Art of Supply
Art of Supply, hosted by Kelly Barner, draws inspiration from news headlines and expert interviews to bring you insightful coverage of today’s complex supply chains.
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In Defense of Lean Thinking with Thomas Goldsby
04/17/2025
In Defense of Lean Thinking with Thomas Goldsby
Everything runs in trends, supply chains included. What was once considered a critical strategy can be cancelled in a heartbeat if conditions change - only to be rediscovered and reapplied to great advantage a couple of years later. In this week’s Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner welcomes back Professor Thomas Goldsby. Tom is the Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He is also the Co-Executive Director of their Global Supply Chain Institute. Tom rejoins the show to make a case in support of lean thinking and just-in-time inventory management. With reshoring becoming an increasing part of the supply chain conversation, the timing may just be right for lean thinking to rebound and once again occupy its rightful place in the supply chain strategy toolkit. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Tom discuss: How we need to understand lean thinking before we can apply it successfully Whether companies are starting to apply lean thinking again, or just discussing it How our supply chains would change if we optimized them to create customer value Links:
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Scope 3 Showdown: Green Century v. Ford
04/10/2025
Scope 3 Showdown: Green Century v. Ford
On May 8th, at Ford Motor Company's annual shareholder meeting, they will face a proposal focused on how they report their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on their way to being carbon neutral by 2050. The proposal was made by Green Century Capital Management, a sustainability-focused activist fund that regularly challenges recognizable companies about their emissions reduction efforts, using the threat (or promise?) to mount a shareholder vote if necessary. Companies like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s have faced similar challenges, all intended to change how they manage their Scope 3 emissions. The Ford Board of Directors has advocated for shareholders to reject the proposal, saying it is unnecessary and expensive to create another report in addition to their Integrated Sustainability and Finance report. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The unique requests Green Century has made of these publicly traded companies in pursuit of lower Scope 3 emissions How these companies have responded to Green Century’s ‘asks’ and proposals The idea of reporting as a weapon in addition to being a tool for tracking and accountability Links:
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LTL Shakeup: Will Amazon join the fray?
04/03/2025
LTL Shakeup: Will Amazon join the fray?
A few weeks ago, rumors started to swirl that Amazon might be standing up their own for-hire less-than-truckload (LTL) operation to compete with the likes of FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, XPO, and Saia. So what are these rumors based on, and how likely are they to be true? More importantly, what would such a move mean for other national LTL carriers? In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barners digs into the details of this buzzworthy supply chain news story: Where the rumors started and how Amazon might take the first steps to move into the LTL space The current LTL business landscape and why Amazon making that move would be such a big deal How likely they are to be successful should they move ahead by either building or buying an LTL operation Links:
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Who owns the Panama Canal?
03/27/2025
Who owns the Panama Canal?
