Letter from the CEO: Top 5 Procurement and Supply Chain Management Moments in 2020 for LeanDNA
2020 has brought a whirlwind of change, uncertainty, and ongoing disruption to normal business operations. But at the same time, the world has seen first-hand the importance that manufacturing and supply chain plays in the day-to-day life of every individual. While this year has been challenging, one thing remained constant: We continue to be honored and proud to work with such incredible partners in the manufacturing space.
In a time of major transformation, when optimizing factory management is more important than ever, every single one of our customers navigated through new obstacles with dedication and innovation. And every single one of our Leaniacs continued to show their passion to help transform factory operations and grow with our customers.
With 2021 around the corner, I wanted to quickly reflect, celebrate, and acknowledge the work of our team and customers in 2020. Here’s a countdown of my top five moments of 2020:
Top Procurement and Supply Chain Management Moments for LeanDNA in 2020
5. I’m more certain now than ever that optimized factory management is the key to sustained growth in manufacturing.
This is a belief I’ve held after years of watching supply chain leaders work to manage complex inventory and delivery challenges with antiquated systems and manual processes. This year, we were able to share our approach and belief with others in the industry, by partnering with journalists and publications along the way to discuss what we know to be true at LeanDNA: Factory management can, and should be, your strategic force to agile inventory optimization and improved performance.
4. This year, we were honored to win the 2020 NextGen Supply Chain Analytics award, and I joined a panel of fellow innovators during the virtual conference to discuss the next wave of technology that will revolutionize manufacturing.
In a world of increasing product customization, constant changes in supply and demand, and globalization, teams need to be able to cut through complexity and understand which inventory issues to solve first, and which actions to prioritize. That’s what drives our work every day, and it was an honor to have that work recognized by industry leaders.
3. In October, we officially launched the industry’s first factory-focused inventory optimization workflows, which are purpose-built for teams to quickly reduce excess inventory while improving delivery performance.
Our product team has been hard at work building key functionality that automatically surfaces and prioritizes top-value actions every day. This helps teams stay aligned, standardized, and moving in the same direction—something particularly pivotal amid today’s uncertainty.
2. We’ve been very fortunate to maintain growth during this year, and that’s a blessing we don’t take lightly.
After ranking #27 on Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies in Texas list and Built In Austin’s best small places to work, we grew our team by almost 30% this year, including several international hires and three new executives, Tod Klubnik, Morten Moeller, and Jamey Heinze. We also established a new set of FOUR company values that drive our work every day to reflect the culture our team embodies. (You can check them—and our open positions—out on our careers page). All in all, our Leaniac team continues to grow, and we are excited to build on our momentum in the market with these pivotal new hires.
1. We’re proud to work across the globe with the most amazing manufacturers and partners.
We recently highlighted this year’s LeanDNA-Listers—a group of individuals who went above and beyond during one of the most trying, uncertain times for the supply chain. Beyond our A-Listers though, we worked with manufacturers across 17 countries to navigate new challenges—through remote work mandates, freeing up working capital when demand plummeted or preventing critical shortages where demand increased. Our proudest accomplishment this year is the growth and business results we’ve helped our customers achieve.
After a year like this, we all earned a little R&R as we ramp up for 2021. I’m confident it’s going to be the biggest year yet for our company—and for manufacturing. Cheers to the new year!
Yours in Partnership,
Richard Lebovitz
We’re so proud to celebrate our amazing customers this year. Join us in congratulating four teams who crushed their inventory goals this year and had some top procurement and supply chain management moments of their own in our 2020 LeanDNA-Lister Year-End Wrap Up.
