CIOReview | | 19 JUNE 2023CXO INSIGHTSBy Nerrick L. Jackson, Director of Supply Chain Operations, Zappos Family of CompaniesDiversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) --these 3 letters are music to my ears. It's refreshing to see the manifestation of sincere inclusion in the cultural realm of most industries. Corporations and organizations are not only acknowledging the benefits of DEI efforts, but they are embracing the DEI philosophy as a key component to doing business successfully. Organizations with a true and authentic DEI culture are 35 percent more successful than their competitors. Diverse leadership teams lead to 19 percent more revenue and decision-making is 87 percent more effective. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are indeed beneficial and for that, I am truly grateful. And while I am excited about the strides being taken to make the "traditional" acronym of DEI initiatives sustainable, for the sake of this article, allow me to change the meaning of DEI.DEI in the supply chain world stands for demand, efficiency, and innovation. The supply chain bottleneck that nearly brought us to our knees reminded us of ever-growing consumer demands. Whether the task was delivering vaccines, masks, and needles to those battling the COVID-19 pandemic or delivering everyday household supplies such as dishwashing liquid, toilet paper, and laundry detergent, the demand for those items grew. The growth was due to consumer uncertainty about when those items would be made available and at what frequency would their local stores stock those items. As the pandemic grew, the medical world could not afford to be in a more vulnerable state. Therefore, the intensity to push supplies through the supply chain became the norm. This strained and stretched the supply chain to epic levels. Even when prices for those items spiked 100 to 200 percent above the normal asking price, the laws of supply and demand didn't waver. The demand was greater than the supply. Supply and demand always have been and always will be the foundation of THE DEI OF SUPPLYCHAIN MANAGEMENT
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