2023-12 – It may not seem particularly original, if you scroll through LinkedIn and social media, but I too believe it is important not to shy away from taking stock of the year that is coming to an end… with a focus on sharing thoughts and expectations for the new year 2026.
Once again, I say this without fanfare but with great pride, it has been a year that I can describe as excellent. Not only looking at the small “kit” of indicators that I keep under control – all of which are growing again – but above all from the point of view of the completed projects and the achieved results.
Recently, the nature of my business has changed somewhat, with me now focusing more on medium- to long-term temporary roles than on actual projects (implementations and specific activities) and/or more traditional operational consulting. However, I consider this to be only a temporary trend and not necessarily a fixed direction, as I am still open to and stimulated by upcoming assignments of this nature.
In any case, having concluded my collaboration with a medical company and keeping existing projects active, this year I also had the great opportunity to delve into sectors that were unexplored and interesting to me, both from the point of view of the type of business (in particular agriculture and fertilizers, with all the peculiarities that come with them), but also in terms of role and scope, as I was able to get more directly involved in the implementation of the S&OP process and Demand planning. All this in the context of a large multinational group. This is truly the invaluable part of my profession, because it allows me to actively work across different environments and sectors, with the challenges that this entails each time, including from a soft skills perspective.
Once again, the trip to the US for the ASCM Conference (which I wrote about here) was extremely prestigious and valuable. As always, I was able to find there interesting ideas and first-rate professionalism. I tend to consider this conference a bit of a preview, an appetizer of what the next year may hold in terms of macro-trends: the impression, net of the (increasingly) subtle international balances that are emerging, is that the focus is now definitively oriented towards interaction with AI and its (multiple) applications in an industrial/manufacturing context. However, there is one fundamental premise, one critical question: are we ready? Is the corporate system mature enough for a project of this magnitude? Bear in mind that a considerable amount of preliminary work needs to be done on data, otherwise the risk of a boomerang effect is very high.
If I had to bet or make a wish, this is probably what I would focus on in the near future: helping companies improve their master data and preparing them for artificial intelligence applications that truly exploit their full potential. Regarding an optimal project process, I find that there is no need to reinvent the wheel when good old PDCA applied to the context works perfectly: analysis of current processes and data, gap analysis with respect to the target level, action plan and improvement (monitored regularly and rigorously). I guarantee that it is not as easy to do as it is to say, but I am more than enthusiastic about giving it a try!
One last important goal for ‘26: I hope it will truly be the right year to complete my training as an APICS instructor and finally put myself to the test by teaching my first classes. I’m already feeling the adrenaline rush, but… I have no intention of backing down, and I hope that this will also bring me great satisfaction, as it has been a dream of mine since the beginning of my professional career.
Best wishes to everyone for a great 2026, and see you soon!