Lombard, IL (October 6, 2025) – The Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) is proud to announce that Oliver Wight (1929–1983), Founder of Oliver Wight International (In Memoriam), will be inducted into the Supply Chain Hall of Fame during the 2025 EDGE Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition.
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Oliver Wight: A Lasting Legacy
Widely regarded as a pioneer in manufacturing planning and business excellence, Oliver
“Ollie” Wight transformed how companies worldwide think about operations and strategy.
After early roles at Raybestos Industries, Stanley Works, and IBM, Wight co-founded
Plossl & Wight before launching Oliver Wight Incorporated in 1969.
Known for his ability to take complex supply chain issues and explain them in simple
terms for all to grasp with his innovative teaching methods—including association
speeches, public classes, and even a 1971 video library—he popularized Materials Requirements
Planning (MRP) and, alongside Joseph Orlicky, advanced Manufacturing Resource Planning
(MRP II). His Proven Path methodology, the launch of Manufacturing Software Systems,
and his ABCD Checklist, which introduced “Class A” performance standards, set benchmarks
still in use today.
By the late 1970s, the creation of the Oliver Wight Education Associates expanded
his reach across the globe. His work laid the groundwork for what we now know as Integrated
Business Planning (IBP), aligning strategy, operations, and finance. Though Wight
passed away in 1983 at just 53 years old, his ideas continue to shape world-class
supply chain performance.
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