In this episode, we’re joined by Stephen T. Hopper, Founder and Principal at Inviscid Consulting. Stephen brings decades of experience in supply-chain operations and shares valuable insights on optimizing processes before introducing automation. He explores the importance of being requirements-driven rather than solutions-driven and highlights the need to extract the maximum potential from existing resources before considering automation. Stephen also emphasizes the role of on-the-ground workers in generating the best ideas for process improvements and draws attention to how businesses can benefit from their insights.

Key Takeaways:

(01:51) Inviscid Consulting’s unique name origin explained.
(05:09) Two buckets of supply chain, planning vs. execution.
(08:54) Automation should be a tool, not a goal.
(12:45) Shipping and fulfillment is the least automated area.
(24:14) Engage the workforce to uncover hidden efficiencies.
(25:23) The plank parable — environment matters in performance.
(33:39) Focus on small, incremental improvements.

Resources Mentioned:

Stephen T. Hopper -
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevehopper/

Inviscid Consulting -
https://www.linkedin.com/company/inviscid-consulting

Georgia Institute of Technology -
https://www.gatech.edu/

Tucker: The Man and His Dream - IMDB -
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096316/

ProMat Trade Show -
https://www.promatshow.com/

MODEX Trade Show -
https://www.modexshow.com/

Enhancing Operations and Customer Engagement with B2B Workflow Automation - https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0cdkPL0

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