The Zero100 Podcast

Companies are running tons of AI pilots, yet most struggle to move from experimentation to scaled impact. Zero100’s latest research reveals why: only 15% of organizations say their data foundation is ready to support AI at scale, while the rest wrestle with fragmentated data and meetings where teams spend more time debating which numbers to trust than making decisions. This week, Kelly Coutinho (VP, Research & Advisory), Julia “JD” Dahlgren ( Director, Data Science), and Justin Gillebo (Senior Director, Research & Advisory) explore what “decision safe data” actually means, why agentic systems raise the bar on clarity, and working from one source of truth. The data cleanliness issue that gave 500,000 free gas and electricity (01:11)Why 85% of companies aren’t ready for “decision-safe” AI (02:18)How humans and AI fail differently (07:40)How "good enough" data can lead to misaligned metrics and escalating operational costs (10:04)The human in the loop – from training a replacement to becoming a collaborator (13:57)The “decision agreement” test: How to know when your AI is ready for production (15:49)The ultimate prize? Compressing the time between signal and response (17:37)

Circularity is climbing the agenda in fashion, but what actually drives results? Former Puma Chief Sourcing Officer Anne-Laure Descours has spent 30 years working across Asia’s supply chains, seeing firsthand which sustainability efforts stick… and which stall. In this episode, she joins Senior Director, Research & Advisory Jenna Fink to explore how manufacturers are embedding sustainability into real business performance. From the limits of textile recycling to the coalitions and production decisions shaping material innovation, Anne-Laure explains why the competitive edge sits upstream, and why suppliers often see the commercial logic more clearly than brands.When “doing it right” became a competitive edge (01:10) China’s “Two Mountains” philosophy: green growth = real growth (02:43) Metrics matter… but the real work happens in factories (05:42) The unsung heroes: machinery and suppliers driving the backstage innovation (07:33) RE:FIBRE, circularity hype, and why we can’t recycle 150B garments a year (08:17) The waste-to-energy pivot (because sorting doesn’t scale) (11:38) Making the business case for sustainability: wins, fails, and supplier-led change (14:03) Boardroom perspectives, DNA traceability, and giving makers their due (18:06)

Toyota practically wrote the book on continuous improvement. But can the plays that won championships before still win them today? This week, Kevin Austin, Group Vice President, Supply Chain at Toyota North America, tackles one of the hardest leadership challenges: transforming a company built on discipline and proven systems without losing what made it great. In conversation with Zero100 Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah (yes, two Kevins), he reveals why TPS is the foundation that makes transformation possible, and what happens when AI meets craftspeople who've spent 30 years building cars.The tension between pride, legacy, and a world that got way more complex (01:20)How to know when digital transformation isn’t working (and you’re the bottleneck) (03:37)Early missteps and why noble missions beat shiny tools (05:37)Fixing friction from forecasting all the way to customer delivery (08:20)When customers can track a $10 pizza but not a $50,000 vehicle (12:37)How TPS creates a stable backbone for experimentation (15:17)When AI meets craftsmanship: Amplifying 30 years of judgment with technology (17:07)What stays Toyota, what must change, and Kevin's north star (22:24)

For every bold AI vision from a CEO, there's a COO thinking: “That's not happening on your timeline.” Zero100’s new survey reveals the scale of the disconnect: 83% of COOs see a significant gap between what’s being promised and what’s operationally feasible. But COOs aren't skeptics – they’re realists who know what execution actually takes. Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah and VP, Research & Advisory Services Lauren Acoba reveal how top COOs are bridging the gap: targeting specific workflows, building on existing tech stacks, and playing the long game while delivering near-term wins. Inside the data: What 100 COOs told us about AI (01:45)Closing the loop and creating value beyond the sale (05:32)Why COOs want to move from execution to strategy (and why CEOs should be relieved) (09:16)Stop! Don’t rip out your tech stack: Why layering AI is the smarter play (14:31)The Goldilocks approach to placing successful AI bets (17:50)The COO decade and why ops leaders are built for what’s next (21:11)

The Zero100 mailbag is open – and the questions inside reveal what's really keeping supply chain leaders up at night. With a little help from our own agentic AI sorting system, Chief Content Officer Matt Davis, Principal, Research Jenna Fink, and VP, Research Geraint John tackle what they've been hearing from the community. How do you move logistics from dashboards to execution? How do you orchestrate multiple AI agents on the same process? And how do you transform operations when the same people driving change are also keeping everything from falling apart?How to sell a data cleanup project (and the CPG that cut 192 hours of downtime) (02:12) Why procurement is having its AI moment (05:37) The transformation paradox: how do you change while keeping the wheels turning? (08:20) Orchestration: Zero100's word of the year (12:05)The visibility-to-execution gap (and why logistics is lagging) (16:26) Getting agents to actually work together (20:37)

