462: Procurement Unlocked: Sourcing Best Practices in a Tariff-Driven World, with ProcureAbility
Release Date: 04/07/2025
Let's Talk Supply Chain
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Megan Keith & Shawn Piper talk about Uber Freight; bridging tech & service; bringing product & design together; automation; & the future of freight technology. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.00] Introductions to Megan and Shawn, and their roles at Uber Freight. “I was drawn to logistics because of its complexity and impact. It’s a space where smart, intuitive tools can really make a difference, and I love simplifying that complexity so transportation teams can move faster and make better decisions.” [05.21] An overview of Uber Freight, the evolution that brought...
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Anthony & Lyle of ProcurementIQ talk about client collaboration, leveraging data, the growth of procurement & the biggest challenges impacting teams in 2025. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [06.08] Lyle’s background and the journey that led him to co-found ProcurementIQ. [09.00] How ProcurementIQ has evolved over the last decade, and where they are now. “We were learning – and so was procurement in its own right. The concept of category intelligence wasn’t really a thing in 2013... Back then there was market intelligence so what we really had to learn about was that...
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Craig Barth of Premier Trailer Leasing talks about understanding if your business needs to buy, rent or lease; & leveraging fleet management for success. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.31] An overview of Premier Trailer Leasing – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. [06.07] What sets Premier apart, and the secret to their success as they celebrate 20 years in business. “There are several companies that will rent or lease you a semitrailer. So why do people come to Premier? The reality is: it’s the people. It’s the partnerships we form, the...
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Alexia McLaughlin talks about making an impact through innovation; her commitment to cultures of excellence; & her big achievement as an industry rising star. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.52] An introduction to Alexia and her role at Veho. “If Uber and UPS had a baby, it would be Veho!” [05.08] How Alexia began her career in sales, and her journey through roles at Oracle and Jebbit to her current position at Veho. “I never thought I was going to be in sales! That used car salesman connotation springs to your mind… But, when I was coming out of college, a lot of...
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Dexter Weber of TGW Logistics talks about the trends, challenges & opportunities in warehouse logistics; building strategic partnerships; and TGW's new brand. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.31] TGW’s 50+ year journey from small fitters shop in Austria to global manufacturing leader. “Part of our journey was becoming a foundation-owned company... We reinvest our profits into our solutions and capabilities, and to charity. We’re not chasing goals and pleasing shareholders – we’re focused on that long-term vision.” [09.07] Where TGW are now, their vision for the...
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Beverly Steele talks about her journey, making a big change mid-career; what it means to be a workforce innovator; and her take on work-life balance. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.29] An introduction to Beverly and her role at Inmar. [05.11] Beverly’s career journey, and her decades of varied experience. “I’ve been in reverse logistics well over 20 years. I actually stopped saying how long because I realized I’d been in it longer than some of my colleagues have been alive!” [07.15] Beverly’s 20-year tenure at CORT, and an overview of the roles she took on as she climbed the...
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Phillip Lechter of CXT Software talks about challenges in last mile; building a people-first culture; & how they're helping customers grow, compete & thrive. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [05.45] How CXT innovated over the past 25 years to meet the changing needs of an evolving logistics landscape. “25 years is a long time in the software space!… In maturation of software, it’s easy to want to 'set it and forget it', and live off the benefits. But you can’t do that today. Supply chain is changing so rapidly, and our focus is on innovation, connectivity, and our...
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Carlos Perico of ProcureAbility talks about sourcing best practices in a tariff-driven world & how to turn procurement from cost center to competitive advantage IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.29] An introduction to Carlos and ProcureAbility. “All we do is procurement! It’s our speciality, it’s what we’re passionate about. And that’s key.” [05.59] Tariffs: what they are, and why supply chain professionals need to pay attention. [07.07] Diversification: Some of the strategies companies can employ to build agile supply chains for long-term resilience, the big...
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Bill Catania of OneRail and Anna Farberov of PepsiCo talk all about their strategic partnership, how it works & the benefits it drives for Pepsi customers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.42] Introductions to Bill and OneRail, and Anna and PepsiCo Labs. [06.22] Why PepsiCo reached out to OneRail to explore partnership opportunities. “They have the solution and we have the problem; they have an entrepreneurial mindset and can move fast, and we have the business expertise and deep industry understanding. And when we’re able to feed that back, that’s where the magic happens.” ...
info_outlineCarlos Perico of ProcureAbility talks about sourcing best practices in a tariff-driven world & how to turn procurement from cost center to competitive advantage
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[04.29] An introduction to Carlos and ProcureAbility.
“All we do is procurement! It’s our speciality, it’s what we’re passionate about. And that’s key.”
[05.59] Tariffs: what they are, and why supply chain professionals need to pay attention.
[07.07] Diversification: Some of the strategies companies can employ to build agile supply chains for long-term resilience, the big challenge with long-term strategies, and why your supply chain is like Tetris.
“Diversification is the name of the game. You don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket – but the challenge now is that the baskets are getting very complex!!”
“For those long-term strategies to pay off, you have to start now.”
[14.08] How companies can utilize scenario planning or future-proofing to prepare for further tariff fluctuations.
“You need to know your risk. It sounds simple… but you need to go deeper. You need to dive deeper into understanding your supply chain at different levels, your supplier network – and data becomes even more important.”
[19.17] Dual-sourcing: what it is, and the impact that implementing dual-sourcing strategies can have on risk mitigation.
“Communicate to your stakeholders, because we human beings have a tendency to forget the risk when it’s not present... Communicate the risk you’re trying to mitigate in advance, build that relationship with the business.”
[24.57] How to effectively work with suppliers: How fluctuating tariffs are impacting supplier pricing and contract stability, and how businesses can think about strengthening long-term partnerships whilst retaining the need for short-term agility.
[31.19] Working with technology: How businesses can leverage AI and data analytics to predict and mitigate tariff impacts.
“Live data visibility is critical right now… Technology is allowing us to be immediately alert… So you can prepare and be more educated.”
[37.09] How AI helps businesses to shift the focus from damage control to proactivity, and turn procurement into a competitive advantage rather than a cost center.
“Everybody wants to mitigate cost… But you need to continuously evolve your procurement organization to become more of a business support and value driver, as opposed to just one cost center.”
[39.49] The key lessons to learn from this discussion.
[42.01] How Let’s Talk Supply Chain listeners can benefit from a limited-time discount with ProcureAbility.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to ProcureAbility’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with ProcureAbility and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Carlos on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about procurement, read The Three Biggest Challenges For Procurement – And What To Do About Them or listen to 243: Reinventing Freight Procurement with Emerge or 211: Transform Your Procurement Process, with Zip.