Supply Chain Now

Ongoing supply chain disruptions have not only made product shortages and delivery delays the norm, but they have also exposed the internal weaknesses in many companies’ supply chains — especially as it pertains to poor customer communication and transparency.

Diana Eagen is the Director of Sales and Order-to-Cash at Esker. She joined hosts Scott Luton and Greg White for a livestream to describe how customer service automation can be utilized by B2B companies to deliver an Amazon-like experience — transforming both supply chain management and giving customers what they want in 2023 and beyond.

In this conversation, Diana, Scott, and Greg discuss:

• Why visibility, communication, and self-service options are so critically important to the customer experience

• Practical examples that illustrate how automation can improve customer communication and supply chain performance at the same time

• Where AI-powered tools are being incorporated to automate visibility and manage changes

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

WEBINAR- Supply Chain Agility in an Ever-Changing World: https://bit.ly/41zl0BU

WEBINAR- The Unified Supply Chain – A Platform Approach: http://bit.ly/3EH8fep

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/how-automation-improves-customer-communication-supply-chain-performance-1089

There are plenty of things to prevent corporate supply chain executives from getting a good night’s sleep. Challenges like inflation and ESG initiatives are regularly discussed as challenges across industries. But there are a whole host of worries that get far less attention as well, and each of them is enough to cause sleepless nights… let alone all of them in combination.

Rick McDonald is the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Clorox. He is responsible for approximately 5,000 people in 23 countries who work in manufacturing, contract manufacturing, planning, logistics, engineering, quality assurance, safety, health, environment, security, and sustainability.

In this episode, Rick returns to the show to speak with hosts Scott Luton and Greg White about:

• The massive, pervasive workforce crisis that has led to a situation where there are two open jobs for every self-reported unemployed person

• The existential challenge of supply chain digitization, especially in the face of growing cyber risk

• The idea of supply chain resilience and responsiveness and what CSCOs learned about both during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

WEBINAR- Supply Chain Agility in an Ever-Changing World: https://bit.ly/41zl0BU

WEBINAR- The Unified Supply Chain – A Platform Approach: http://bit.ly/3EH8fep

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/what-keeps-CSCO-night-clorox-1088

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 led Dole to pause production at its North American food plants and suspend shipments

• How the automotive industry – and their supporting supply chains – are adapting to support the transition to EVs

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

WEBINAR- Supply Chain Agility in an Ever-Changing World: https://bit.ly/41zl0BU

WEBINAR- The Unified Supply Chain – A Platform Approach: http://bit.ly/3EH8fep

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/supply-chain-buzz-SAP-1087

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 audience:

• The two major attitudes towards new technology – and which one sets the organization up for more success

• The strong correlation he sees between reinvention, transformation, and the opportunity to achieve sustained growth

• How changes in technology intersect with other trends like the scarcity of labor and access to capital to drive innovation

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Learn more about Nextworld: https://www.nextworld.net/

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

WEBINAR- Supply Chain Agility in an Ever-Changing World: https://bit.ly/41zl0BU

WEBINAR- The Unified Supply Chain – A Platform Approach: http://bit.ly/3EH8fep

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/decoding-digital-transformation-how-1086

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 deadlines, mitigates issues with labor shortages, and creates safer workspaces for employees, all while exceeding consumer expectations

• Why automated systems don’t have to be large or costly, and the best way to make small investments that have big payoffs.

• Ways to navigate through the influx of automation technology options and minimize the disruption of day-to-day operations by retrofitting existing facilities

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/automation-ROI-how-score-success-projects-big-small-1085

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 forget to think about when they are selecting a digital platform

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3emdLcK

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Join the NOW Community: http://bit.ly/41kpUSO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/supply-chain-buzz-live-PPI-increases-semiconductor-geopolitics-1084

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 change as well

• Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Monty Python: We may be consumed with short-term challenges, but there is always a tomorrow and another chance to get things right

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyL

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- 3 Ways to Future-Proof your Shipping for 2023 and Beyond: http://bit.ly/3A6CSYr

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

WEBINAR- How Bio-Rad is Reimagining its Supply Chain to Boost Customer Service: https://bit.ly/3kbC13V

WEBINAR- 5 Tips for Creating Effective Digital Content: http://bit.ly/3xvkXch

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kelly Barner. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/supply-chain-today-tomorrow-gartner-musical-tour-modern-1083

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 shipping industry in the short and longer term.

• How high interest rates are influencing consumer spending, and the impact this is having on the freight marketplace

• Secondary headwinds from a slowdown in manufacturing activity and construction spending

• Why the Southwest was the only region of the five defined by U.S. Bank to experience growth in shipments and spending

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyL

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- 3 Ways to Future-Proof your Shipping for 2023 and Beyond: http://bit.ly/3A6CSYr

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Greg White. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/analysis-us-bank-q4-freight-payment-index-1082

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 form of avocados – and how law enforcement is fighting back

• The immediate on-the-ground efforts to save lives in Turkey and Syria, as well as how people around the world can most effectively support them

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyL

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q4 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- 3 Ways to Future-Proof your Shipping for 2023 and Beyond: http://bit.ly/3A6CSYr

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/supply-chain-buzz-live-earthquake-relief-special-edition-1081

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 leveraging the benefits of cloud through a hybrid cloud infrastructure

• Separating tech needs from data quality issues, and doing so in a way that allows companies the flexibility they need

• Why hybrid cloud capabilities may be the perfect way for manufacturers to transition from on-prem hosting to the cloud

Additional Links & Resources:

Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com

Check out our new Supply Chain Now Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3zKRLyL

Subscribe to Supply Chain Now and all other Supply Chain Now programs: https://supplychainnow.com/subscribe

Learn more about Intel and DataOn: http://bit.ly/3YEhZhO

Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine: https://vectorgl.com/stand-with-ukraine/

2022 Q3 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index: https://freight.usbank.com

WEBINAR- 3 Ways to Future-Proof your Shipping for 2023 and Beyond: http://bit.ly/3A6CSYr

WEBINAR- Balancing Cost, Risk, and Sustainability in the Midst of Uncertainty: http://bit.ly/3kYufuy

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/no-reason-manufacturing-fear-cloud-microsoft-intel-1080