Supply Chain Now Radio

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured Leah Knight, a member of the product marketing and direct spend solutions teams at SAP. Her team is focused on helping companies manage a full end-to-end procurement process for their products: product design, launch, through volume manufacturing and renegotiation of huge multi-year contracts. For OEMs like those in automotive, material costs are often volatile, making co-innovation with suppliers absolutely critical to growth and competitive advantage.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Leah, Scott and Greg discussed:• How and why retail giant Target is expanding its next day delivery program, investing $100M between now and 2026• How a ransomware attack l

Although the capabilities of technology have changed a lot over the last few decades, corporate mindsets towards it have not. For example, thinking that putting a new system in place will cover all business requirements once and for all is an outdated way of thinking. Technology and digitalization should be seen as a journey, one that will go on as long as a company continues to operate.Lyle Ekdahl is a self-described “recovering enterprise software development executive and technology market advisor.” He has over 38 years of experience in enterprise applications development, industry technology and product strategy, product management, marketing, and program management. During that time, he perfected his ability to communicate the value of enterprise applications and articulate unique digital technology visions.In this livestream appearance, sponsored by Nextworld, Lyle provides a retrospective of the ERP solutions and technologies landscape with hosts Scott Luton and Greg White and a live Supply Chain Now a

Changes in consumer expectations have increased the pressure brands face to maintain service level commitments. Consumers want in-stock inventory, next-day free shipping and free, no-hassle returns along with excellent customer support. Companies across the globe are feeling the pressure and wondering how they can compete with global big-box ecommerce giants.To stay in the competition, they must ask where and how to automate, making the question not “should we automate?” but “how much should we automate?”Alex Haines is the Manager of Business Development at Bastian Solutions. He and his team work with customers across industries, looking for opportunities to apply automation to the pain points and opportunities created by rapidly changing customer demands.In this episode, Alex joins co-hosts Scott Luton and Greg White to discuss how companies can determine what level of automation is right for their competitive situation:• How warehousing automation creates efficient environments, avoids missed shipping deadl

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured hosts Scott Luton and Greg White. In addition to covering top industry headlines, the team rolled out a new educational segment focused on three key things business leaders need to keep in mind when it comes to selecting new technology.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott and Greg discussed:• What recent increases in the producer price index (PPI), 6 percent year over year in January, will mean for the prices consumers pay in the future• Persistent geopolitical challenges being faced by companies in the semiconductor supply chain, including Apple, which is completely dependent on TSMC for their smartphone microchips• One of the key things companies for

Mike Griswold is the Vice President of Research at Gartner, specializing in retail with a particular focus on forecasting and replenishment. He is responsible for Gartner’s annual Top 25 Supply Chain ranking and joins Supply Chain Now on a monthly basis to discuss the latest in retail supply chains from an analyst’s perspective.The inspiration for this session is music – the best bands, album titles, song lyrics - even the best concert-going experience. But with Mike Griswold in attendance, every musical favorite also has a tie-in to the supply chain… and Mike is always right on key.In this episode, Mike draws on his broad musical tastes to put 2023 into context for co-hosts Scott Luton and Kelly Barner:• Crystal Ball by Styx: What if companies had been able to see the last three years in advance? How would it have changed their preparation and approach?• Roll With the Changes from REO Speedwagon: Operating environments, customers, and how we go to market are all different – so our supply chains need to chang

In 2022, U.S. Bank processed $46 billion in freight payments for some of the world’s largest corporations and government agencies. Those payments and the data that accompanies them are analyzed quarterly by Bobby Holland, U.S. Bank vice president and director of Freight Data Solutions and his team. The FPI report includes quarter over quarter, year over year, and full year data and analysis.In Q4, truck freight shipments experienced the largest year-over-year drop in volume since the third quarter of 2020 – the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although volume is down, driven in part by a decline in consumer spending, carrier spending did not decline significantly, suggesting that capacity is tight and that cost pressures are driving smaller carriers out of the market.In this interview, Bobby is joined by Enrique Alvarez from Vector Global Logistics to share the results of the Q4 2022 report with Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton, interpreting what they may mean for the economy and the shipp

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson, but not regular co-host Greg White, who was still celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl win. The show also featured a special appearance by Koray Kose from Gartner and Selin Kapan-Green from Turkish Philanthropy Funds talking about the devastating earthquake that recently struck Turkey and Syria.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott and Kevin discussed:• The initiative that is underway to incentivize partnerships between American companies and suppliers in Central America as a way of addressing the root causes of mass migration• How bad actors in Mexico are trying to illicitly cash in on green gold in the

