Supply Chain Now

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 62 “Not Your Father’s Supply Chain: Speed & Agility, Digital Twins & Augmented Intelligence” Live broadcast from Velocity 2019 Learn more here: https://velocity-conference.com/ Episode 62 featured the following guests: Sean Willems is the Haslam Chair in Supply Chain Analytics at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville). He has been a visiting professor of operations management at the MIT Sloan School of Management since 2016. His work has led to finalist selections for the 2003, 2010, and 2017 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences. Bill Harrison serves as President of Demand Solutions. Mr. Harrison is responsible for the company’s corporate strategy and direction as well as its operations including development, sales, marketing, services, customer programs, alliances and channels. PJ Jakovljevic serves as Principal Industry Analyst for Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC). He is an internationally recognized enterprise applications market guru with extensive knowledge of leading enterprise software vendors, products, competitive intelligence, and market trends. Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode APICS Atlanta CSCP and CLTD Boot Camps at Georgia Tech: click here eCommerce Operations Summit: https://www.operationssummit.com/ MRO Americas: https://mroamericas.aviationweek.com/en/home.html Velocity 2019 Conference: https://velocity-conference.com/ AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Gartner Supply Chain Leadership Conference in Phoenix: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/supply-chain-us A few examples of Gartner research publications: click here TEC’s 2019 ERP Experts Survey Report: click here This episode was hosted by Scott Luton

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 61 “The Supply Chain Revolution: Leadership, Technology, Opportunity” Live broadcast from Velocity 2019 Learn more here: https://velocity-conference.com/ The following guests were featured in Episode 61: Kyle Garcia serves as Demand Planning Manager for Lacrosse Footwear. He has over 9 years of experience in S&OP related management roles and has come to love the drive for continuous process improvement. Ann Grackin is CEO of ChainLink Research. For more than two decades, Ann Grackin has been on the frontlines of the Supply Chain Management technology and eCommerce frontier, leading global strategy and technology implementations in the high technology, semiconductor, automotive, textile, and apparel industries. Mike Griswold is a Research VP in Gartner’s Consumer Value Chain team, focusing on the retail supply chain. He is responsible for assisting supply leaders in understanding and implementing demand-driven supply chain principles that improve the performance of their supply chain. Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode APICS Atlanta CSCP and CLTD Boot Camps at Georgia Tech: click here eCommerce Operations Summit: https://www.operationssummit.com/ MRO Americas: https://mroamericas.aviationweek.com/en/home.html Velocity 2019 Conference: https://velocity-conference.com/ AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Gartner Supply Chain Leadership Conference in Phoenix: https://www.gartner.com/en/conferences/na/supply-chain-us A few examples of Gartner research publications: click here APICS Portland: https://apics-pdx.org/ This episode was hosted by Scott Luton

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 60 “Blockchain, Big Data, and Big Change” Live broadcast from the offices of Blocnets in Alpharetta, GA Learn more here: https://blocnets.com/ Episode 60 featured the following distinguished guests: Jeffrey Harvey serves as Chief Operating Officer for SAP’s Intelligent Enterprise Solutions & Industries organizations. In this role, Jeff oversees the business globally, including business strategy, product management, business development, marketing, sales, channels, customer experience, renewals and field enablement. Robert “Bob” Betts is CEO and Co-Founder of Blocnets, which enables extended Supply Chain networks to leverage Distributed Ledger Technologies to improve overall supply chain agility, nearly eliminate counterfeit parts, enable intelligent contracts between Supply Chain network companies, and enable all companies in the extended Supply Chain network to economically participate and realize value in participating. Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode eCommerce Operations Summit: https://www.operationssummit.com/ MRO Americas: https://mroamericas.aviationweek.com/en/home.html Velocity 2019 Conference: https://velocity-conference.com/ AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here SAP partners with Bumble Bee Seafoods: https://youtu.be/-bq8fp7_I4k?t=1 From Vine to Table: Blockchain Enters the Food Chain: click here The March 18th Supply Chain Buzz: https://conta.cc/2JtX52M Georgia Manufacturing Alliance: https://www.georgiamanufacturingalliance.com/ This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Ashley Liebke.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 59 “Disruption, Plastics Manufacturing and Risk Mitigation” Live broadcast from the offices of Arnall Golden Gregory LLP Learn more here: https://www.agg.com/ Episode 59 featured the following: Jeff Frankish serves as Managing Director for KRAIBURG TPE Corporation (USA). As Managing Director, Jeff has been responsible for KRAIBURG TPE’s North American division and business operations since January, 2008. Jeffrey “Jeff” Y. Lewis is a partner in the Business Litigation Practice at Arnall Golden Gregory LLP. Mr. Lewis practices in both state and federal courts, doing both trial and appellate work. He practices dispute resolution for large and small companies and individuals, both in the United States and abroad, in widely diverse industries. Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Partnership Gwinnett Movers & Makers Awards: https://www.partnershipgwinnett.com/movers-and-makers-awards/ eCommerce Operations Summit: https://www.operationssummit.com/ MRO Americas: https://mroamericas.aviationweek.com/en/home.html Velocity 2019 Conference: https://velocity-conference.com/ AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Resilience 360: https://www.resilience360.dhl.com/resilienceinsights/ Georgia Manufacturing Alliance: https://www.georgiamanufacturingalliance.com/ This episode was co-hosted by Scott Luton and Will Haraway

