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Interview operations and the benefits it will bring to both Caterpillar and our suppliers.”
Despite advancements in procurement technology, Pam is quick to highlight that in any successful business process, human talent is at the core.“ As we increasingly rely on technology, it’ s crucial that we also have human interaction within the loop to ensure we’ re using technology in the most effective ways to enable growth and strengthen our capabilities,” she explains.“ We ensure that people are always at the heart of our operations, and we aim to not only attract top talent but also build our current talent to lead in the future. As a mentor for several individuals, I’ m a big supporter of mentorship as a way of supporting the team today and transforming people for the future.”
Speaking with Pam and learning about SPPD highlights the impact of continuous innovation and strategic investment on Caterpillar’ s supply chain. However, Pam’ s insights, particularly around technology, efficiency, talent, and long-term strategy, are applicable across the supply chain industry. SPPD’ s balanced approach to performance and transformation ideally positions the wider Caterpillar business to not only respond to change, but to lead it.
“ I’ m confident that the future is incredibly bright for Caterpillar, and we have some of the most remarkable, intelligent, and capable individuals to lead the company through future generations,” Pam concludes.“ Caterpillar recently hosted an event for our investors, 2025 Investor Day, where we shared our goals for the broader Caterpillar organization over the next five years. Our supply chain must be agile and adaptable to support our companywide strategy ensuring the capacity for future volumes and the capability to deliver.”
Offering one final thought on how other supply chain organizations can prepare for the future, Pam shares:“ The businesses that invest in technology today will be the most advanced organizations for the future, and there’ s no better time to invest in technology than now. My advice to any supply chain organization would be to build accurate data platforms as soon as possible to establish a strong foundation and ensure the necessary tools are in place to understand the impact of technology, automation, and AI. I believe AI won’ t even be discussed as a strategy in five years and instead it will just be a normal aspect of any business, but there’ s a long journey of investment and innovation to get to that point.” ■
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