Building a modern tech stack isn’t a task – it is a journey. With so much changing outside of companies, it takes real courage to drive digital change internally, especially for companies in the manufacturing space.This interview brings together an all-star panel. Howard Lo has over 20 years of tech leadership experience and is a Vice President at DataON. Todd Jensen is a Field Sales Manager at Intel Corporation. He has worked in the tech industry since 1996 and has spent the last seven years at Intel focused on partnering with Microsoft to grow their joint business with Azure Edge customers and channels. Christina Cardoza is the Editorial Director at insight.tech, a global publication that features a wide variety of companies across the Intel Partner Alliance.In this episode, Howard, Todd, and Christina join co-hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson to discuss the unique technology-related challenges – and opportunities – facing manufacturers today:• How manufacturers can modernize their infrastructure by le

All supply chains face complexity, but if healthcare supply chains struggle to operate as designed, people’s lives are affected. This not only raises the bar for performance, but it also increases the dedication shown by the many professionals working to support patient care through supply chain operations.Steve Downey is the Chief Supply Chain and Patient Support Services Officer at Cleveland Clinic. His multi-disciplinary team has responsibility for a wide range of activities including sourcing, materials management, technology/P2P, analytics, and support services, including food services, linen and laundry, and patient transport.In this episode, Steve joins host Scott Luton to talk about one of the most human-centric supply chains in the world:• How the effort and investment required to provide comprehensive patient care are a lot like the multi-faceted skills and relationships needed to power sophisticated supply chains• The incredible collaboration and teamwork taking place behind the scenes at Cleveland

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured hosts Scott Luton and Greg White. In addition to taking on some of the hottest topics in business and supply chain, Greg offered up his thoughts on the Kansas City Chiefs’ likely performance in Superbowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott and Greg discussed:• Recent negative news from the ISM Manufacturing Report on Business and what factors may be responsible for driving three straight months of contractions• Greg’s recent commentary on Amazon’s warehouse safety violations – and why the news isn’t as bad as it sounds• The upcoming response from Google to OpenAI’s ChatGPT generative AI, which has taken the world b

Everyone depends upon the grocery retail supply chain, and yet, few people have any idea how complex and sophisticated they are, at least until something goes wrong. Over the last three years, consumers have felt the impact of product shortages and skyrocketing prices. Eggs have received especially intense focus, with prices increasing 60% in 2022.Errol Schweizer has over 25 years of experience in the food industry. He has worked as the VP of Grocery at a major national retailer and has been a co-founder, board member, and advisor to over two dozen CPG companies.In this episode, Errol joins host Scott Luton to shed a little light on the supply chain dynamics going on beyond the store shelves:• The many different factors going into today’s historically high grocery prices• How different producers in the food supply chain are responding to overall market conditions• When – and why – shoppers might finally start to see prices come downAdditional Links & Resources:Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://su

Some of the Supply Chain Now’s teams favorite episodes are conversations featuring longtime friends who have achieved amazing things in their personal and professional lives. This episode features one of those special colleagues, Mark Preston, Founder and CEO of Lean Applications.Mark is a published author, a continuous improvement guru, and a sought-after keynote speaker. He has been driving positive change in manufacturing and sales environments for over 30 years, impacting people and organizations in equal measure.In this episode, host Scott Luton welcomes Mark back to the show to discuss:• What Lean really means to him, and what kinds of waste it truly eliminates• His five-step checklist to help organizations reinvigorate their Continuous Improvement Programs in 2023• How we can all resist the ‘drama’ and become more focused and productiveAdditional Links & Resources:Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comCheck out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyLSubscri

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured Scott Luton, Sophia Rivas Herrera, host of Supply Chain Now in Español, and Enrique Alvarez, host of Logistics with Purpose. In addition to talking about some of the top supply chain and business headlines, they marked the 37th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, and how that loss inspired many people to take on roles in technology and aerospace.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Scott, Sophia, and Enrique discussed:• Why global supply chains (and consumers) might soon feel the pinch as demand for flowers spikes in the lead up to Valentine’s Day• The comprehensive supply chain support that will be needed to help Ukraine fully leverage tan

