In-depth Insights Into Professional Journeys, Overcoming Challenges, And Leveraging Ai In Supply Chain Management: A Comprehensive Q&a With Industry Expert Dr Imad Syed

This Q&A session with industry expert Dr Imad Syed, explores his professional journey and strategies for overcoming supply chain challenges. He discusses the inspiration behind his career, the role of data-driven solutions, and the implementation of AI and ML to enhance efficiency. Key topics include global supply chain integration, customized strategies for diverse industries, sustainability initiatives, and valuable career lessons. The insights highlight the importance of continuous learning, innovation, and investment in technology to stay at the forefront of digital transformation and data governance.

Career Inspiration

We started the interview by asking, “What inspired you to start your professional journey in this field?”

Dr Imad Syed replied, “My Academic interest and subsequent initial days in mathematics and physics; evolved the journey on setting importance for business KPIs & KRA… All been facts and data driven; structured & formulated my ambition to create continual value couple of decades ago… With forward thinking adopted the profession in Data Management Industry; today, I am pleased to organize and drive data driven business to next level with continual customer excellence.”

Overcoming Supply Chain Hurdles

The Africa Times: What were the main hurdles in optimizing PiLog’s supply chain, and how did you overcome them to achieve over 15% cost reduction annually?

DrImad Syed replied,“Key Challenges in optimization of cross industry supply chain:

Lower Leadership Commitment
Longer lead time in decision making with multi business functions involvement
Unable to effectively Measure and Monitor KPIs and KRAs
Process and Data Deficiencies creating humongous Value leaks

PiLog Value Engineering Portfolio of Innovate Products and Agile Service Delivery with Right structuring of People Process and Technology providing utmost value to customers; some of the key initiatives which helped optimize end to end Supply Chain Management

Effective Master & Meta Data Quality for augmenting business process management
Enabling tighter business controls with optimization the Standard Operating Procedures, RACI, Risk Proposition, External Partner Management, Interprocess operational effectiveness and efficiencies etc.
Customer hand holding to endure and ensure Data Metrics drive n Business KPIs and KRAs
Inducting and streaming automation of process and ERP solutions with RPA, IoT, IIOT, Data Science, AI / ML etc.
Above all, adoption of industry best practices, standards, policies, procedures etc.”

Global Supply Chain Integration

The Africa Times: How did PiLog ensure smooth integration of supply chain operations across global regions while maintaining quality and efficiency?

Dr Imad Syed replied,“PiLog Global customers are mega companies with global presence and in multi businesses and have organic as well as in organic growth. PiLog through its Digital and Supply Chain Transformation engagement have taken methodological approach to drive continual value for these organizations by…

Laid strong foundation for Master, Meta & Transactional Data with Quality Standards from ISO, UNSPSC, DUNS etc. for Taxonomy, Classification and Data Structures
Meta Data Optimization for Planning, Execution and Control of Business processes enabled on any ERP or COTs solutions
Supply Chain Process optimization with industry recommended best practices, governance and compliance from ISO, SOX, DUNS, Aberdeen etc.
Keep Data Clean and Green with AI / ML Driven Data Quality and Governance Solutions
Application Portfolio Rationalization and System Appreciation Studies for optimization of Business applications
Cloud readiness for customer migration and enablement for overall TCO reduction”

Tailored Supply Chain Strategies

The Africa Times: How does PiLog customize its supply chain strategies to meet the unique needs of different industries it serves?

Dr Imad Syed replied, “Supply Chain strategies definitely vary from industry to industry; geographically and also have impact of not just your internal business lines but also externally partners, their partners so on and so forth. So, in order to make it simple to drive, delivery and showcase value for change, we ideally

Focus on Key Business Challenges including inter process dependencies
Evaluate 360-degree Risks with value leaks
Identify the process deficiencies and maturity level
Formulate the solution maps with holistic view
Build Strategies to measure and control business objectives, KRAs, KPIs etc.
Break down process model for smaller chunks for low hanging fruits value management
Implement, measure and course correct the performance on Pilot scale
Expand and spread the solutions across the board with our SMART framework”

AI/ML Impact Examples

The Africa Times: Could you give examples of how AI and ML technologies have enhanced PiLog’s supply chain efficiency?

