Read the announcement on LinkedIN: https://bit.ly/3frJhDe
The Heart of the Matter
Following i3 Advantage’s recognition as this year’s “Most influential Leader in Supply Chain Consulting” for Canada, we spoke to Principal Patricia J. Moser to find out more about the company’s extraordinary track record, core values and achievements.
When Patricia speaks about supply chain you can feel her passion for the profession, and she can get right to the heart of the matter. “If you take the analogy of an organization being like a human body, supply chain is the heart. It provides ‘nourishment’ to the rest of the enterprise, and there is not a part of this ‘body’ that it doesn’t touch in some way, shape or form. When the heart starts failing the ripple effect is all throughout the body, including the brain, which I consider to be the client. Supply chain defines the client experience.”
Through Patricia’s firm i3 Advantage she is able to share her expertise of over 2 decades of success in supply chain, across a myriad of industries. i3 Advantage, is a high-value consultancy which was established in 2005, representing insight, innovation and impact. Patricia has been able to lead organizations’ supply chains to embrace new approaches and transform effectively through her change leadership.
“It’s not always easy, but through implementing proper change leadership, you can cut through the resistance and barriers towards a successful outcome.”
i3 Advantage was put on hiatus for 5 years in 2015, as Patricia joined a leading agency at the United Nations as the Chief Procurement Officer where she transformed the function, in a short period of time for maximum impact, globally. She felt that it was important to engage on a global, humanitarian level, given how she believes that effective supply chain can truly change lives positively.
And she was able to demonstrate this, globally, just as she had previously nationally. Because it isn’t just about technology, policy and operational efficiencies, which she has implemented successfully across many sectors. It is clear throughout all of her work that Patricia is also a tireless advocate for sustainability – environment, social, and economic.
“When most organizations talk about sustainability, they are often primarily thinking about the environment. But the environment is only one part of sustainability. An extremely important aspect of sustainability are the social and economic elements. It is a three-legged stool and where each one supports the other for maximum impact. Supply Chain can have a positive impact on every one of the Sustainable Development Goals!”
Patricia has worked with clients to realize their desired sustainability goals. But she cautions organizations that implementing sustainability is a marathon, not a sprint.
“Sometimes organizations wake up one day and they realize that they are behind their competition in the area of sustainability. They have a few paragraphs on their website about being committed to sustainability…blah, blah, blah, but when you pull away the covers there is little there. Their clients are getting more savvy and requesting proof of their programs and then they are in the proverbial ‘emperor’s new clothes.’ Then they want to do something fast, but that is not realistic. You can do a few things which can have an immediate impact, but if you are truly devoted to sustainability in the supply chain, long-term, it takes time and ongoing corporate commitment.”
This also, according to Patricia, needs to include supply chain risk protocols, which ensure that there are no human rights and environmental abuses.
Ultimately, Patricia is a tireless champion for diversity and inclusion. She developed an award-winning program to support the enablement of diverse suppliers in the developing world, in her most recent iteration at the UN. But she has been supporting diverse suppliers for her entire career.
“The utilization of diverse suppliers, is not a charity nor a ‘nice to have.’ It is an absolute imperative where your organization can thrive through innovation and the commitment, client service of these types of suppliers. I have never been disappointed with providing access to opportunities for diverse, small/medium enterprises. There are so many myths out there about these types of businesses that need to be busted. I can tell you from personal experience that they can have a powerful positive impact on your business and to the economy as a whole.”
Being a role model for women in supply chain is something Patricia takes very seriously. “There need to be more women at the senior levels of supply chain, and although some progress has been made, we are still far away from equity. I hope that by my efforts and recognitions such as this one with Corporate Vision, I enable women to see themselves having a successful career in this exciting profession.”
i3 Advantage is ready to take your supply chain to the next level. As Patricia coined the phrase several years ago supply chain is about “Supplying value, delivering results and changing lives” – and that remains the crux of the business to this day.