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 58 “Continuous Improvement & Digital Innovation in Manufacturing” On episode 58 of Supply Chain Now Radio, the following distinguished guests were featured: Larry E. Fast serves as Director for the Southeast Region of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. He is also owner of the consulting firm Pathways to Manufacturing Excellence, LLC. Larry is a 35-year veteran of the wire & cable industry, with 25 of those years at Belden and 10 at General Cable. Blaine Mellor serves as Director/Digital Supply Network at The Clorox Company. He has spent almost 25 years at the organization, including in roles such as Director of WCO & Contract Manufacturing and Business Integrator for the Glad & Brita Division. This episode was co-hosted by Will Haraway, Ben Harris, and Scott Luton Upcoming Events & Resources Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com eCommerce Operations Summit: https://www.operationssummit.com/ MRO Americas: https://mroamericas.aviationweek.com/en/home.html Velocity 2019 Conference: https://velocity-conference.com/ AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Lynette Mathew’s webinar on Job Search & Resume Best Practices: click here

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 57 “Talent Market Update and Transport Orchestration” Episode 57 featured the following distinguished guests: George Brehovsky serves Director of Customer Solutions with CHEP, where he’s been helping his CPG and retail organizations sell more & spend less for 13 years. CHEP’s platforms and solutions enable profitability and sustainability without having to compromise one for the other. The company manages, maintains, transports and supplies more than 350 million platforms that are shared and reused by growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers. For 70 years, CHEP has empowered supply chains to use higher quality platforms, connect with more trading partners, reduce transportation, create less waste, use less natural resources, lower platform inventories and attain the efficiencies of standardization. Connect with George Brehovsky on LinkedIn and learn more about CHEP here: https://www.chep.com/us/en/consumer-goods Lynette Mathews serves as Client Relations Director for TalentStream. She has over 25 years of experience in engineering and management within manufacturing and distribution enterprises. She holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. She has led design, engineering and operations for both Southern Metalcraft in Lithonia and Hobbs Fountains in Atlanta. Lynette was recently the VP of Operations for a multi-million dollar manufacturer of equipment and supplies sold into construction, manufacturing, government, and healthcare markets. Her training and experience in lean principles enables her to develop strategic programs for improving efficiency and quality in both products and processes. She recognizes that talented resources are the driving force behind successful performance metrics. In addition to many years as a hiring manager, Lynette has been a full desk recruiter in the areas of commercial and industrial development, finance and construction. Lynette lives in Atlanta and is an active participant in APICS Atlanta, Georgia Manufacturing Alliance and the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. She has three grown children, loves to read and travel, and is an avid sports fan. Connect with Lynette Mathews on LinkedIn and learn more about TalentStream here: http://talentstreamstaffing.com/ Upcoming Events and Recources Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com 2019 Georgia Logistics Summit: www.GALogisticsSummit.com AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Lynette Mathew’s webinar on Job Search & Resume Best Practices: click here This episode was hosted by Chris Barnes and Scott Luton.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 56 Savannah Business Leadership Series: UNIS and Savannah Tech Episode 56 features the following distinguished guests: Kevin Werntz serves as s Vice President for Economic Development at Savannah Technical College. In this role, Kevin is responsible for all non-credit education including customized corporate training, professional continuing education, certified testing and corporate assessment. Lou Stover serves as Director of Sales at UNIS Fulfillment and Transportation. Founded in 1989, UNIS LLC has grown into a major, nationally recognized Third-Party Logistics Provider (3PL). From humble beginnings with just a few trucks operating in Southern California, UNIS has expanded into all major US markets, impacting the successful flow of commerce with superior technology, smarter supply chains and faster execution. Upcoming Events Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com 2019 Georgia Logistics Summit: www.GALogisticsSummit.com AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here This episode was hosted by Scott Luton.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 55: Savannah Business Leadership Series: DIRTT & Frendesign Episode 55 featured the following distinguished guests: Laura Lee Bocade is a Market Development and Green Team Leader for DIRTT Environmental Solutions, a Calgary-based manufacturer of prefabricated, sustainable interior construction solutions, representing DIRTT in the Savannah and Coastal Georgia region. Laura Lee’s mission is to develop and build local, state and regional community partnerships and to ‘spread DIRTT’ – central to DIRTT’s progressive approach to corporate social responsibility, sustainability, disruptive innovation and grass-roots philanthropy. Stephen Nottingham serves as CEO and Co-Founder at Frendesign, a company that prides itself on effective collaboration with the talented teams that support inpatient and outpatient care. By specializing in original content creation, Frendesign allows endless customization opportunities to fit the various needs of clients and implemented details that ensure intended outcomes are realized and surpassed. Upcoming Events Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com 2019 Georgia Logistics Summit: www.GALogisticsSummit.com AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here This episode was hosted by Scott Luton.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 54: Savannah Business Leadership Series: Erich K. Schmid Erich K. Schmid is co-founder and President of Business Intermediary Services, Ltd. He is a 35-year veteran in the mergers and acquisitions arena. In 1974 Mr. Schmid’s corporate career began with The Babcock & Wilcox Company (NYSE: BWC) in the Power Generation Group’s Nuclear Equipment Division and in 1975 was promoted to its Corporate Planning and Business Development Department; and, following the acquisition of BWC by J. Ray McDermott (NYSE: MDR) in 1978, he joined McDermott’s corporate staff. In 1980 Mr. Schmid was selected by Tidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) to be its first Director of Corporate Development and served in that position until 1985 when he resigned and moved to Asheville, North Carolina where he joined a local business brokerage firm and specialized in larger transactions. During his nine years with a general business brokerage, he performed valuations of several hundred businesses for buyers and sellers and was involved in over 100 transactions. In 1994 Mr. Schmid and the late William J. Fass founded Business Intermediary Services, Ltd. to focus solely on transactions in the lower middle market in the U.S. and Brazil and U.S. – Brazil cross-border transactions. Mr. Schmid has both a B.S. in Industrial Management and M.S. in Management from The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio. Mr. Schmid also studied Strategic Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Business. He was instrumental in founding the Carolinas-Virginia Business Brokers Association (CVBBA) and served as its first president. Mr. Schmid is a member of the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&AA) and is a Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA). He is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth (AGG) – Charlotte Chapter. He is a licensed real estate broker in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Mr. Schmid is a proud veteran of the United States Army; and, is a member of American Legion Post 205 (Bluffton, SC) and is the Post’s Golf Tournament Chairman. Mr. Schmid and his wife, Marilyn, live on Hilton Head Island, SC. They have two children, Gregory and Sara, and two grandchildren, Barrett and Mia. Connect with Erich K. Schmid on LinkedIn and contact him for more info at: ekschmid@prodigy.net This episode was hosted by Scott W. Luton and Bill Stankiewicz

