On 24^th October 2024, the Institute of Supply and Materials Management (ISMM) proudly celebrated National Supply Chain Day, marking its 52nd anniversary. This significant occasion recognized the vital role of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in fostering economic growth and prosperity in Sri Lanka, in line with the government’s declaration of October 24 as National Supply Chain Day. ISMM, being the only professional organization enacted by Act of Parliament No. 3 of 1981 for fostering and conducting training on Supply Chain Management in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industries & Industries Development Board (IDB), took the initiative to organize the National Supply Chain Day celebrations in Sri Lanka on 24^th October 2024, at Shangri-La, Colombo.

The National Supply Chain Day – International Seminar commenced with a welcome address from Mr. Jayantha Gallehewa, President of ISMM and Vice President of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA). He highlighted the importance of recognizing and advancing the field of Supply Chain Management in Sri Lanka. The keynote address was delivered by Mr. A. A. M. Thassim, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, who emphasized the evolving landscape of supply chains and the need for innovative approaches.

The head table featured esteemed dignitaries, including Chief Guest Eng. Chris Oanda, President of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM), and Special Guest Mr. Markku Henttinen, CEO of IFPSM. Their participation underscored the international collaboration and recognition of Sri Lanka's efforts in supply chain development.

The issuance of a commemorative postage stamp for National Supply Chain Day was graced by Mr. Jayantha Gallehewa, President of ISMM and Vice President of OPA, alongside several distinguished dignitaries from the Philatelic Bureau, including Mr. Ruwan Sathkumara, Postmaster General; Mr. Rajitha K. Ranasinghe, Senior Deputy Postmaster General; Mr. Nilantha Kandanaarachchi, Deputy Postmaster General (Western Province - South); and Mr. Lanka de Silva, Director of the Philatelic Bureau. Also in attendance were Mr. P. C. C. Perera, Divisional Superintendent of Posts, Colombo; Mr. Channa N. Munasinghe, Senior Publicity Officer; Mr. S. Jalatheepan, Publicity Officer; and Mr. D. D. N. Dassanayake, Assistant, from the Philatelic Bureau.

The National Supply Chain Day – International Seminar was attended by around 400 participants from both the private and public sectors. The seminar included three technical sessions and a CEO forum, focusing on key themes in each session.

Prof. Chandana Gamage, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Moratuwa, was the Session Chairman for the first session under the session theme of “Integration of Technological Innovations for Sustainable Supply Chains.” Mr. Oshada Senanayake, Group Chief Operating Officer, Digital Transformation at Brandix Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., spoke on “Digitalization in Supply Chain: Benefits and Challenges,” while Mr. Subodha Perera, CEO of E – Consulate, addressed “Dynamic Digital Capabilities and Supply Chain Resilience” as the session speakers.

The second session, a CEO Forum, was conducted under the theme “Exploring New Avenues & Adapting to Global Shifts for Sustainable Supply Chains.” Mr. Ravi Jayawardena, CEO of Maliban Group, was the Forum Chairman. Mr. Sathiyenthra Pandchadcharam, Global Product Portfolio Manager at Nestle Asia, Oceana & Africa; Mr. Mahesh Wijewardane, CEO of Singer Sri Lanka; Mr. Supun Weerasinghe, Group CEO of Dialog Axiata; and Mr. Nalin Karunaratne, CEO of CBL Ltd., participated as members of the CEO Forum and shared their wealth of knowledge & experience with the participants.

Prof. Nalin Abeysekara, Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies at the Open University of Sri Lanka, was the Session Chairman for the third session under the session theme “Exploring the Evolving Global Landscape of Supply Chain.” Mr. Kanchana Fernando, Director of Supply Chain at Nestle Sri Lanka, spoke on “Cutting Edge Strategies to Increase Supply Chain Visibility,” and Mr. Uditha Palliyaguru, General Manager & Head of Supply Chain at Hayleys Agriculture Holdings, addressed “Transition towards Circular Supply Chains through an Integrated Approach” as the session speakers.