The Panama Canal is a 51 mile long waterway that allows ships to cut about 8,000 miles off of a trip from New York to San Francisco around the route around Cape Horn. The country of Panama owns the canal, which is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency of the Panamanian government, but who owns the ports located on either side of the canal? Until now, it has been CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong based firm - raising concerns about China’s interest and influence in the supply chain critical Panama canal. On March 4th, it was announced that CK Hutchison had decided to sell two of the largest Panama Canal adjacent ports to BlackRock. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner looks at this story up close: The critical role that the Panama Canal plays in global supply chains The details of the deal that will transfer ownership of the ports: Balboa (on the Pacific side) and Cristóbal (on the Atlantic side) The diplomatic policy shift this represents with regard to China’s presence in the area and relationship with the country of Panama Links:
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Decoding the DOGE Savings Calculator
03/20/2025
Decoding the DOGE Savings Calculator
The Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, was created by executive order on President Trump’s first day back in office. It immediately became one of the most controversial parts of the administration’s first couple of months. Love it or hate it, if you work in procurement, you have to watch what DOGE is doing. And if you can’t bring yourself to review their objectives, strategies, and tactics, you at least have to watch the DOGE savings calculator. Public-facing and deliberately bare-bones, the DOGE savings calculator provides information on savings, payments, spend, Federal workforce, and regulations. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner takes a step back and then a close look at the DOGE savings calculator from a procurement perspective: Describing the website in detail, both for the information it contains and for what it may reveal about DOGE’s approach to driving change Comparing DOGE’s approach to savings reporting to what is used in a typical corporate procurement setting Looking for lessons and ideas that can be pulled from the public sector to the private Links:
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Investing in People-powered Safety in Food Manufacturing W/ Nathan Walts
03/13/2025
Investing in People-powered Safety in Food Manufacturing W/ Nathan Walts
“Everyone at the plant has a duty to protect the products that we're sending out to the customer. Ultimately, you really have to think about it as sort of a ‘circle of life.’ What's my responsibility with what I'm doing in this part of the process, and what’s going to happen when this product reaches the consumer?” - Nathan Walts, CEO, WorkForge The food supply chain is uniquely complex and critical, because when something goes wrong lives are at stake. Regulations and standards play an important role, but only if people follow them. It takes a lot of hiring, training, and retention efforts to manage the workforce, adding significantly to the cost of running a business. Nathan Walts is the CEO of WorkForge, a learning and development solution provider focused on the food manufacturing industry. In this episode, he joins Kelly Barner to talk about the food safety objectives producers are trying to achieve, the challenges they face, and the learning and development programs that aim to address both. Listen in as Nathan and Kelly discuss: The current state of labor in food manufacturing Education for safety, quality, and empowerment Going beyond regulatory compliance to achieve continuous improvement Links:
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East and Gulf Coast Port Strike – Part 2
03/06/2025
East and Gulf Coast Port Strike – Part 2
Back in October, when the East and Gulf coast port strike ended after 3 days, we knew there would be a part 2. Short though it was, the strike is estimated to have cost the U.S. economy $3.8 - 5 Billion per day, but that wasn’t seen as the greatest ‘cost’ at the time. With the Presidential campaign in full swing, all eyes were on the impact it might have on the candidates’ relative popularity. Now that the members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) have ratified the deal negotiated with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), we can look at that deal and the impact it will have on port operations through 2030. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the major factors at play in this collective bargaining agreement and how each played out: Automation: the issue that received the most press coverage by far Interesting comments on labor showup rates and how they relate to the ILA’s leverage in the future Changed provisions for container royalties that further tie operational efficiency to demand for labor Links:
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A Narrow Path Towards Noninflationary Tariffs
02/27/2025
A Narrow Path Towards Noninflationary Tariffs
Since President Trump took office on January 20th, speculation about tariffs has been omnipresent in supply chain planning conversations. But we do have a guide to the administration’s philosophy, A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System, written by Stephen Miran and published by Hudson Bay Capital in November of 2024. Miran is Trump’s pick to lead his Council of Economic Advisers, and will be appearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs the day this episode first airs. In his User’s Guide, Miran makes the case that it is possible to use tariffs to achieve desired outcomes without causing undue harm. At the same time, he refers to the plan as a “narrow path.” In this week’s episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner shares her reading of the guide: Why Miran - and therefore the Trump administration - believe tariffs can be used without adding to the costs paid by U.S. consumers The difference between theoretical and actual economic scenarios, and how it makes planning a challenge The high level of interconnectedness at play in this approach, and what will need to happen for it to work as intended Links:
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Lessons in Listening from Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God
02/20/2025
Lessons in Listening from Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God
“I talk to people and I record it. That’s it.” - Joe Rogan People often say that we all need to learn to communicate better, and that is true. But we need to invest more effort on the listening side than the talking side. Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God are standout media personalities and cultural icons. They are also fantastic listeners and exceptional conversationalists. Their ability to prepare for and host interviews has earned them millions of subscribers and billions of downloads, making it easier to get their choice of guests. What can all professionals learn from their approach to listening and conversation? In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner dissects what makes Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God so effective: How they developed their unique interviewing and conversational styles The atmosphere they create for guests and the information/perspective that results An unwavering sense of authenticity and respect for their audience Links:
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Who will decide the future of EV trucking?
02/13/2025
Who will decide the future of EV trucking?
Who will decide when EV trucking goes from being an option available to anyone to an enforceable mandate that everyone must comply with? That question is at the heart of this week’s interview. Kelly Barner had the opportunity to speak with Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilgers. His state is on the front lines of a legal effort to ensure that if regulations end up driving the EV transition, that those regulations are properly established - undertaken by elected officials with a vested interest in the people of Nebraska and the dozens of states who have stepped up to support their challenges. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of California, and heavy duty truck manufacturers are trying to usher in changes that will have wide-reaching impact. Will that impact be for the better or the worse, and do they have the right to proceed? Listen in for a highly engaging discussion at the intersection of the law and the supply chain: Why it is important to address the proprietary of regulations before they take effect Uncertainty caused by the current state of enforceable regulations in California The role that competition should play in a market where companies make independent decisions Links:
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Dylan v. Goliath: The Freight Essentials RICO Case
02/06/2025
Dylan v. Goliath: The Freight Essentials RICO Case
“If anyone thinks that they know it all, they're in the wrong place.” - Dylan Admire The series of relationships that make the freight industry work is like a supply chain in and of itself. Under the freight agent model, agents help shippers find capacity through brokers who hold carrier contracts, facilitate financing and payments, and carry the MC number under which the agent operates. When this model works well, everyone wins–but when it doesn’t work as all of the parties expect, the fallout can be substantial. In this week’s Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner speaks with Dylan Admire, CEO and Owner of Freight Essentials. His company has brought two RICO lawsuits against connected brokerages, claiming multi-party intent to defraud customers and business partners through anticompetitive tactics. Listen to this episode to hear: How the freight agent model is supposed to work–and what can happen if it doesn’t work as everyone expects The current status of his lawsuits and ideal outcome Why he has made the decision to speak out when others might have stayed quiet Links:
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Misfortune on 34th Street: Accounting Issues at Macy’s
01/30/2025
Misfortune on 34th Street: Accounting Issues at Macy’s
“It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble.” - Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, in reference to the Watergate scandal Whether you shop at Macy’s or not, you surely know the brand. In 2023, Macy's was the leading department store in the United States by revenue, with sales of approximately $23 Billion. On November 25, 2024, Macy’s delayed an earnings announcement planned for the next day. They had discovered some “creative accounting” and wanted to conduct an internal investigation. Two weeks later, they announced that small parcel delivery expenses had been mishandled - approximately $150 Million worth. As we then learned, what started as a mistake turned into a coverup, eventually leading to a share selloff, and one accounting employee being terminated. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner: Explains what happened and how the issue was uncovered Shares the role that the commonly-used accrual accounting method may have played Review some of the speculation that has emerged in the absence of specifics And flag ongoing concerns for the company and their auditing firm Links:
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Nebraska v. California: The EV Trucking Transition
01/23/2025
Nebraska v. California: The EV Trucking Transition
“Now an unelected group of powerful actors has opened a three-front effort to transform the nation’s logistics fleet from diesel-powered to electric-powered at a breakneck pace. This terrible policy is being crafted almost entirely out of public view. Nebraska is fighting back.” -Mike Hilgers, Nebraska Attorney General (WSJ Op Ed, Jan 17 2025) If you expected the transition from diesel-powered to EV trucking to take place on the open road, think again. Instead, it looks like this systemic change will work its way through the court system. Nebraska is leading the resistance to a forced transition on multiple fronts: in the state of California, with the Environmental Protection Agency, and via an antitrust lawsuit against four major heavy duty truck manufacturers. Any regulatory changes, well intentioned or otherwise, have the potential to completely disrupt logistics and lives, and must be taken with a great deal of care and consideration. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers recent developments in the EV trucking transition: Recent news that may alter the expected timeline for transitioning away from fossil fuel-powered trucking Legislative exceptions that put California in a uniquely powerful position relative to emissions regulations The odd ‘in between’ space the country currently finds itself in Links:
