492: 85% of Procurement Teams Will Still Be Clearing Up Bad Supplier Data in 2027?! Graphite Connect Has The Answer
Release Date: 09/29/2025
517: ‘Useful AI’: Your Key to Visibility Project Success, with Shippeo
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Lucien Besse of Shippeo talks about navigating supply chain chaos; data quality & continuous improvement; AI; and the keys to visibility project success. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.38] An introduction to Lucien and the journey that led him to co-found Shippeo. [07.07] The biggest sources of chaos for supply chain teams, and why they need flexibility and visibility. “Supply chain managers need to make hundreds of decisions every day, every hour, every minute – they need to navigate uncertainty every single day, and that hasn’t changed… What has really changed is...
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516: Innovation, Transformation, and Modern Supply Chains, with Blue Yonder
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Andrea Morgan-Vandome of Blue Yonder explores what true end-to-end supply chain transformation looks like amidst unprecedented complexity and disruption. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.47] An introduction to Andrea and her role, and how Blue Yonder helps their customers. “We bring the physical and digital worlds together, and that’s key in supply chain.” [06.05] Why end-to-end planning will be crucial in navigating supply chain complexity and disruption in 2026. “When people look to drive transformation, they can sometimes get mired down in the complexity. So how do...
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515: Experience Precision Supply Chain Operations, with Brecham Group
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Chris Hamley & Andy Smith of Brecham Group talk about what they do; what makes them different, Precision Supply Chain Operations; & helping you suck less. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.58] Chris’s background and the journey that led him to co-found Brecham Group. “I started out loading trucks!... And it got to a point where I got frustrated trying to broker conversations. People didn’t pay attention to details, I found myself translating – and that was the catalyst.” [06.04] Andy’s 30+ year industry career, and his role at Brecham Group. [08.26] An...
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514: Turn Strategic Planning Into Retail Profitability, with Anaplan
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Scott Jennings of Anaplan talks about retail inventory optimization, planning challenges, AI & how Anaplan enables retailers to sell more and carry less. [03.37] An introduction to Scott, his background, and experience in the industry. “Siloes are present functionally across different pieces of the business, whether it’s merchandise, supply chain or finance. But they’re also persistent inside the systems that support those different groups – and that’s where it gets tricky.” [05.53] An overview of Anaplan and what they do. [06.53] How retail planning has historically...
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513: Women In Supply Chain™, Megan Rudolph
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Megan Rudolph talks about her career journey; developing a team through hypergrowth; the challenges & opportunities for parcel in 2026; & finding inspiration. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.15] An introduction to Megan and Saddle Creek Logistics Services. [03.00] Megan’s early career dream of sports journalism, how graduating during the recession led her to take a sales job at UPS, and what she found so fascinating about logistics. “There was a great structure. I worked under multiple female leaders – some of the people that probably don’t even know how...
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511: Women In Supply Chain™, Jennie Malafarina
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Jennie Malafarina talks about her career journey; collaboration & community; building businesses; & turning marketing from a cost center into a revenue driver. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.30] An introduction to Jennie and her businesses Virago Marketing and FR8MVMT. [05.03] Why Jennie pursued a degree in communications, and how having three kids under five during her final year at university led her to a marketing career. “Communication, psychology and marketing all tied together… it’s a passion for understanding why people do what they do.” [07.55] Why...
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510: Women In Supply Chain™, Kendra Tanner
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Kendra Tanner talks about her career journey; what she's learned about leadership, making an impact on boards and conference stages; & inspiring women. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.35] An introduction to Kendra and her company, Allstates WorldCargo. [03.40] Kendra’s education and how her marriage to her high school sweetheart impacted her career path. “I wanted to get my business finance degree, but I was adamant that I was not taking one more accounting class – so I switched to marketing!” [05.47] How a family connection led Kendra to Consolidated...
