BIC's Physical Supply Chain Training Workshop

Our supply chain is the infrastructure that keeps books moving, so it’s important that we understand how it works, what to do when things go wrong and how to make best use of it.

Read on to find out how you can help define our industry’s physical supply chain training needs. These will complement BIC’s best-in-class standards and best practice work that we undertake on behalf of our members and the wider book industry.

BIC is holding a workshop to explore how to enhance support for its members and the wider industry through the development and delivery of physical supply chain training courses. The workshop will be a precursor to a project group scoping a development and delivery proposal.

Tuesday 18th November 2025, 10.00am - 4.00pm, arrive at 9.30am for teas/coffees.

GfK, BlueFin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London. SE1 0SU.

Representatives from BIC member organisations with direct experience in a leadership role and responsibility for the training and development of colleagues, are invited to attend this face-to-face workshop. Spaces will be limited for the event

This workshop will be of interest to many stakeholders in the industry. Your role does not have to necessarily be in the supply chain to have an impact on how the “supply chain” functions. For example:

• Timely and accurate product information ensures the smooth movement of goods across international borders
• How orders for books and related products are placed directly impacts the speed of supply
• Confident and accurate buying reduces book miles and returns

What’s more, many industry professionals will be reliant on the smooth operation of the supply chain to fulfil their own role, including:

• Sales order processing
• Goods handling teams
• Booksellers

So, if you understand the importance of an efficient supply chain, want to spread the word and share your expertise to help develop training courses delivered by BIC, then this workshop is for you.

Attendees will be expected to speak on behalf of their respective organisations and take a proactive role during the workshop by contributing their ideas about how BIC might best develop and deliver critical information about the supply chain.

We should emphasise that this workshop is not designed to cover supply chain scenarios unique to a particular business or trading relationship. This is all about ensuring industry colleagues understand how the supply chain’s many moving parts fit together and how so many roles and responsibilities involve or rely on the supply chain in some shape or form.

Ahead of the workshop, BIC will contact confirmed attendees and ask them to research and concisely document (on behalf of their organisation) physical supply chain knowledge gaps in the following areas:

a) Product metadata

b) Manufacturing and printing

c) Transactional data

d) The physical movement of product

e) Other

BIC will use the submissions and the workshop outcomes to draft a report summarising training opportunities. This workshop report will be used to inform the brief for a strategic project kicking off later in 2025.

Karina Urquhart, Executive Director, BIC.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karinaurquhart/

Stephen Long, Book Supply Chain Consultant

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenjlong/

Tickets are free, limited in number and are reserved for BIC members only. Please use the 'get tickets' button to register. Registration closes on Tuesday 11th November 5.00pm.

Check here to find out.

If you would like to know about upcoming BIC events, join our mailing list and follow us on LinkedIn.

Please note that all delegates will need to arrive at the BlueFin Building promptly in order to clear security. Proof of ID is required (photo ID is not necessary a bank card is fine).

We’d like to thank BIC member organisation NielsenIQ BookData for generously allowing us the use of their meeting rooms at the BlueFin Building.

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