Prof. H. M. A. Herath, Professor (Chair) in Management at Wayaba University of Sri Lanka, was the Session Chairman for the fourth session under the theme “Tapping into Sri Lanka's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem to Explore Global Opportunities.” Dr. Nayana Dehigama, Chairman/MD of Epic Technologies, spoke on “Exploring the Integration between Entrepreneurship and Supply Chain Innovation,” and Mr. Shiran Peiris, Group CEO of Asriel Holdings, addressed “Success Stories in Sri Lanka: Exploring Market Trends and the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem” as the session speakers.

Each session aimed to provide valuable insights and foster discussions on current trends and challenges in supply chain management.

The evening session was dedicated to the National Supply Chain Excellence Awards 2024 and the 52nd Anniversary Celebrations, which celebrated outstanding contributions within the industry. The awards recognized the best supply chain practices across various categories, including small, medium, and large organizations, both in manufacturing & service sectors, as well as individual professionals. The Chief Guest of the event was Eng. Chris Oanda, President of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM).

At the National Supply Chain Excellence Awards, several organizations were recognized for their exceptional performance in various categories. For the National Award of Excellence for the Best Supply Chain Practicing Organization of the Year 2024 in the Small-Scale category, the shortlisted nominees included Inventive Polymers Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Oleema Industries (Private) Limited, Sanjeewanie Ayurveda (Pvt) Ltd, and Vanila Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The Second Runner-up was Sanjeewanie Ayurveda (Pvt) Ltd, the First Runner-up was Oleema Industries (Private) Limited, and the Winner was Vanila Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. A Special Commendation Award was given to Inventive Polymers Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.

In the Medium Scale category, the shortlisted nominees were Everbolt Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, Micro Electric International (Pvt) Ltd, Logicare (Pvt) Ltd, MAC Supply Chain Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, and Logicentrix (Pvt) Ltd. The Winner for Medium Scale – Service was MAC Supply Chain Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, with Logicentrix (Private) Limited awarded as the First Runner-up. The Winner for Medium Scale – Manufacturing was Everbolt Engineering (Pvt) Ltd, & Micro Electric International (Pvt) Ltd was awarded as the First Runner-up. A Special Commendation Award went to Logicare (Pvt) Ltd.

In the Large-Scale category, more than 40 organizations applied, with 28 qualifying for the Grand Finale. The nominees included Nestle Lanka Limited, Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ansell Textiles Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ceylon Agro Industries Limited – Prima Group, Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited, Ceylon Biscuits Limited - CBL, North Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation, Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC, Yokohama TWS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Hayleys Fentons Limited, Sunshine Consumer Lanka Limited, Orit Apparels Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, CIC Holdings PLC, OTR Wheel Engineering Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Alumex PLC, Logistics Park (Pvt) Ltd, Haycarb PLC, Dipped Products PLC, Smithkline Beecham (Pvt) Ltd, Atire (Pvt) Ltd, D. Samson Industries (Pvt) Ltd, Hemas Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, JayKay Marketing Services (Pvt) Ltd, Spectra Logistics (Pvt) Ltd, Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, and Abans PLC.

In the Large Scale – Service category, the Second Runner-up was Spectra Logistics (Pvt) Ltd, the First Runner-up was Logistics Park (Pvt) Ltd, and the Winner was JayKay Marketing Services (Pvt) Ltd. For Large Scale – Manufacturing, the Second Runner-up was OTR Wheel Engineering Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, the First Runner-up was North Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd, and the Winner was Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. Special Commendation Awards were given to Hayleys Fentons Limited, Ceylon Agro Industries Limited, Alumex PLC, Haycarb PLC, Ceylon Biscuits Limited, Dipped Products PLC, State Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Corporation, Smithkline Beecham (Pvt) Ltd, Yokohama TWS Lanka (P) Ltd, Atire (Pvt) Ltd, Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited, and Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC. Commendation Awards were given to Diesel & Motor Engineering PLC, Orit Apparels Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Sunshine Consumer Lanka Limited, Ansell Textiles Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Abans PLC, Nestle Lanka Limited, CIC Holdings PLC, D. Samson Industries (Pvt) Ltd, and Hemas Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd.

