In the world of supply chain, it’s becoming more important every day to develop new strategies, work through present challenges in inventive ways, and ensure that the result meets the needs of the consumer, community and business.
Vice President and Head of Supply Chain at Chipotle Carlos Londono joins Retail Gets Real from the recent NRF Supply Chain 360 conference to talk Chipotle’s sustainable approach to the supply chain and the impacts and challenges of navigating COVID-19.
“From a supply chain perspective, we need to be on top of our game,” Londono said. “That’s the reason why the supply chain team at Chipotle has to be composed of such talented individuals with such tremendous technology and such good processes, because we don’t have the luxury of storing or keeping things for an extended period of time. Everything is so fresh.”
Londono emphasizes the importance of real ingredients being brought to the table, along with the importance of real relationships with partners. Down the line, in a literal and figurative sense, Londono describes what he calls “the moment of truth.”
“So, you think about that line in Chipotle… you want to give your guests a really good experience,” Londono said. “That concept of ‘the line is the moment of truth’ we extend to the entire organization. No matter what line you’re talking about whether it’s the chicken line or the line of avocado trees in my grove, that line is the moment of truth.”
By using RFID technology to ensure safety and quality, Chipotle can track every ingredient as it makes its way through the line. “We are very interested in making sure we have end to end visibility to everything that is moving throughout our supply chain,” Londono said.
Tune in to this episode of Retail Gets Real to hear more about how Chipotle ensures sustainable sourcing, focuses on its people and what the future of the supply chain looks like for Chipotle.
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