage capabilities of GenAI to automatically generate custom alert messages. During this hands-on workshop you will get familiar with the free low-code tool, KNIME Analytics Platform, techniques for fraud detection, and the use of GenAI via the KNIME AI Extension Labs.Completely new to KNIME? We've got you covered. We will start with an introduction to KNIME Analytics Platform, making it easy to follow along even for newbies.



If you have any questions, please contact the Center at  cscms@slu.edu

Price:

$99.00