Dr Imad Syed replied, “Inducting of AI and ML in our Solution and Services have improved the supply chain operations of our customers through

Reusable artifacts like process, procedures are easier to build in collaboration
Master Data and Meta Data Quality and Maturity Improvement with PiLog AI Lens a Co-Pilot for Data Maturity Improvement
Seamless integration for any source or targetdata exchange and decision making with Real Time Analytics SMART Integraphics
Augmented and Gen AI built in products
Improved pricing analytics with AI Lens ”

Leading Digital Innovation

The Africa Times: What steps does PiLog take to stay at the forefront of digital transformation and data governance in its supply chain?

Dr Imad Syed replied,“PiLog with its intuitive vision and mission had been on war footing for adopting latest and greatest technology, investment on high skill work force and with a high customer centric focus has been at forefront of digital transformation and data governance through

Consistent and continual feedback from customer and leading analysts like Gartner and Software Reviews etc.
Continual Market Research by our Process and Data Experts
Investment of more than 15% of revenues invested in cross, upskilling talent and technology development
Creating Supply Chain Models for Data and Process for easy, faster, cheaper adoption on agile models
Investment in Master Data Repository, Hierarchies and Taxonomies based on ISO 8000 and associated standards guidelines
AI / ML embedded Data Governance and Supply Chain Meta Data Optimization Platform (Intellisense Data Exchange Platform)”

Sustainability Initiatives Overview

The Africa Times: Can you discuss any sustainability initiatives PiLog has implemented in its supply chain?

Dr Imad Syed replied,“PiLog from last decade and half had been focused on sustainability initiatives not just for its operations but also for customer; some of the initiatives PiLog was involved and take pride for being enablers or driving proponent, key examples:

Optimization of Transportation Planning and Execution for world largest petrochemical giant by reducing not just the carbon footprint but also reducing operating costs and margins by than 5% YoY
Implementation of Virtual Warehouse and enabling Multi Enterprise Supply Chain Business Network had reduced the need for materials and services for a large manufacturing industry reducing inventory hoarding cost 5-7% YoY and enduring sustainability in supply chain
Reducing of Onsite travel and promoting remote consulting services with aid of latest and greatest technologies had reduced our travel cost by 30% YoY and also reducing carbon foot print ”

Streamlining Operations & Governance

The Africa Times: How does the integration of PiLog-MDRM with SAP modules streamline supply chain operations and improve data governance?

Dr Imad Syed replied,“PiLog MDRM is multi-domain master and meta data management solution which ensure supply chain business process planning, execution and control required for driving process efficiencies and effectiveness.

Master and Meta Data Maintained and Governed in MDRM like Materials, Services, Model Service Specifications, Vendors, Customers etc. linked to Supply Chain will ensure business data and processes executed in SAP Materials Management, Customer Service, Sales and Distribution etc. is complied to ISO 8000, DUNS, UNSPSC Classification for planning, execution, reporting and other controls in SAP.

Integration with SAP ECC, S/4 HANA, Ariba and other products with SAP or seamless and interfaces on premise or cloud are certified by SAP.”

Agile Product Innovation

The Africa Times: Describe a time you innovated product development with agility. What were the key factors for its success and impact?

Dr Imad Syed replied,“PiLog has been always a company which believes in agility. Recent example was launch of PiLog Lean Data Governance Solution with AI Lens as Co-Pilot built on GEN AI was released within 6 months from the conception and released to market in Q1’2024.

They key factors which were of interest were:

Customer Focus and Driven with Human Touch
Easy to deeply, run, scale up on agile with lowest cost of ownership
Cloud based deployment helping SMEs to plug and play
Modular solution with robust platform model ensuring GDPR requirements for data security, regulations and compliance are embedded ”

Words of Wisdom

Lastly we asked, “Do you have a piece of advice that you would like to say to people just starting on their business journey?”

“As a human and professional; we have to continually learn till grave. But having said that there few come to mind as important messages than lessons for budding professionals: