514: Turn Strategic Planning Into Retail Profitability, with Anaplan
Release Date: 01/12/2026
538: Enjoy Ecommerce Delivery at the Speed of Flight, with DeliverDirect
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Jeffrey Elder of Delta Air Lines & Derreck Travers of SmartKargo talk about DeliverDirect & combining speed, tech & simplicity for the best shipping experience. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.06] An introduction to Derreck and SmartKargo. [02.33] An overview of DeliverDirect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “We’re an alternative delivery network… We’re pulling different carriers together, with Delta as the middle mile.” [05.47] The ideal client for DeliverDirect. [06.54] Why speed is a top priority for e-commerce businesses, the...
info_outline
537: How To Ask Better Questions and Drive Project Success, with Brecham Group
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Chris Hamley of Brecham Group talks about setting projects up for success; asking better questions; why implementation isn't the end; & progress NOT perfection. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.01] An introduction to Chris and Brecham Group. “Too many organizations focus on perfection. Really, our goal is to suck less. It’s to get better, change how you think about the way you do business, and evolve every day.” [06.25] Why technology projects fail: the problem with people, why we need to define what failure actually looks like, and the experience that taught Chris to ask...
info_outline
536: Prevent Supply Disruptions and Protect Revenue, with FourKites
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Stephen Dyke of FourKites talks about inbound logistics: fragmentation; manual work; data siloes; AI; & why the receiving dock is such an under-invested area. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.25] An introduction to Stephen, his background combining computing and supply chain and, as a self-confessed ‘passionate practitioner,’ what he loves about supply chain. [07.05] An overview of FourKites – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “Over the last five years, we’ve really become a supply chain orchestration control tower… and embedded persona-based AI...
info_outline
535: Experience A New Industry Standard In The Yard, with Terminal Industries
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Darin Brannan talks about Terminal Industries & what they do; building the industry's only Yard Operating System; & reinventing the future of logistics. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.25] An introduction to Darin, his background, the recipe for business success that led to the founding of Terminal, and why Top Gun might just have inspired his University degree. “I started, deep in Silicon Valley, as a VC investing in start-ups. And there was a point at which it looked like it could be more fun across the table as an entrepreneur, taking big ideas and revolutionizing the...
info_outline
534: Move From Excel Chaos to Agile, Data-Driven Planning, with Colibri S&OP
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Alexia Vitali of Colibri S&OP talks about what they do; why most mid‑market companies still run on Excel; & making planning simple, collaborative & impactful. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.55] An introduction to Alexia and her journey moving from Europe to Canada to build Colibri’s American presence. “It’s a bit like building a company inside a company… so the beginning was just about listening to planners and supply chain teams.” [06.37] An overview of Colibri S&OP – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers – and what makes them...
info_outline
533: Navigating The Freight Downturn, with TSG Fleet
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Trace Haggard of TSG Fleet talks about the freight downturn; what 2026 will bring; converting what you already own into opportunity; & building partnerships. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [04.07] A re-introduction to Trace and TSG Fleet. [05.07] An overview of the prolonged freight recession: where it started, the factors driving it, and the impact on the industry. “During the pandemic, the smartest brains in the industry were saying: “It’s ecommerce forever, now!” We were proven wrong again, and fleets took another big hit. They had to pull back, but had all this equipment. There...
info_outline
532: Turning Purposeful AI into Business Outcomes, with Infios
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Aadil Kazmi of Infios talks about purposeful innovation; intelligent execution; tech readiness; and turning AI into measurable business outcomes. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.14] An introduction to Aadil, and an overview of Infios. “Supply chains run best when operators can execute them on a single stack.” [03.20] How Aadil’s experience at Amazon sparked an entrepreneurial journey that ultimately led him to Infios. “When retailers and shippers offered faster shipping to their end customers, cart values and repeat rates went through the roof. That led me deep into supply...
info_outline
531: Innovating Refrigerated Fleet Management, with PLM Fleet
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Don Durm of PLM Fleet talks about what they do; maximizing fleet flexibility; cold supply chain challenges; & leveraging trailer telematics for success. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.30] An overview of PLM Fleet and how they help their customers, and an introduction to Don and his 30+ year career, from law enforcement to supply chain. “We breathe cold chain!.. We help people manage risk, save time and money, and make big decisions.” [08.58] PLM’s ‘personalized lifecycle management approach,’ and what their consultative problem identification, solution development, onboarding...
info_outline
530: Navigate Supply Chain Disruption and Resilience, with ProcureAbility
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Carlos Perico of ProcureAbility talks about supply chain resilience in 2026; tariffs & disruption; supplier relationships; & key strategies for the future. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [03.47] An introduction to Carlos, and how his international experiences helped shape his career. “I’m passionate about travel, culture, food – and my career has supported that... My career has been very relationship driven, and that international exposure has helped me tremendously.” [07.40] An overview of ProcureAbility – who they are, what they do, and how they help their...
info_outline
529: Empower The People Who Power The World, With Samsara
Let's Talk Supply Chain
Tim Nagy of Samsara talks about tech & AI: what workers really think; agility; retaining talent; & shifting from reactive to predictive road safety & logistics. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS: [02.41] An introduction to Tim, his role as a sales engineer, and a reminder of how Samsara helps their customers. “You get two different kinds of engineers: the kind who don’t really want to be out in the field talking to customers, they do the coding and product development. And then you get my team, who love to be out there. We get to see a lot of different tech, and a...
info_outlineScott 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 worked, and the limitations of that approach.
“Retail suffers from siloed planning, disconnected processes and latent decision-making, which leads to buying the wrong inventory and having the wrong inventory at the wrong place at the wrong time, with little ability to adjust based on market feedback.”
[09.58] Why retail planning is arguably more complex than CPG or consumer goods supply chain planning.
“Retail is detail.”
[12.55] How challenges and limitations have impacted the industry, particularly in light of additional external factors like increasing customer demand.
“Getting ahead is important. But being able to react in an agile way, in season, is also extremely important. Retailers have fallen behind because that demand signal is all over the place.”
[16.14] From data to specificity, the foundations needed for retailers considering AI solutions, and the problem of ‘testing fatigue.’
“People are sick of testing and learning.”
[22.25] How retail planning technology will continue to evolve over the next 12 to 24 months.
[24.28] Scott’s advice for retailers looking to implement AI in their planning and ensure successful implementations.
“It starts with the ROI you’re looking to drive… If you can’t define the ROI: skip it.”
[28.39] The biggest opportunities for retailers embracing evolving technology and a new approach to retail planning.
[30.08] How Anaplan Intelligence and its retail engine enables retailers to harness the power of AI to plan at a granular level not possible before, and the importance of hyper-localization.
[33.01] How Anaplan focuses on retail-specific best practices to achieve higher forecast accuracy and boost sell-through rates for their customers, ultimately helping them sell more and carry less.
[34.37] What Anaplan is focusing on for 2026.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to Anaplan’s website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Anaplan and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Scott on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Anaplan, listen to Emily Nicholls talk about how integrated business planning helps automotive OEMs navigate EV growth on episode 499: Navigating the EV Revolution, with Anaplan.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.