After 25 years at L’Oréal, Vanessa Clemendot made the leap from beauty to biopharma – and into a workforce being redefined by AI. Now SVP, Global Supply Chain at Sanofi, Vanessa sits down with Caroline Chumakov, Principal, Research at Zero100, to unpack the shift from siloed execution to cross-functional orchestration, the rise of judgment over computation as agents handle the heavy lifting, and why data literacy is now table stakes.Vanessa Clemendot’s career across 25 years, 10+ roles, and 3 continents (00:55) The first 90 days at Sanofi (03:58) Working with AI: where computation ends and judgment begins (06:12) Who owns the tech stack? It’s not one team (09:34)One dataset + real time decisions = planning in orchestration (11:23) M&A and divestitures across newly split supply chains (13:55) Day one advice: trusting your gut (19:08)

While Davos headlines focused on Trump and tariffs, Zero100’s CEO Olly Sloboda and Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah came back with a different perspective. Fresh from four days of meetings with CEOs, COOs and heads of supply chain, they debrief on what they heard on the ground: why leaders are surprisingly optimistic in a time of turbulence, how the AI conversation has evolved from pilots to full workflow redesigns, and why cybersecurity emerged as a top threat to business continuity – even above geopolitical uncertainty. Welcome to Davos: The vibe on the ground (01:02) What supply chain leaders were actually focused on (02:56) Why leaders are surprisingly optimistic despite uncertainty (04:58) From AI pilots to redesigning workflows for an agentic world (08:54) Cybersecurity: The uncomfortable truth COOs see (12:22) What now? Practical moves for operators (15:57) Final thoughts: Why human connection still matters (18:41)

Think consumers just don’t get supply chain? Think again. Nearly half belong to personas that see its impact – and that awareness is changing how price increases land, how trust holds, and what “value” really means. On this episode, VP, Data & Analytics Cody Stack sits down with Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah and Director, Data Science Julia Dahlgren to break down what Zero100 learned from our survey of 14,000 shoppers across seven countries. For leaders still anchored to shelf price alone, this conversation offers a clearer view of what shapes consumer decisions as prices rise – and practical moves to use now.The big question: Can supply chains under pressure keep customer trust? (01:15) Inside Zero100’s 14,000-consumer survey – and where the data surprised us (02:23) Breaking the myth of “the customer”: five emerging personas (04:21) What shoppers are trading off and what’s keeping them loyal (11:54) Keeping customers in a higher-price world: High-impact moves for supply chain leaders (18:36) Where supply chain awareness goes next (22:27)

Is your annual planning cycle obsolete before it's approved? This week, Zero100 VP, Research & Advisory Services Lauren Acoba, VP, Research, Kelly Coutinho, and Principal, Research, Justin Gillebo break down Continuous Planning, a new operating model that shortens the distance between signal and response. They explore what Continuous Planning is (and what it isn’t), where AI genuinely helps, and why coordination matters as decision cycles compress. A practical guide to spotting bottlenecks, evolving planning roles beyond spreadsheets, and knowing where to start.So… what is Continuous Planning? (01:53)The Covid inflection point – and why legacy planning struggles under faster cycles (03:22)Continuous Planning as a system, not a tool (04:57)AI: The magic ingredient for modern planning (06:12)Why planning speed needs orchestration (07:13)The evolution of the planner: From spreadsheet mechanic to orchestrator (13:10)How Novartis is making Continuous Planning work in the wild (17:40)A practical path to Continuous Planning (18:50)What changes next (and what won’t) (21:45)

Tariffs dominated headlines. AI moved from pilot to production. Automation got real. But what did 2025 actually look like for operators on the ground? New Balance COO Dave Wheeler joins Lauren Acoba, VP, Research Advisory Services at Zero100, to reflect on a year of “unpredictable disruption” – and reveal why the companies that thrived weren't chasing efficiency at all costs. From 806,000 square feet of robotic warehousing to the irreplaceable value of human craftsmanship, this is the 2025 year in review you need to hear.2025 in two words: “Unpredictable disruption” (00:54)Made in USA for 75 years – validation or new challenges? (1:41)Private ownership's long-term advantage in a quarterly-obsessed world (3:19)AI moves from pilots to real wins in supplier complexity and sourcing (05:49)Staying the course on sustainability as the pendulum swings (07:51)Robots, AVs, and 100K units per day: Inside New Balance’s new Salt Lake City DC (10:35)What New Balance will never automate: the craftsmanship that defines the brand (13:06)The skills gap reality check (14:38)The 2026 defining move? Breaking out of operations’ four walls (20:00)

