value transactional work, in improving visibility between internal customers, Saudi Aramco Materials Supply functions and its global suppliers, and in enhancing supplier and customer relationship management. As examples of the integrated approach employed, the vice president focused on various actions including deployment of "Key Performance Indicators" to effectively monitor supply chain and human resource activities, such as identifying and engaging future high potential employees and preparing "Succession Planning." "Logistics networks and supply chains are driven by people power, either in customer, supplier or employee capacities," he said. Looking to the future, Mousli explained Saudi Aramco's "Fourth Quadrant" strategic direction, which places equal value on national and commercial interests, and went on to discuss how Saudi Aramco is actively involved in the development of a knowledge economy. "This includes preparing the workforce for the future, promoting local research and development and working with international and domestic educators to create supply-chain management programs for the mutual benefit of Saudi Aramco and the business environment." "Knowledge," said Mousli, "is inherently a human process. Knowledge economics is the allocation of resources when producing, distributing and consuming knowledge. It is the new focus for the 21st century."