There has been an explosion of new supplier diversity programs created over the last few years. While this is an exciting trend that brings new minds and energy to the movement, in some cases it may overshadow programs that have been in place for decades. These companies were committed to connecting with traditionally underrepresented communities long before it was a common practice.Colgate-Palmolive is home to one of these longstanding supplier diversity programs. Now led by Director of Supplier Diversity Ayesha Simons, the program has been in place for over two decades. It is tasked with creating diverse community representation among the suppliers that the company does business with.In this interview, Ayesha joins co-hosts Scott Luton and Kelly Barner to talk about the vision, business drivers, and continued evolution of Colgate-Palmolive’s supplier diversity program:• How consumer sentiment and expectations provide supplier diversity programs with the incentive to continue challenging themselves• The rela

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs are transforming how companies and industries operate, helping them balance short-term business targets with the desire to contribute to bigger picture good. For consumer-facing companies, the challenge is even greater because they need to be bold and hold themselves accountable without diminishing the overall consumer experience.As Vice President of Global Head of Sustainability & ESG at Crocs, Deanna Bratter is responsible for helping the company meet its aggressive social and environmental commitments. She and her team are proving that it is possible to deliver a unique product with a high-quality customer experience in a world-conscious way… while also running a profitable business.In this interview, Deanna speaks with co-hosts Scott Luton and Karin Bursa about how Crocs’ ESG initiatives are intertwined with their growth strategies:• The surprising similarities that exist between the natural food industry and the fashion industry – especially where

 The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured co-hosts Scott Luton and Greg White marking Chinese New Year in addition to recent news stories. Because Chinese New Year celebrations go on for weeks, they often require special planning from a global supply chain standpoint.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Greg and Scott discussed:• How Amazon is rearranging their fulfillment and storage arrangements with lower volume sellers to protect themselves against added costs• What it might mean that the U.S. trade deficit as of November 2022 had contracted by 21 percent, the most in almost 14 years• Recent layoffs from tech companies like Alphabet, Amazon, Salesforce, and Microsoft and whether the trend

There are many paths to a career in supply chain – and many opportunities that may follow as well. Working in supply chain provides students and professionals alike with the opportunity to develop an operational mindset and develop a project management orientation.Joseph Agresta is an Assistant Professor Professional Practice and the Interim Director M.S Program Healthcare Analytics and Intelligence at Rutgers Business School. In this interview he is joined by two former Rutgers students. Nikki Gaboff just finished her final semester in the Healthcare Analytics and Intelligence program, and Haley Carlsen is a Specialist in Global Site Services and Procurement Governance at Merck and a graduate of Rutgers.In this interview, Joseph, Nikki, and Haley tell host Scott Luton how being part of the supply chain program at Rutgers has positioned them for professional success:• Current topics like the chip shortage, energy shortages, and the shift to working from home• The combined importance of industry experience and

What exactly does the thriving supply chain professional need to succeed? The past few years have been filled with challenges and uncertainties which are expected to impact all areas of the supply chain for years to come. In some cases, resiliency has been achieved with hard work, creativity, and flexibility from supply chain professionals willing to go the extra mile or muscle through with inferior to help serve customers. In this TEKTOK crossover episode, join Karin and guest Beth Morgan for insights on What the Thriving Supply Chain Professional Needs to Succeed in their career.Additional Links & Resources:Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comCheck out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyLSubscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribeLeveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/2022 Q3 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.comWEBINAR-

The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!This week’s edition of The Buzz featured co-hosts Scott Luton and Greg White as well as Digital Transformers Host Kevin L. Jackson. In addition to commenting on the latest news stories, they reflected on the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the important work that continues in the spirit of his legacy.In this livestream, created in collaboration with a live Supply Chain Now audience, Kevin, Greg, and Scott discussed:• How the automotive industry is embracing digital operating models as a way to improve their visibility into the supply chain and the analytical capabilities that will allow them to respond to disruptions• What retailers such as Nike learned from epic inventory gluts in 2022, and the changes that may be made to the traditi

In this episode of the Business Buzz on Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton discusses the top news in industry including updates on the freight market, the global economy, a look at geopolitical priorities, and a special segment on legendary logistical and civil rights leader, Bayard Rustin.Additional Links & Resources:Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.comCheck out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyLSubscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribeLeveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/2022 Q3 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.comWEBINAR- 3 Ways to Future-Proof your Shipping for 2023 and Beyond: http://bit.ly/3A6CSYrThis episode is hosted by Scott Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/business-buzz-1068