For over a decade, IoT failed to live up to the hype. Now? It's quietly become one of the most transformational forces in operations — not because the buzz came back, but because sensors got cheap, 5G arrived, and edge computing actually works. Join Zero100's VP, Research Advisory Services Lauren Acoba and Principals, Research Caroline Chumakov and Jenna Fink as they unpack why visibility tech is suddenly delivering ROI, where companies are still collecting data they'll never use, and how the best operators are moving from "find this thing" to preventing problems before they happen.Why IoT endured when other hyped tech faded (1:01)RFID vs BLE: When 4 cents beats $30 (03:36)How edge computing finally unlocked IoT's promise (07:11)IoT wins from Caterpillar, Maersk and Walmart (9:41)Why connectivity is now a strategic differentiator (13:49)"Instrumentation without intention": The expensive data trap (15:08)Measuring ROI — beyond visibility (17:55)

What did Zero100 get right about 2025 — and what's coming in 2026? Chief Content Officer Matt Davis sits down with VP, Research Advisory Services Lauren Acoba and Principal Research Caroline Chumakov to grade last year's boldest predictions before mapping the forces that will reshape supply chains over the next 12 months. From AI agents moving into planning and sourcing, to clean energy as competitive advantage, to India's manufacturing rise and humanoid robots entering the workforce— this is your annual roadmap of trends worth watching and moves to make now.Grading 2025: How Zero100's predictions held up (01:43)Can AI move faster without cleaner data? Spoiler: probably not (05:25)Nuclear's next mission: Powering the data center boom (06:29)How AI agents are reshaping planning, sourcing, and orchestration roles (10:31) Could India be manufacturing’s next superstar? (16:34) Humanoids find their footing in real-life operations (18:36)

DoorDash isn't just delivering dinner – it's transforming how small businesses run. This week, VP, Strategy & Operations Parisa Sadrzadeh joins Zero100 Chief Content Officer Matt Davis to take us inside the systems powering the restaurant experience today. From the new Going Out feature blending digital and in-person moments to partner-first design principles that work across thousands of kitchens, Parisa reveals what supply chain leaders can learn from frontline food ops.Inside the DoorDash playbook: delivery, dine-in, and everything between (01:22)Building for the moments that matter: why restaurant tech must respect craft over complexity (04:13)How Gen Z is pushing commerce and omnichannel into new territory (07:09)Why great tech starts with understanding your partner's operating "heartbeat" (10:05)How working the floor leads to better tech solutions (11:55)On Shake Shack, growth, and meeting customers where they want to be (17:32)Earning trust without authority: aligning incentives and building for partners (23:36)

The best questions come from the messy middle of transformation. Join Zero100’s Principals, Research Caroline Chumakov and Jenna Fink, and Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah as they answer the questions keeping supply chain leaders up at night in our first mailbag episode: How do you balance quick AI wins with paradigm-shifting transformation? What actually measures Copilot's impact? And to what degree can organizational resistance slow change? Real questions, actionable answers.Introducing the Zero100 Mailbag (00:05) Balancing incremental vs transformational AI strategy (1:06) Manufacturing transformation: task automation or systems redesign? (5:00) Measuring Copilot productivity and AI ROI (10:02) How to manage organizational resistance and the quintile problem (13:42) What data improvements are needed before AI implementation? (18:10) 

The hype is high for agentic AI – but what's the reality on the ground? Fresh off Zero100’s Live 2025 events in London and San Diego, the Zero100 team reveals what's actually working in supply chain transformation. Spoiler alert: it’s not about deploying AI and declaring victory. It's about the unsexy fundamentals – data ownership, fusion teams, and the Translators who bridge tech and ops. Featuring: VP, Data & Analytics Cody Stack, VP, Research Advisory Services Lauren Acoba, and Account Executive Jen Smith. Live in a nutshell: Bold vision meets pragmatic action (00:53)  Taking Live international: Impressions from London and San Diego (2:10) Content that resonated: Translators, fusion teams, and scaling AI pilots (5:00) What is “data readiness” really? (7:11) Sustainability meets efficiency: The cost-carbon connection (9:02) Real-world AI use cases, from document parsing to personal leadership development (11:07) Key takeaways: Unconstrained thinking, hard work, and why humans aren't going anywhere (20:09)