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 52: “Update on Congressional Action on U.S. Infrastructure Needs” Episode 52 of Supply Chain Now Radio featured US Congressman Drew Ferguson. Congressman Drew Ferguson is a proud resident of West Point whose family roots in the West Georgia area are several generations deep. He attended the University of Georgia and gained early acceptance to the Medical College of Georgia. After graduating with a degree in dental medicine, he moved back to his hometown and established a successful family dental practice. In 2008, Congressman Ferguson was elected mayor of West Point and was at the forefront of attracting and keeping jobs in his community. By lowering taxes, eliminating government barriers and reforming education, he led a community in economic ruin back to life. Today, a wide range of new businesses and industries call West Point and the surrounding area home. Led by KIA Motors, automotive suppliers and related businesses, 16,000 new jobs have been created so far. Congressman Ferguson came to Washington to apply the lessons he learned revitalizing West Point to creating policies that once again make America the most competitive place to do business. Just as important as the creation of jobs, Congressman Ferguson wants to remove barriers that prevent those in poverty from moving into the middle class. Smart and effective welfare entitlement reform that actually helps people move ahead rather than trapping them in a cycle of poverty is the first step. Congressman Ferguson believes these problems cannot simply be regulated away, but should look for solutions that get government out of the way of American innovation growth. This is as much a moral issue as it is a practical matter. Congressman Ferguson is the Chief Deputy Whip for House Republicans. He also serves on the Committee on Ways and Means. Learn more: https://ferguson.house.gov/ The episode was co-hosed by Will Haraway and Scott Luton.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 53 Broadcast live from the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Learn more: https://ghcc.org/ Episode 53 featured the following distinguished guests: Tania Allen is originally from Venezuela and is now a US citizen. She worked in the Oil Company (PDVSA) in Venezuela as an IT professional, a network administrator, and a project leader. Jesus Martinez serves as Principal/Owner at Peach Tree Commercial Capital and has been in the finance industry for 20 plus years, serving as a finance director and trainer in the automobile industry. Albert Sorto serves as Vice President at the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. A dynamic and innovative sales executive, who has progressive experience in new business development, sales, marketing, customer service and operations management. This episode was hosted by Scott Luton.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 51: “Profiles in Supply Chain Leadership: Richard Sharpe” Episode 51 features our distinguished guest: Richard Sharpe is the CEO of Competitive Insights, LLC (CI).  Formed in 1998, CI believes in realizing the true value from transactional data. As an industry leader for the last 25 years, Richard is a frequent speaker at industry forums and a lecturer in Georgia Tech.  Richard writes the DC Velocity blog on Analytics and Big Data. Richard is a founding member of American Logistics Aid Network, a non-profit consortium serving Disaster Relief Agencies. Richard was formerly President of CAPS Logistics, Inc. which pioneered supply chain optimization solutions adopted by 15% of the Fortune 500 companies worldwide. Learn more about Competitive Insights here: http://www.ci-advantage.com/ Episode 51 is hosted by Chris Barnes

