In this week’s episode we welcome back SAP’s David Vallejo. Together we dive into the evolving landscape of supply chain management, discussing how businesses are shifting from siloed operations to integrated orchestration, explore the transformative role of AI in enabling real-time decision-making, boosting resilience, and fostering sustainability. Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.   

David’s global organization leads strategy and growth initiatives for SAP’s SCM portfolio which encompasses solutions for product lifecycle management, manufacturing, planning, logistics, assets and service management as well as the Business Network. The solutions enable customers orchestrate their supply chain to become risk-resilient, adaptable, and sustainable in their supply chain operations.

David joined SAP in 2014 and has held various leadership positions before attaining his current role. During David’s tenure he drove the successful launch of SAP’s Supply Chain Business Network focusing on direct materials collaboration across the extended supply chain and driving the customer co-innovation program as product owner for SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP).

Prior to joining SAP David helped many global companies define and implement their strategy around supply chain transformations and has been honored with the “Pros-to-Know” award in 2014 by the Supply & Demand Chain Executive Board. He held several global leadership roles managing customer delivery, solution management and product management at E2open and icon-scm.

David is a Computer Science graduate (Dipl. Ing.) from the Berufsakademie University of Applied Science in Mannheim, Germany. 

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

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Learn more about CPG trends in supply chain & how to bring out your best.    

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The post Episode 104: Supply Chain Orchestration with SAP’s David Vallejo first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

The consumer goods industry is undergoing a seismic shift driven by AI and digital technologies. Joined by our own Maria Morais, we unpack key trends for 2025, including subscription-based models powered by AI customization, experience-driven commerce blending digital and physical retail, dynamic pricing enabled by real-time analytics, and hyper-personalization. Also, sustainability takes center stage as brands embrace ethical supply chains and transparency.

Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.

Maria is a digital transformation strategist specializing in AI-driven innovation, go-to-market scaling, and investor relations. She has been instrumental in expanding SAP’s market presence and driving sustainable growth in consumer industries, helping organizations navigate the future of consumer products through technology and business transformation initiatives.

 Maria writes about the intersection of AI, digital transformation, and business strategy, helping leaders navigate the evolving landscape of consumer industries.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Oyku Ilgar has been working in the digital supply chain area at SAP since 2017. As a marketer and blogger, she creates written and visual marketing content about ERP and Supply Chain solutions and focuses on the topics of business trends, IoT, Industry 4.0, and sustainability.

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Learn more about CPG trends in supply chain & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 103: 2025 Trends for the CPG Industry with SAP’s Maria Morais first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

Joined by Efficio’s Barbara Guignard, we dive into the causes behind the current cocoa crisis, including climate challenges and underinvestment in cocoa plants. Discover how chocolate manufacturers are responding through recipe alterations, sustainability initiatives, and supply chain innovations, whilst tapping into emerging technologies and potential alternatives that may shape the future of chocolate production and consumption.

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Barbara leads large-scale, international procurement transformation projects across a number of sectors, with a focus on the food, retail, and manufacturing industries. Barbara’s principal strengths lie in Procurement Transformation and Strategic Sourcing, particularly in the context of international organizations and mergers and acquisitions.

Generally, Barbara works with clients in medium-sized companies, often with an international sales and supply chain footprint, in sectors ranging from Manufacturing to Distribution and Services. Barbara has category expertise in professional services, marketing, finished goods, logistics, engineering services, third-party labor and outsourced services.

Barbara founded and continues to lead the Efficio Women’s Network, which provides an inclusive forum to exchange topics impacting women’s performance and well-being in the workplace, network with women across the business, as well as to raise general awareness on gender challenges. She is also a certified coach in personal development and is heavily involved in internal and external training.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

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Learn more about the chocolate crisis’ effect on supply chains & how to bring out your best.    

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The post Episode 102: Sweet Challenges: Navigating the Chocolate Crisis in Global Supply Chains with Efficio’s Barbara Guignard first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

With insights from SAP’s Mark Averskog and Descartes’ Eric Geerts, together, we dive into the world of ocean transportation, highlighting the importance of sea freight in global trade, current challenges faced by shippers and carriers, and the ongoing digital transformation of the industry. Learn about the push for greater visibility, process automation, and sustainability in maritime logistics, and how these advancements are set to revolutionize supply chain management in the coming years.

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Experienced professional in IT product portfolio and lifecycle management in an international context, including strategy & vision, product roadmap, go-to-market, product specifications, pricing, financial analysis/business case, leading innovation and internal alignment across different teams including product management, development and implementation. 

Broad knowledge in transport, logistics and Customs compliance processes and IT solutions for all transport modes (ocean, road, air, small parcel/express etc.). This includes products and services in the areas of TMS (Transport Management System), real-time tracking and visibility, (small) parcel shipping, multi-modal digital carrier connectivity, Customs compliance and port solutions. Over the years, he has gained experience in the integration of both internal and external products. 