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509: Women In Supply Chain™, Nermine Saad
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Nermine Saad talks about her career journey; fostering a culture of learning; moving from Egypt to Canada; mentorship; & the future of digital transformation. [03.48] What sparked Nermine’s interest in logistics, and how it led her to seek out a career that connected strategy, people, and operations. “I realized there’s an entire industry behind the movement of goods, and it involves shipping lines, airlines, ports, and so much more. The more I read, the more I was fascinated.” [05.46] The early years of Nermine’s career in Egypt and the big lessons she learned,...
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508: Reliable and Responsive – DCLI’s RapidLink Repairs Is Keeping Drivers Moving
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Rob Finch talks about Rapid Link Repairs, boosting customer satisfaction with response times; a fresh approach to cost; safety; & reducing downtime for drivers. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.11] An introduction to Rob, his background, and his role at DCLI and RapidLink Repairs. “Most of my career has been figuring out how to bring commercial and operations together.” [03.09] An overview of RapidLink Repairs – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “It’s about three things: we want to improve productivity, be cost-effective, and...
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507: Logistics Providers: Ready For An AI-First Approach? Then Discover Your Biggest Opportunity, with Google Cloud
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Steven Delperdang of Google Cloud talks about trust; evolution of visibility; & and the big opportunities for logistics providers taking an AI-first approach. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.08] After years spent at Caterpillar and Penske, how Steven is now using the 'One Google' approach to run Google’s own internal supply chain and solve the legacy pain points he faced in his past roles, and exactly what’s so transformative about this approach. “In my previous roles, many of the frustrations stemmed from fragmented systems and data siloes. You have a warehouse management...
info_outlineConrad Smith of Graphite Connect talks about building a network to create global efficiency, speeding up communication; and bringing you data you can trust.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[03.42] Conrad’s background and career journey.
“I got to Intel and they were doing procurement with paper – white, pink, yellow triplicate requisitions… it blew my mind! Intel in the 90s was THE powerhouse tech company… I showed up, and they were doing paper. That started my career into: ‘Let’s figure out how to make it better.’”
[06.15] How and why Conrad established Graphite Connect.
“What’s the difference between a fax machine and email? It isn’t the same magnitude of improvement as snail mail to fax machine. It’s not a printed piece of paper, it shows up in an inbox electronic, but it’s kind of the same thing. And we’ve got to figure out how to move past that one-to-one sharing of information. We’re stuck.”
[14.19] An overview of Graphite Connect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
“Supplier management starts with onboarding. And that step is what everyone is struggling the most with.”
[18.50] The ideal client for Graphite Connect.
[22.01] The biggest challenges impacting Graphite Connect customers, whether procurement can keep up with the pace of modern business, and why supplier risk and data are the ‘biggest hairball’ in procurement.
“Business friction is a real problem. But you can’t just evaporate it, because there are suppliers and situations where risk is a significant concern. You do need friction in some places.”
[27.18] Why paperwork, legal, and compliance can make it almost impossible to establish new relationships and do business, and how Graphite Connect can help ease that pressure.
[34.11] Graphite Connect's Rapid Response feature, how it helps to speed up communication, and why that’s so crucial.
“Things happen: most recently, tariffs. And the first thing that happened was that executive teams said: ‘Which of our suppliers are most impacted by tariffs, and what does that look like?’ The answer is: ‘I don’t know, call procurement.’”
[38.10] A case study exploring how Graphite Connect helped a grocery store chain cut down time spent on their supplier management process by 75%, reduce labor, and improve data quality.
[41.26] The big AI misconception, and the best way to prepare for the future of AI now.
“AI eats data, it lives on it. Data is what makes it work. And I think there’s a false belief that AI is going to fix it, like: 'I have an AI magic wand and all of a sudden I’ll have clean supplier data.' But it’s not going to work that way.”
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to Graphite Connect’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Graphite Connect and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Conrad on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about procurement, check out 468: Make Intelligent Purchases Driven by Data, with ProcurementIQ, 462: Procurement Unlocked: Sourcing Best Practices in a Tariff-Driven World, with ProcureAbility or 243: Reinventing Freight Procurement with Emerge.
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