2022 Schedule

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Maintaining Reliability in Unreliable Times

Presenter: Danaka Porter
Regional Managing Partner, Iota Consultants
Description:
We are in unprecedented times. Covid-19 wreaked havoc on supply chains; decreased production during times of increased demand. Labor shortages, chip shortages, long lead items turning into “maybe next year, if you’re lucky” items. The Russia Ukraine war added further stress to supply chains through sanctions, port closures, fuel shortages and much more. What once was reliable is now unreliable. So how can companies overcome an unreliable supply chain to maintain their reliability? There are several ways to mitigate unreliability; scenario planning, supplier management, and technology. There is no one size fits all and what may work for one company will not necessarily work for another. Scenario planning involves reviewing every potential situation that could occur, then working through to see how the company would be impacted. Ultimately this results in mitigation plans for each scenario. These can then be reviewed and implemented. Proper Supplier Management includes ensuring all suppliers have their scorecards reviewed on a regular basis. Their information updated and kept current. It can also include reviewing which suppliers can become substitutes for others in the event one is not able to provide the required product in time. Technology is important as it links all the information together. Algorithms can be created to let management know that certain parts are low, equipment is wearing out sooner, it also collects information on suppliers for the scorecards. Overall technology is the glue that binds and provides real time information updates. This presentation will review how to best use technology to help mitigate reliability and supply chain issues.
About the Presenter:

Danaka obtained her Master of Engineering from MIT in systems and supply chain. She is a partner at iota consulting, a management consulting firm, where she consults in Supply Chain, Project Management, and Data Analytics in heavy manufacturing and technology. Danaka is also a sessional lecturer at the Dhillon School of Business, where she teaches Supply Chain and Project Management. She has written a supply chain textbook as she did not feel the current ones contained enough application of supply chain and focused too heavily on theory. The textbook is available for university students this fall. Her algorithm writing took her into the medical side; Danaka is a cofounder and the current COO of VitaNova Tech, a fertility company in the US. She wrote algorithms to better match surrogates and egg donors with intended parents. Oh Additionally, she is currently completing her PhD in Cardiology at the Cumming School of Medicine where she is using machine learning to help predict SCD (sudden cardiac death) by rewriting the algorithms that are currently being used to find certain markers.
Danaka sits on the Training and Education committee for the Cardiac Arrhythmia Network of Canada, where she educates other PhD’s, trainees, Doctors, and health care workers in implementing and using technology in cardiac care. She also sits on the board of motionball, a national fundraising committee dedicated to raising money for Special Olympics. She is also an animal foster parent for her local Humane Society, where she looks after a variety of animals.
Danaka routinely mentors high school and university students, helping them to find their passions, she is also an Educational Counselor with MIT where she works with admissions to find the best applicants that align with MIT’s mission. She is a certified coach and helps those she works with to achieve their goals and dreams.