Mark Averskog is currently VP of Product Marketing for SAP’s logistics network solutions, and his responsibilities include solution marketing and strategy, roadmap, go-to-market activities, analyst, and sales support. Mark has some 30 years of years of experience in supply chain management and logistics, and has held leadership roles in supply chain planning, product management, business development, consulting, and customer success organizations. Mark has been a frequent speaker at supply chain events including SAPPHIRE and other events.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Nicole Smythe is a marketer, blogger, and podcaster in the Digital Supply Chain and ERP space at SAP. With a Master’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management and various field experiences, she hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, focusing on topics like market trends, emerging technology, and the next generation of workers.  

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Learn more about ocean transportation and shipment management & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 101: Navigating the Digital Seas: The Future of Ocean Transportation with Descartes’ Eric Geerts and SAP’s Mark Averskog first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

Hannover Messe is just around the corner, and who better to discuss the future of supply chains with than Dominik Metzger, President & Chief Product Officer Supply Chain Management.

In this episode, we explore how AI can help to build resilient supply chains, the crucial role of data, and how the interplay between structured and unstructured data enables faster decision-making. We also take a closer look at the impact of SAP Business Suite and Business Data Cloud on supply chain management and discuss why sustainability is not just a challenge but a game-changing opportunity for businesses.

Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.

Dominik Metzger is President, Chief Product Officer for SAP’s Supply Chain Management organization, overseeing a global Line of Business (LoB). This organization is focused on SAP’s comprehensive portfolio of products across the entire Design-to-Operate process coupled with the SAP Business Networks solutions that drive efficient, agile, resilient and sustainable supply chains for customers. His product responsibilities encompass the design, product management, engineering, marketing and go-to-market functions.

Dominik has over 18 years of experience in the Supply Chain field, with a strong background in consulting, product management and go-to-market responsibilities. Prior to taking on his current role, Dominik led the SAP Digital Supply Chain product organisation. He joined SAP in 2020 to lead the company’s Industry 4.0 initiative and quickly took on additional responsibilities as the Head of Product Management for Manufacturing and Industrial IoT.

Before joining SAP, Dominik lived in New York City where he was a Managing Director for the implementation partner Westernacher Consulting. Prior to his time in the US, Dominik worked as a Solution Architect for Digital Supply Chain solutions in Singapore (for 4 years) and Germany. Throughout his career in Consulting, he successfully led and delivered numerous digital transformation projects across various industries including Automotive, Chemicals, Consumer Products, Logistics Service Providers, IM&C and Retail. These projects spanned multiple regions, including Europe and Asia.

Dominik studied business administration at the Cooperative University in Mannheim (DHBW), Germany and holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Mannheim Business School. He lives in Munich, Germany with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time, he loves spending time with the family in the Bavarian mountains, snowboarding and sledding in winter, hiking and swimming in summer. Dominik is passionate about traveling, which has given him the opportunity to visit more than 40 countries which he plans to further extend.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Sin To has more than fifteen years of experience in the digital media industry and technology sector in the field of marketing, advertising, business development, thought leadership, and as a contributing editor. Sin joined the SAP’s digital supply chain team to drive thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s supply chain solutions, emerging market trends, and sustainability.

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The post Episode 100: AI and Manufacturing: Smart Technologies for a New Era of Industry with SAP’s Dominik Metzger first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

Joined by Westernacher’s Alexis Lozada, we dive into the world of network aware planning, a revolutionary approach to supply chain management that focuses on understanding the interconnectedness of various networks within the supply chain. Discover how this strategy helps businesses make informed decisions, prepare for disruptions, and optimize inventory allocation.

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Alexis Lozada is the Associate Principal and Practice Director, Supply Chain Planning Practice – Americas for Westernacher Consulting.

Alexis is SAP alum, as product manager delivered over 100 feature and functions for SAP cloud-based advanced supply chain planning solution SAP IBP.  Additionally, he worked in various supply chain management roles for Del Monte Foods and started his career in finance and investment.

Alexis obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Ohio Wesleyan University, a Master’s degrees from IESA (Venezuela) and Carnegie Mellon University.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

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Learn more about network aware planning & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 99: Why Network Aware Planning Defeats Traditional Planning with Westernacher’s Alexis Lozada first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

Navigating manufacturing’s future: Supply chains face disruption, talent pools shrink, and sustainability demands rise. Discover how AI, cloud tech, and data-driven strategies offer solutions. Hear Judy Cubiss from SAP share insights on building resilient, efficient, and future-proof industrial operations.

Companies are rethinking supply chains for resilience and embracing collaboration platforms. AI offers potential for automation and insights but requires robust data management and infrastructure. Sustainability is now a financial imperative, with regulations driving the need for data collection and tools like green ledgers. Flexibility and agility are crucial in responding to evolving trade policies, with scenario planning becoming essential. Cloud ERP systems offer smaller manufacturers access to advanced technologies, aiding in talent management and innovation.

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Judy Cubiss has been working in the Discrete Industries space for over 20 years. She is responsible for industry marketing globally for industrial manufacturing and aerospace and defense at SAP and is responsible for telling SAP’s unique value proposition for those industries.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Oyku Ilgar has been working in the digital supply chain area at SAP since 2017. As a marketer and blogger, she creates written and visual marketing content about ERP and Supply Chain solutions and focuses on the topics of business trends, IoT, Industry 4.0, and sustainability.