The National Award of Excellence for the Best Supply Chain Professional of the Year 2024 shortlisted five finalists, including Mr. Sasanka Jayadasa, Director - Supply Chain at Yokohama TWS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. Kasun Perera, Head of Central Planning at Fonterra Brands Lanka (Pvt) Ltd; Mr. Lakmal Senanayake, Senior Manager – Logistics at Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited; Mr. Chamila Yakupitiyage, Logistics Manager - Outbound Logistics at Siam City Cement (Lanka) Limited; and Mr. Indika Kumara, Head of 3P & 2P Operations at Unilever Sri Lanka Limited.

The Second Runner-up was Mr. Lakmal Senanayake, the First Runner-up was Mr. Indika Kumara, and the Winner was Mr. Sasanka Jayadasa. Merit Awards for outstanding performance were awarded to Mr. Chamila Yakupitiyage and Mr. Kasun Perera. The awards were presented by Mr. Jayantha Gallehewa, President of ISMM and Vice President of OPA; Chief Guest Eng. Chris Oanda, President of the International Federation of Purchasing and Supply Management (IFPSM); and Special Guest Mr. Markku Henttinen, CEO of the IFPSM, alongside other dignitaries including Mr G Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. M. M. Nayeemudeen, Secretary, Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, Cooperative Development, Industry, and Entrepreneurship Development, Mr Chaminda Pathiraja, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries, Mr. Sarath Gamage, President of OPA and Immediate Past President of ISMM, Chairman of the National Supply Chain Day and 52nd Anniversary Celebrations Committee and Vice President of ISMM, Mr. Dimuka Hemantha, Vice President of ISMM Maj Gen Renaka Udawatta (Rtd), Vice President of ISMM Mr. Lilantha Subasinghe, General Secretary of ISMM Dr. Sanath Divakara, and Treasurer of ISMM Mr. Dharshana Wijemanne.

In a highlight of the evening, the IFPSM President’s Award was presented to Mr. Jayantha Gallehewa for his invaluable contributions to the field of supply chain management. Additionally, ISMM received accreditation of the “IFPSM Global Standard” for its Graduate Diploma in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management (GDPSCM) course, further enhancing the institution's credibility. Those who follow the GDPSCM course at ISMM will receive the recognition of IFPSM Global Standards through the IFPSM & ISMM Certificates.

The event also honored the panel of judges for their dedication to the National Supply Chain Excellence Awards, recognizing their vital role in upholding the standards of the awards. Certificates were presented to the members of the desk review panel, acknowledging their contributions to the evaluation process.

At the National Supply Chain Excellence Awards, a Special Award of Excellence was presented to Mr. Chaminda Pathiraja, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Industries, in recognition of his dedicated services to the field of supply chain management. Additionally, the prestigious "ISMM Lifetime Apex Award for Dignified Achievements in Supply Chain," known as "Sapayumdama Keerthi," was awarded to Mr. V. Ganesh, Past President of ISMM and OPA, for his devoted service and contributions to the supply chain industry and ISMM. This once-in-a-lifetime President's Award was presented by Mr. Gallehewa, Mr. Gerry A. Hidelaratchi, Founder Member of ISMM and Past President, and Mr. Gamage. Furthermore, two Fellow members and four Institutional members were also recognized and awarded their certificates during the event.

The event featured an engaging performance by Umaria Sinhawansha and the Mudrika Dance Studio, adding a cultural touch and glamour to the celebrations.

The ISMM expresses its gratitude to all sponsors, including platinum sponsors Newadaz Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Ltd., Dwara.One, and gold sponsors BPC Banking & Technologies and AGI Greenpac Limited, for their support in making this event a success. Their contributions highlight the collective effort to promote and advance the supply chain profession in Sri Lanka.

In summary, the National Supply Chain Day celebrations not only acknowledged the achievements of the past but also set the stage for future growth and innovation in the supply chain sector, ensuring continued collaboration and excellence in the industry.