Elemica: Digital Supply Network, Automating and Enriching B2B Commerce

It is a well-known fact that end-to-end management of the supply chain is tricky. The industry is currently leaning towards onboarding technology and undergoing a massive digitization drive that will help in supply chain management (SCM) and improve demand forecasting capabilities. Digital transformation is something everyone in the industry is looking towards. And for this, companies need a trusted partner as they look to grow. Founded in 2000, Elemica is one company that has helped many in the Process Industries accelerate their digital transformation. In 2019, Elemica is a leading provider of a Digital Supply Network for Process Industries.

We sat down for a conversation with John Blyzinskyj, Elemica’s brilliant CEO. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Could you tell us the story behind Elemica?                           

The company was founded by the top chemical companies in the industry who wanted to create a digitized supply chain network so that they could get visibility into the products they were buying, moving and selling with their customers, logistics providers, and suppliers.

Elemica has since then, expanded globally where its clients are spread out across North America, Europe and the rest of the world. We have expanded vertically within the process manufacturing industry and now encompass petrochemicals, oil and gas companies, specialty chemicals, plastics, rubber and tire, agri-science, paints and coatings, food and beverage, and CPG to name just a few.

Problems arise in business and markets fluctuate. How do you maintain your stand in the market?

Elemica drives bottom line results for customers by listening to them and the market needs. We promote and deliver reduced cost of operations, faster process execution, automation of key business processes, removal of transactional barriers, and seamless information flow between trading partners. These significant benefits, along with our commitment to excel as an industry leader with innovative technologies, and our superb professional services have helped Elemica stand out in the market.

Your company has done phenomenally well in recent times. Could you tell us how you managed this?

Our company has tens of thousands of leading process industry trading partners who leverage their collective activities on the network to capture real market opportunities, business efficiencies and cost savings. Our network is responsible for over one million business transactions per day. Most recently, the material value transactions on Elemica’s Digital Supply Network have grown to over $500 billion annually.

And seldom can companies boast of having achieved the revenue numbers that match Elemica’s. Our company has been consistently achieving the revenue numbers it set out to achieve each year for 20 straight quarters now. We have also managed to post as many quarters of profitability too.

What are your views on leadership? What is your approach to management?

I try to encourage staffers to empathize with the customers to enable them to achieve their goals. Also shaping my current management style is a stint at Hewlett-Packard earlier in my career. The storied technology company had a very collaborative culture and is something I try to emulate as a leader and executive here at Elemica.

I want to encourage a healthy debate and hear new ideas which can come from anyone and anywhere. I try to encourage a fact-base, visual and active debate which I view as very positive. I do not want to suppress any ideas. I want to be highly proactive in this approach and actively listen to different perspectives as this creates an innovative culture. In the end, I need to hear all perspectives and then make the call when necessary.

If you could change one thing about the company, what would it be?

It would be more of an industry issue than anything else. If the industry had established standards for integration and connectivity across the supply chain, companies would be able to connect and collaborate much more quickly, easily, and cost effectively.

The industry today has variations of data requirements and nomenclature which makes connectivity a little more challenging. The connecting, enrichment, and linking processes of that data would then result in higher levels of visibility and supply chain risk mitigation and quicker benefits to all participants.

Recognition

Elemica was awarded the 2018 Frost & Sullivan Award for Best Practice in Product Leadership for its Digital Supply Network in the Process Industries. Elemica’s CEO was named a Top 50 SaaS CEO of 2018 by The SaaS Report.

The company has won numerous awards like Inbound Logistics Top 100 Logistics IT Provider Award should read Supply & Demand Chain Executive Green Supply Chain Award, SDCE100 Award, SupplyChainBrain Great Partner Award and many more.

The leader extraordinaire

John Blyzinskyj, CEO

John’s exceptional leadership qualities have driven Elemica in a significant way. The company has seen a dramatic turn-around since he joined the company in 2012. He has held a number of Division Head roles at various companies. Over the last 25 years, he has led businesses that have large revenues such as IBM, and Motorola but has also guided small companies through his work with the Boston Beacon Angels Investment Group.

His work has involved significant first-hand experience of conducting and managing businesses in North America, Asia Pacific and a number of European countries. During his career, John has led as many as 8 M&A transactions. Prior to Elemica, John was the President of Avotus Corporation, a Software and Services company based in Canada. He also serves on boards of local communities and educational institutions. He has a BSc with Honors in Electronic Engineering from King’s College, University of London and he holds an MBA from Cranfield School of Management, England.

“Elemica offers an end-to-end digital supply network that enables process manufacturing enterprises and their trading partners to digitally transform supply chains.