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 50: “Retail, Returns & Reverse Logistics” Episode 50 featured the following distinguished guests: Jim Brill is the Reverse Logistics Marketing Manager at UPS. In over 30 years with UPS, Jim has worked in Business Development, Sales and Marketing, gaining a deep understanding of UPS’s business units, operations and systems. Tony Sciarrotta serves as the Executive Director for the Reverse Logistics Association. He has held a variety of sales, marketing, and service positions in the consumer electronics industry for over 30 years, including Philips from 1988 through 2013. Upcoming Events Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com 2019 Georgia Logistics Summit: www.GALogisticsSummit.com AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here Episode 50 was co-hosted by Ashley Liebke and Scott Luton

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 49: “Leadership, Growth & the Path Ahead” This episode featured the following distinguished guests: Jim Becker is the CEO of Becker Logistics, LLC. Jim Becker entered the logistic world in 1991 and in 1997 from his kitchen table, Jim started what we fondly know today as Becker Logistics. He built the company on the founding core values of: Integrity, Quality, Innovation, Safety, Competitiveness, Openness, Respect, and Equal Work Life Balance. These foundational values combined with his leadership and industry expertise, have allowed Jim to author a great story of mind blowing growth in Becker Logistics; growing the company 10 times (1000%) since 2013. Along the way, he has learned to focus on the journey of life rather than solely on whatever goal or endpoint may serve as a destination. He has realized his passion to help the people he encounters to become a better version of themselves—to help them live life without regrets, to feel empowered, and to act with confidence. Jim is very involved within the logistics community. He sits on the Executive Advisory Council for McLeod Software and has spoken at McLeod’s Users conference on growing a company with sales and looking at how to scale operations along with the importance of customer service within our industry. Jim is on the Board along with being on the Education Committee, and past chairman of the hazmat committee of Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA). He is also currently on the Mentor/Mentee committee. Connect with Jim Becker on LinkedIn and visit Becker Logistics’ website for more information: https://www.beckerlogistics.com/ Paul Noble is Founder and CEO of Verusen, a technology firm that uses AI to predict inventory and harmonize data organizations in a variety of industries. Verusen automatically integrates to your ERP and disparate data sources — single or multiple systems, one or many locations. Then, the platform’s Artificial Intelligence learns from your own inventory experts and encodes their knowledge to provide seamless inventory harmonization. With Verusen, you get automatic naming and categorization with 99% reliability at scale — a true material master. Paul’s passion for entrepreneurship has always shaped his approach for go-to-market strategies and tools, which was the driving force behind pursuing his dream of launching Verusen to improve the availability of easy-to-use technology for optimizing the supply chain for materials and MRO. Connect with Paul Noble on LinkedIn and visit Verusen’s website for more information: https://www.verusen.com/ Upcoming Events Mentioned in this Episode 2019 Atlanta Supply Chain Awards: www.AtlantaSupplyChainAwards.com 2019 Georgia Logistics Summit: www.GALogisticsSummit.com AME Atlanta 2019 Lean Summit: https://www.ame.org/ame-atlanta-2019-lean-summit EFT 3PL & Supply Chain Summit: click here THis episode was co-hosted by Scott Luton and Chris Barnes.

Supply Chain Now Radio, Episode 48: “Key Takeaways from EFT’s Supply Chain Hot Trends 2019 Report” Learn more: https://buff.ly/ Chris Barnes is a SCNR co-host and professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistics Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) Certificate courses. Scott W. Luton is the founder and co-host of Supply Chain Now Radio and also serves as Managing Partner for TalentStream.