In a world drowning in data and AI hype, the leaders who win aren't the ones with the best algorithms – they're the ones who can tell the best stories. Join Zero100’s Chief Research Officer Kevin O'Marah and Principal Research Caroline Chumakov as they explore storytelling as a critical leadership strategy for digital supply chain transformation and provide practical tips for winning over skeptical boardrooms. The neuroscience of storytelling (02:53) Why storytelling matters more than ever in the age of AI (04:18) The essential ingredients: Conflict, emotion, and a hero at the center (05:50) What we can learn from Indra Nooyi, Sara Blakely, Paul Polman, and Jim Rowan (08:44) The Golden Nugget: How to win over boardrooms with data and narrative (14:10) Understanding storytelling as a change management strategy (19:10) Amazon's PR/FAQ framework: A practical tool for driving multi-year transformations (22:25) Making it stick: How to practice storytelling and build it into your leadership development (24:29) 

Once known for low-cost production, the Asia-Pacific region now sets the global pace in digital integration, real-time orchestration, and AI-powered operations. From China’s consumer-driven factories to Singapore’s strategic investment in talent, APAC has created supply chains where data, decisions, and execution move as one. On this week’s episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team unpacks what’s driving this momentum – and why leaders everywhere can’t afford to ignore it. Featuring: Principal Research, Suzanne Lindsay, Senior Research Analyst, Jalen Thibou, and VP, Research, Kelly Coutinho. What’s driving APAC’s digital edge in supply chain? (00:50) Inside the factories syncing data and decisions at speed (03:19) How real-time orchestration is pushing the region ahead (04:23) Cross-industry collaboration wins in policy, tech, and talent (07:22) The infrastructure powering APAC’s smart production model (10:20) When AI meets skilled labor on the factory floor (15:31) The big lessons global supply chain leaders can’t afford to miss (18:59) 

In the age of AI, the most powerful investment you can make has nothing to do with technology – and everything to do with your org chart. Enter fusion teams: cross-functional powerhouses that combine tech and ops expertise to deliver digital products at scale. In this episode, the Zero100 team looks at the personas that drive success and unpacks how to build, empower, and measure the success of these teams across the supply chain. Featuring: VP, Data & Analytics Cody Stack, Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov, and VP, Research Lauren Acoba.What are fusion teams, exactly? (00:58) Meet the key players: Citizens, Translators, and Wizards (01:32) How to spot and grow Translators in your organization (05:50) Fusion team archetypes in action (08:48) From pilot to practice: making fusion teams stick (12:19) How to spot success, and why “failure” is a key ingredient (14:37) What’s next for fusion teams in the age of AI? (19:42) 

The recent digital tech boom has reshaped how supply chains operate – and the skills that powered the last era aren’t the ones that will define the next. This week, Bonnie Fetch, EVP and President, Operations at Cummins, sits down with Caroline Chumakov, Principal Analyst at Zero100, to explore how leaders can develop and empower the supply chain talent of tomorrow and build fusion teams that drive the best tech solutions.The role of humans in an automated world (03:05) Spotting and developing tech-ops “Translators” (05:36) Why fusion teams are crucial for innovation (10:11) The human skills that matter most in a tech-driven era (12:47) Learning and development in the age of AI (15:31) Data cleanliness, the limits of AI, and knowing where to scale (18:36) Building a fulfilling supply chain career for the future (21:02) 

Six months after Trump declared “Liberation Day,” tariff revenues are up, and major US investment pledges are rolling in. But at the same time, costs are rising, and global sourcing strategies are shifting fast. This week, the Zero100 team explores reshoring readiness, friendshoring alternatives, and the role of AI and robotics in turning volatility into opportunity, outlining the steps supply chain leaders must take to build resilience in a reshaped global market. Featuring: Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah, VP, Research, Geraint John, and Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov. Breaking down Trump’s tariff playbook (00:05) What the numbers really say about trade deficits and tax revenue (02:01) Moving manufacturing back to the US: Political theater or a real shift? (03:38) The roadblocks slowing a reshoring push (10:17) Non-stop negotiation: How global trade partners are reacting (15:44) Inflation, resilience, and what supply chain leaders must prepare for next (19:14) Trump’s tariffs: a win or a miss? (25:01)