Supply Change

Episode 3: Design Thinking — engineering a better supply chain Episode three is all about design thinking. Roy Anderson interviews Ron Volpe to go deep into what design thinking is and how it applies to the supply chain. So, what is “Design Thinking?” And how does it fit in with the supply chain? To understand the role of design thinking in the supply chain, you first have to recognize that in business, “the road is littered with products and services that nobody needs.” And often the reason those products failed is because the creators were designing the products based on what they thought the market wanted, rather than what the people actually wanted to buy. Design thinking is about designing products, services and processes, always with the end-user in mind. When you apply design thinking to the supply chain, you have to think of every stage of the process, from “farm to table.” And your ultimate objective has to be designing it for the end user. Is the process of design thinking a quick exercise or a long