It’s another (wild & wacky) Oracle Open World

While this week’s event is larger than ever, there’s a pronounced lean and green element to the supply chain management track worth noting.

More than 40,000 business professionals are turning out for Oracle Open World – a record number, according to spokesmen. But judging by the agenda logistics experts will be chiefly addressing sustainable shipping and sourcing.

Today, for example, Emerson Electric Corp. will give a presentation on “Lean Supply Chain Best Practices in Industrial Manufacturing.” At the same time, Oracle will be explaining how to leverage existing “solutions” in any given company’s lifecycle. In a session scheduled for this late this afternoon, analyst Beth Peterson of BPE Global will be telling shippers how to achieve a best practices model in a “Cross-border World.” Here, too, the objective is on leveraging global trade compliance while remaining socially responsible.

If you have not already noticed, the word “leverage” is dominating the conversation. And well it should. Fully 59 percent of the world’s developed nations are represented here, signaling a new demand for balance and shared vision.

And finally there’s the environmental impact to consider. Oracle spokesmen are quick to point out that this will be the most sustainable event in the company’s history. Most of the food sold and given away comes from local farms and growers, and waste generated by this huge crowd will not find its way into any landfills. That’s another significant logistical achievement, one might argue.

As to how much real transactional information is imparted, however, remains a valid question. Supply chain managers will be looking for more than happy talk when it comes to mapping out global strategies for 2011.