In today’s episode, Ellen speaks with Jakob Stary, Supply Chain Analyst at Miebach, about sustainability initiatives in the world of supply chain. Jakob brings a strong conviction (and plenty of proof) that sustainability and efficiency in logistics don’t have to be mutually exclusive—and that it’s possible to strike a balance between innovation, success, and ethical stewardship of our planet.

Join us as we discuss:

• The ever-growing importance of phasing fossil fuels out of warehousing
• Innovative yet practical solutions to decrease emissions within transportation
• The role of both companies and individuals in sustainability

AI this, AI that. There’s truly no escaping the latest technological craze, as just about every industry is grappling with how to implement Artificial Intelligence in the most effective (and ethical) ways possible.

Today, host Ellen Wood is joined by Pete Grett, Founder & CEO of The Blackrock Group to talk about generative AI (also known as GenAI), its uses and limitations, and its specific utility for the world of supply chain. Pete identifies as a “GenAI evangelist”—but his infectious enthusiasm for the tech is based on the belief that it’s an effective tool that can be harnessed by savvy professionals to yield more impressive and effective results.

Join us as we discuss:

• Different ways of viewing and using GenAI across industries and departments
• The importance of prompt engineering—and why every professional should become more familiar with it
• AI’s potential in supply chain decision-making
• Examples of where GenAI has failed, and how to learn from such experiences

This week, host Ellen Wood delivers a short episode in which she shares some insights and musings on sustainability and the circular supply chain. Using the recent solar eclipse and some initiatives to reuse those single-use solar eclipse glasses as a jumping-off point, Ellen highlights a few other companies and initiatives that showcase what it looks like to effectively and creatively commit to reducing waste and benefiting communities in need.

This week, we’re joined by Alan Vey, Founder and CEO of Aventus, to discuss all things blockchain. For even the most tech savvy supply chain leaders, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the rapidly evolving tech at the heart of Web3—so Alan’s lucid explanations and insights have a lot to offer us all. In addition to breaking down what Blockchain is (and what it does), Alan shares concrete use cases and benefits of the tech, from large scale transformations to smaller efficiency improvements within the world of supply chain.

Join us as we discuss:

• Which industries have the most to gain from implementing blockchain technology   
• How blockchain technology can address issues of transparency, trust, and data reliability
• The role of strategic partnership selection and risk mitigation in successful blockchain integration

It may be difficult to imagine once you start a company—or if you’re working at a company in its early-stages—but there comes a time when you can start truly planning ahead as it relates to supply chain.

Prior to this point, you might be able to “get away” with growing organically as your business grows, but reaching that level often requires savvy and forward thinking. To explore these thresholds and challenges that come with them are Nari Viswanathan (Senior Director of Product Segment Marketing at Coupa) and Michael White (Senior Consultant at Miebach). Between Nari’s experience in marketing for supply chain software solutions and Michael’s insight gained from consulting a range of clients, their conversation with Ellen covers a range of solutions and strategies that will benefit all manner of companies.

Join us as we discuss:

• The importance of data quality in supply chain modeling and analysis
• How and why planning horizons have shortened within the past few years
• The role of coaching and consulting in growth and maturity

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out our previous episode featuring Andrew McCarley, VP of Global Customer Value Management at Coupa.

Today’s episode features the conclusion of Ellen’s two-part conversation with Erin Gilchrist, VP of Fleet Evangelism at IntelliShift. Ellen and Erin pick up where they left off last time, so be sure to check out Part 1 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or iHeartMedia if you missed our last episode!

Join us as we discuss:

• Predictions for the role and operation of driverless vehicles
• The role of stakeholder and driver pushback in addressing concerns
• Public transit and sustainable fleet operations

It takes a lot of moving parts and careful maintenance for a vehicle to effectively run—and it takes as many moving parts and as much maintenance for a company to effectively manage a fleet of vehicles.

This week’s episode is the first of a two-part conversation with Erin Gilchrist, VP of Fleet Management at IntelliShift. For Erin, ensuring the safety, compliance, and efficiency of a company’s vehicles isn’t just her business, it’s her passion, because she knows what’s at stake—not only for the company and the driver, but the people they share the road with. Erin makes a compelling case for why companies of all sizes should buy in to today’s fleet management strategies and adopt the many measures available to them.

Join us as we discuss:

• How automated software aids in efficient vehicle maintenance
• Key considerations for fleet managers when transitioning to electric vehicles
• Which industries are being heavily targeted by fleet management evangelists
• The value of a company’s commitment to road safety culture

With how intricate and dynamic the world of supply chain has become, third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses need to not only step up their game, but expand it altogether. Carl Warsinger, CEO and Co-Founder of Smart Warehousing, joins us this week to provide a snapshot of effective 3PL warehousing and its offerings—which go well beyond storage and into realms like data management, technology, and customized solutions.

Join us as we discuss:

• The vital importance of trust and transparency in outsourcing relationships
• Why nearshoring and reshoring enhances supply chain resilience
• Key performance indicators (KPIs) in 3PL warehousing
• How bringing inventory closer to end users can reduce costs and complexity

The new year brings with it new opportunities for logistics professionals to enrich their understanding of the latest trends, developments, and risks in the world of supply chain. And there’s no better place to do so than logistics trade shows and conferences that bring together industry leaders and innovators to share their innovations and insights.

This week, host Ellen Wood, Marketing Manager for North America at Miebach, gives a rundown of the top logistics trade shows and conferences you should consider attending—many of which she and her team can personally endorse! Between some incredible locations both in the U.S. and abroad, groundbreaking speakers and presenters, and valuable networking opportunities, 2024 has plenty to offer for all manner of supply chain managers and enthusiasts.

Register at the following links:

• Manifest Vegas
• LINK: The Retail Supply Chain Conference
• MODEX
• LogiMAT
• Logistics World Summit & Expo
• SCOPE Supply Chain & Logistics Summit
• Coupa Inspire 2024
• IWLA Convention & Expo
• American Supply Chain Summit
• Gartner Supply Chain Symposium — Florida
• LogiSYM Asia Pacific
• Supply Chain USA
• WERC Conference
• ASCM CONNECT 2024: Europe
• Canada's Logistics Conference
• Gartner Supply Chain Symposium — Spain
• ASCM CONNECT 2024: North America
• Richmond Logistics & Supply Chain Forum
• North American Supply Chain Executive Summit
• Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit
• PACK EXPO
• Intermodal Europe
• Global Supply Chain Marketing Summit

Change is inevitable, but the negative effects of disruptions aren’t. In some cases, they can be mitigated—or avoided altogether.

Today, we speak with Jason Jackson, the Change Management Lead at Miebach and an Adjunct Professor at Southern New Hampshire University. Jason is committed to helping organizations understand the impact of large-scale transformations and meeting them where they are as they navigate these changes. Doing so involves knowledge of all things supply chain and organizational behavior, but it also requires an immense amount of empathy and understanding of the impact of the human reaction to changes of all sizes.

Join us as we discuss:

• The invaluable role of transparency in the transformation process
• How identifying and addressing the concerns of stakeholders leads to true buy-in
• Successful and unsuccessful change management strategies
• Why emotional intelligence is a vital trait in effective change management