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Learn more about focusing on your supply chain’s resiliency & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 98: The Manufacturing Industry Trends 2025 with SAP’s Judy Cubiss first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

This week, we’re joined by McKinsey & Company’s Kevin Goering to dive into the insights from their fifth annual Global Supply Chain Leader Survey, revealing how executives are responding to persistent disruptions and shifting priorities. Together, we dive into the delicate balance between cost management and risk mitigation, the challenges of digital adoption, and the growing focus on nearshoring and dual sourcing, discovering why some companies may be taking their eye off the ball when it comes to supply chain resilience, and what strategies are proving most effective in today’s dynamic business environment.

Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.

Kevin Goering is a partner in McKinsey’s Operations Practice and a leader of McKinsey’s industry 4.0 work. He advises companies on transformative initiatives across manufacturing, supply chain, procurement, and product development challenges, while helping executives drive efficiency and productivity gains. Kevin is based in the Bay Area.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Nicole Smythe is a marketer, blogger, and podcaster in the Digital Supply Chain and ERP space at SAP. With a Master’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management and various field experiences, she hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, focusing on topics like market trends, emerging technology, and the next generation of workers.  

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Learn more about focusing on your supply chain’s resiliency & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 97: Supply Chains… Are They Still Vulnerable? with McKinsey’s Kevin Goering first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

As inflation, energy volatility, and supply chain bottlenecks strain the packaging industry, companies grapple with trade-offs between cost reduction and durability. This week, ProcureAbility’s Joe Adamski joins us to dive into strategies like lightweighting materials, on-site renewable energy, and rethinking the possibilities with transportation logistics. Together, we examine the viability of “net zero” claims, greenwashing risks, and innovations like sensor-driven energy optimization.

Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.

Joe has more than 12 years of advisory and consulting experience centered on strategic procurement and large-scale transformations. He has deep experience in launching and executing programs focused on strategic sourcing, supply chain, procurement strategy, organizational design, and transformations.

Earlier in his career, Joe was an Air Force pilot before joining A.T. Kearney in their consumer practice. He has consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries, including utilities, CPGs, grocery, retail, telecom, apparel, food and beverage, and government.

Joe holds a B.S. degree in Physics from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. He enjoys boating, hiking, and spending time in the outdoors.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Nicole Smythe is a marketer, blogger, and podcaster in the Digital Supply Chain and ERP space at SAP. With a Master’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management and various field experiences, she hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, focusing on topics like market trends, emerging technology, and the next generation of workers.  

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Learn more about navigating the packaging industry & how to bring out your best.  

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The post Episode 96: Navigating the Packaging Puzzle: Cost, Sustainability, and Innovation in a Disrupted Supply Chain with ProcureAbility’s Joe Adamski first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.

This week, Niall Brennan – former FBI agent turned SAP cybersecurity strategist – details the critical role of securing supply chains amid rising cyber threats. With 22 years of FBI experience in counterterrorism, cybercrime, and intelligence, Brennan now bridges public-private partnerships to safeguard SAP’s digital ecosystem. He discusses threat intelligence sharing, incident response, regulatory compliance, and anticipatory resilience strategies, highlighting the need for “personality-resistant” global collaboration to neutralize vulnerabilities in an era of rapid technological disruption.

Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.

Niall P. Brennan joined SAP on June 1, 2020, as the Global Head of External Engagement for the security organization. In this capacity, he leads relationships with global government security services, legislative and regulatory bodies, public-private partnerships, industry trade councils, non-governmental organizations and academia to address issues related to industry security and resilience, threat mitigation and regulatory compliance and enforcement. He has over 30 years of experience in a variety of legal, advisory, security, and investigative roles in both the public and private sectors. 

An attorney by education and training, Niall began his professional life as a commercial litigator in private practice.  In 1996, he joined the FBI, where he spent 22-years in multiple operational and managerial capacities across all investigative and investigative support programs, including transnational organized crime, counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber and intelligence.  Through his service, he gained extensive experience in complex investigation, information collection and management, crisis management and international diplomacy.  In his last position with the FBI, Niall led the office in the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France for over 5 years.  He retired from the FBI in 2018 and joined PwC as a Director in the Cybersecurity & Privacy practice where he led client engagements focused on cyber incident response and mitigation, resiliency-building and organizational transformation.  

Niall is married and resides in New York City with his wife and four children.

Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Nicole Smythe is a marketer, blogger, and podcaster in the Digital Supply Chain and ERP space at SAP. With a Master’s degree in Global Supply Chain Management and various field experiences, she hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, focusing on topics like market trends, emerging technology, and the next generation of workers.  

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Learn more protecting your supply chains from cyber threats & how to bring out your best.   

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The post Episode 95: Cyber Fortress: Securing the Digital Lifelines of Global Supply Chains with SAP’s Niall Brennan first appeared on The Future of Supply Chain.