Banneker’s Snead inducted into WBE Hall of Fame

We want to  ensure that we are always  developing a dynamic lineup of top-notch speakers and presenters.
We want to ensure that we are always developing a dynamic lineup of top-notch speakers and presenters.

Cheryl W. Snead, founder, president and CEO of Banneker Industries, was inducted into the Women’s Business Enterprise Hall of Fame in December. Prior to Banneker, Snead worked for Peerless Precision. When the company went out of business in 1991, she purchased it and shifted the business’ focus to supply-chain management. Now named Banneker Industries, the company is one of the co-founders of the annual SCM Summit at Bryant University. Snead holds an MBA/MSIA in business administration and management from Purdue University. She was the first African-American woman to receive a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

PBN: How does Banneker assess and cater to the various SCM needs of its clients’ industries, which range from aerospace and government to e-commerce and retail?
SNEAD: We initially approach any client as a consultant would, leveraging tools and questionnaires to ultimately arrive at a deep understanding of their supply chain, inefficiencies and other current problems. We then take the information about the client and leverage our team of experts to engineer a standard, modified or truly custom supply-chain solution. Supply-chain solutions are not cookie cutter so we truly have to understand our clients’ processes, procedures and trends in the industry to adapt solutions.

PBN: As the need for companies to lower their carbon footprint becomes more critical, what are some emerging trends in the SCM industry?
SNEAD: The best-in-class organizations are actually looking to reduce their footprint across their entire supply chain, implementing such initiatives as buying from companies who have established sustainability programs on file. At Banneker, we’ve woven being green into our corporate culture by creating our “green team,” otherwise known as Banneker’s Environmental and Sustainability Team (Team B.E.S.T.). This team was responsible for earning Banneker our ISO 14001 certification in 2012 and introducing numerous changes to our way of doing business.

PBN: What are some of your aspirations for the SCM Summit at Bryant University and what are some of expectations for the 2015 summit?
SNEAD: The vision behind the Supply Chain Management Summit back in 2006 was to create a “community of practice” to educate and share best practices in the industry with business owners and professionals. Our vision is to grow the Supply Chain Summit into a national “must attend” conference for both supply-chain professionals, practitioners and educators alike at all levels within their organization. We want to ensure that we are always developing a dynamic lineup of top-notch speakers and presenters, as well as deliver an event catered around the most compelling supply-chain issues, while building and maintaining a network of professionals that stay connected. •

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