Trade Secrets

AI has promised to transform nearly every industry, but it’s hit some obstacles along the way. Reports of canceled projects and costly implementations have some wondering whether AI’s promise lives up to its hype. In this episode, we’ll explore one area where AI implementation is accelerating: supply chain. We speak with Bob Ferrari, Managing Director, The Ferrari Consulting and Research Group, about how supply chains are using AI now and planning for the future. We’re also joined by Oliver Sawbridge, Senior Manager, Trade and Geopolitics at The Economist Group, who shares what over 800 supply chain leaders are saying about how AI is transforming their businesses. We’ll cover what makes AI in supply chain unique, how companies are investing, and what weak spots still linger.  Guests: Bob Ferrari, Managing Director, The Ferrari Consulting and Research GroupOliver Sawbridge, Senior Manager, Trade and Geopolitics, The Economist Group  Articles mentioned and additional resources:Supply chain’s big bet on AI for geopolitical resilience – Economist Impact, sponsored by KinaxisHomepage - The Ferrari Consulting and Research GroupSupply Chain Matters – The Ferrari Consulting and Research GroupAI project failure rates are on the rise: report – CIO DiveIBM Report: 13% Of Organizations Reported Breaches Of AI Models Or Applications, 97% Of Which Reported Lacking Proper AI Access Controls – IBM NewsroomWoods Hole and Matson Test Out Real-Time Whale Detection System – The Maritime Executive  Credits: Production by Josh CaldwellAdditional support from Carlos Gama and Suhas Sreedhar. Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain management. Our software is trusted by global brands in every industry to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

In this episode, we embark on a detective story to uncover how rows and columns became the invisible backbone of commerce—and why that's both amazing and terrifying.  We meet Natalia, a supply chain professional who shares a spreadsheet before-and-after story that’s a real glow-up. Then we meet Chris, a managing director at Accenture who's helped companies pivot from drowning in cells and formulas to making productivity gains as AI-powered innovators. As we journey from copy-paste disasters to AI-powered futures, we discover that while spreadsheets gave us the world as we know it, getting the world we want will require breaking up with static cells and evolving to intelligent systems.Guests:Chris McDivitt, Managing Director, AccentureNatalia Sawka, SAP S4 HANA Venture - Process Manager of Plan to Manufacture, InfineumArticles mentioned and additional resources:Making Autonomous Supply Chains Real - AccentureSpreadsheet errors can have disastrous consequences, yet we keep making the same mistakes – The ConversationTwo-thirds of companies consider Excel a supply chain system – Supply Chain DiveTwelve dudes and a hype tunnel: Scenes from the ‘Super Bowl for Nerds’ – The New York TimesCredits:Introductory sound clip from “Full Project in Excel | Excel Tutorials for Beginners” by Alex The Analyst is licensed under CC BY 3.0.Production by Josh CaldwellAdditional support from Carlos Gama, Suhas Sreedhar, Stefanie Gordish Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain management. Our software is trusted by global brands in every industry to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Every industry has its trade secrets, but the most fascinating secrets of all? Those lie in the hidden networks that power global trade itself: supply chains. Welcome to Trade Secrets, the podcast that unveils the hidden world of supply chains and their critical role in the global economy. In each episode, we’ll explore how these powerful, global systems reveal answers to today’s most pressing questions like, how does a trapped ship disrupt global commerce? Or how much of our modern world runs on spreadsheets? Along the way, we speak with everyone, from Fortune 500 executives to planners, to better understand how supply chains connect us all and keep the world’s trade systems running smoothly. Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain management. Our software is trusted by global brands in every industry to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

How do you operationalize sustainability in the semiconductor industry where rapid innovation and faster product life cycles add ever-changing complexities to the supply chain?For Michele Dumais, Manager within the Supply Chain Management practice at Deloitte Consulting, it’s all about driving data, collaboration, and ensuring supply chain practitioners are involved in strategic planning. Polly Mitchell-Guthrie, VP of Industry Outreach and Thought Leadership at Kinaxis, joins Michelle to discuss the challenges of improving sustainability within the semiconductor industry. They discuss practical strategies to incorporate sustainability into existing capabilities and processes, the evolving role of AI in harnessing data and how everyone from engineers to suppliers can make an earth-friendly impact.Michelle says one of the biggest challenges semiconductor organizations face when it comes to embracing sustainability is properly managing big data throughout the different supplier tiers to address the biggest sources of emissions. It becomes especially tricky on a global scale because there are different ways to collect the data and questions regarding standardization. [06:15]Michelle says that it’s particularly difficult for semiconductor organizations because scope 3 emissions usually occur outside of a supply chain’s internal operations, but the good news is companies are starting to review the data through advanced dashboards for increased visibility, and AI can help create suggestions on how to best use that data to move toward sustainability goals. [8:53]To begin operationalizing sustainability initiatives, Michelle states that companies should begin with four main areas: getting the right data; alignment with their internal team to work towards a sustainability strategy that isn’t siloed; assess their capabilities and update processes; and look at readiness in terms of having the right talent, processes and technology in place. [12:55]To hear more from Michelle and Polly about navigating sustainability challenges in the semiconductor industry, listen to our Big Ideas in Supply Chain Podcast.To learn more about the work Michelle is doing at Deloitte Consulting, you can follow her on LinkedIn. Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain management. Our software is trusted by global brands in every industry to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

As the world moves forward into 2024, it’s an opportune time for supply chain professionals to continue making even more positive marks on their organizations. A number of supply chain trends were discussed in this panel discussion featuring Mary Byrne, Vice President of Supply Chain at Cardinal Health, Liz Coddington, CFO of Peloton, Gus Shahin, CIO at Flex and Professor Morgan Swink from Texas Christian University cohosted by Kinaxis Board Member, Angel Mendez and Kinaxis Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Anne Robinson.Mendez shared his top 10 challenges supply chains faced in 2023: COVID-19 “hangovers”; a lackluster macroeconomy; persistent inflation; higher cost of debt with higher interest rates; an increasingly complex geopolitical environment; companies attempting to move their footprints away from Asia in a “deglobalization” trend; labor tensions in certain industries; climate effects; continued emphasis on sustainability and ESG; and a “technology renaissance resting on AI.” Byrne talked about how her organization’s customers and partners are seeking more predictability in supply, while the supply chain itself must remain flexible. To create more resilient and responsive supply chains, conversations about technology and transformation will be important. [00:05:15]Sustainability can attract younger generations to supply chain careers, addressing a key need for 2024: strong talent. Swink says students are drawn to “changing people’s lives for the better.” [00:28:37]Coddington believes AI presents great opportunities in 2024 Companies who figure out how to leverage their own team with machine learning/AI to improve processes, use automation in more efficient and effective ways and better forecast demand will have competitive advantages.In terms of advice, supply chain professionals can continue to bridge different strategies and collaborate with partners and other parts of the business, be agile “athletes” ready to respond to changes and new trends quickly. Of course, it’s then critical that they communicate well at the ELT level to influence and educate. [00:44:59]For an in-depth discussion of these topics and several others, listen to our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast.To learn more about our guest panelists on this episode, follow them on LinkedIn:Mary ByrneLiz CoddingtonGus ShahinProfessor Morgan Swink  Kinaxis is a global leader in modern supply chain management. Our software is trusted by global brands in every industry to provide the agility and predictability needed to navigate today’s volatility and disruption. For more news and information, please visit kinaxis.com or follow us on LinkedIn.