DESIGN & MANUFACTURE
GRAND AMBITIONS AROUND SUSTAINABILITY CAN BE A CHALLENGE When it comes to embedding sustainability into company-wide processes surely there are challenges ? Changing regulations from country to country , for example .
“ Of course , we want to ensure our customers have the right tools , processes , and systems to be in compliance with regulations ,” says Barkman . “ But in some ways , it ’ s gone way beyond regulations . The journey into sustainability kind of began with that base level of regulations , and these don ’ t really change .”
Now , he says , the real challenge is more about keeping up with customers ’ ever-more ambitious sustainability goals , while maintaining profitability .
“ The United Nations has set some pretty top-level sustainability goals , and many of the businesses we meet have rigorous aspirations and goals for how they want to operate , and how they want to help lead us towards a more sustainable world . I ’ d say that the real challenge is how we lead these companies towards those noble , but high-level , goals .”
Sustainability is complex , rewarding work for SAP , but Barkman says the tech that underpins its solutions has a paradoxical tinge . He cites the pandemic e-commerce boom , which has seen a global shift away from in-store purchases to omnichannel-driven e-commerce .
“ The technologies that are helping drive us towards sustainability are the same ones that are enabling consumers
MARTIN BARKMAN
TITLE : SENIOR VP , SAP DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTION MANAGEMENT GLOBAL HEAD
Martin Barkman is senior vice president and global head of marketing & solutions for digital supply chain at SAP . Martin ’ s global organisation leads marketing , strategy , and growth initiatives for SAP ’ s Digital Supply Chain solution portfolio , which encompasses software for R & D , engineering , supply chain planning , manufacturing , logistics , and asset management . These solutions enable resilient and customer centric supply chains that are more agile , productive , connected , and sustainable
Martin joined SAP in 2013 following SAP ’ s acquisition of SmartOps Corporation , where Martin served as the Chief Executive Officer . In his career , Martin developed a broad supply chain technology and management experience through roles ranging from corporate strategy consulting at McKinsey & Company to product supply and manufacturing management at Procter & Gamble .