With supply chains facing some of the most volatile conditions in recent years, a new UK Supply Chain Professional (SCP) Club was officially launched at an event at Hampton Manor last week. The club aims to bring together supply chain professionals from across industries to share expertise, collaborate on common challenges, and drive innovation at a time when global networks are under unprecedented strain.
The SCP Club will serve as a space for honest conversation, peer learning, and collective problem-solving, delivering tangible value in the form of great venues, food and experiences.
“Our vision is simple,” said Jenny Lowrie, Director, UK SCP Club. “There is a massive knowledge gap and pressing need for a forum which unites supply chain professionals in spaces where we can learn from one another, share experiences, and build meaningful, long-lasting connections.
“Supply chains are cool. They’re complex, impactful, and at the centre of how the world works. If my four-year-old doesn’t get a Barbie Dreamhouse this Christmas, it’s either because a supply chain has failed, or my own S&OP process at home has! These systems shape every part of our lives. And by bringing our community together, we can debate, challenge, and grow in a way that moves both our industry and our own professional development forward.”
The UK SCP Club’s launch comes at a critical moment as supply chains grapple with more complexity than ever according to Dave Food, Lecturer and Industry Strategist at the University of Warwick. “When professionals share knowledge openly, whether it’s around planning, forecasting, resilience, technology or talent, we build stronger networks and smarter responses. The SCP club will play a vital role in helping supply chain leaders to stay ahead of the challenges inherent in tomorrow’s supply chains.”
Jan Kraaijeveld, Slimstock’s Strategic S&OP Expert echoed this sentiment: “Too often, businesses tackle supply chain challenges in isolation when the real breakthroughs happen through collaboration. The SCP Club is a place where expertise can be exchanged freely, whether you’re building an S&OP process from scratch or refining mature operations.”
Launched at the first event of its kind, the club brings together a diverse audience, from organisations actively implementing new processes, to partners and consultants specialising in change management and operational transformation. Focused on practical insights, real case studies, and collaborative problem-solving, it aims for members to leave each session having gained knowledge, built relationships and fuelled progression.
Paralympian and World Champion Coxwain Erin Kennedy shared a powerful message in her keynote, reinforcing the importance of leadership, culture and teamwork which underpin the principles of the UK SCP Club: “Even in the toughest conditions, people can achieve amazing things when they support each other. Community is often the difference between struggling and succeeding.”
“As it evolves, the SCP Club will be shaped by the people it is designed to help through ideas, and what’s most important to our community, and we can’t wait to announce details of the next one.” Lowrie concludes.