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The Dawn of a New Era in U.S. Trade Policy
01/16/2025
The Dawn of a New Era in U.S. Trade Policy
“India is putting their money where their mouth is. If they're able to execute upon a free trade agreement or a pseudo free trade agreement...then that would create the fluidity to buoy all of those ships in that harbor.” - Samir Kapadia - Managing Principal at Vogel Group and Founder and CEO at India Index Regardless of the topic, 2024 was filled with ‘what if’ conversations. We were waiting to find out who would win the U.S. Presidential election–and therefore whose policies would be dominating business decisions in 2025 and beyond. Of all of the conversations had on the Art of Supply podcast, one of the most compelling was with Samir Kapadia, Managing Principal at Vogel Group and Founder and CEO at India Index. He joined Kelly Barner in 2024 to share his expertise on global trade, but more specifically, how India’s ascendency as a global trading partner is being watched as companies look for alternatives to China and nations flush with Chinese investment. After such a riveting pre-election conversation, Kelly brought Samir back to bring the conversation up-to-date and get a sense of how new trade policy will impact supply chain decisions and global manufacturing potential. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Samir cover how the upcoming presidential term is going to: Change the way the U.S. manages policy within the Department of Commerce and Trade and U.S. Trade Representative Use strategic tariff regimes to increase reciprocity and incentivize supply chain organizations to think differently about where they get their materials Create an opportunity for India to replace China as a major manufacturing trade partner Links:
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Reenvisioning Robotics for Warehouse Optimization
01/09/2025
Reenvisioning Robotics for Warehouse Optimization
“We have that emotional pull to group together as humans and fight the automation. The reality is you cannot have one without the other, and they are very much working together.” -Matt Naslund, Chief Commercial Officer, Mytra As businesses look to streamline operations and optimize decision-making, a combination of hardware, software, and automation offer a solution. The challenge then becomes figuring out where automation makes sense–and how quickly and heavily organizations should implement solutions that enable it. No matter the level of sophistication or maturity of an organization, automation technology is a key factor in driving efficiency and accessing data that allows them to hit business objectives related to material flows, accumulation of goods, seasonality, and more. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner sits down with Matt Naslund, Chief Commercial Officer at Mytra, to examine: The specific challenges warehouses face in streamlining operations The necessary balance of automation hardware and software in improving operations The way warehouses can use the data that automation delivers to inform day-to-day decision-making Links:
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Re-reading Good to Great at the Start of a New Year
01/02/2025
Re-reading Good to Great at the Start of a New Year
In 2001, Jim Collins published the book ‘Good to Great.’ He was supported by a team that invested 10.5 ‘people years’ over the course of 5 calendar years to figure out what allows some good companies to become great companies. Their research revealed key findings about leadership, use of technology, building a team, company culture, and vision. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner re-reads ‘Good to Great’ in light of 2025 business conditions: Reviewing some of the key points from the book as an introduction or a refresher Considering how they apply to work, leadership, and success in 2025 Sharing a renewed sense of energy and promise at the start of a new year Links:
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Supply Chain Stories to Watch at the Start of 2025
12/26/2024
Supply Chain Stories to Watch at the Start of 2025
Many of the supply chain news stories we covered in 2024 look ready to carry right over - or even rise to the top - as we start a new year. Some of these stories are likely to re-emerge with the incoming Trump Administration, while others are ready for a change in direction thanks to geopolitics. Supply chain professionals that already have an eye out for breaking news will be best positioned to respond as needed. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner highlights five 2024 news stories that are likely to remain topical in the new year: The global distance traveled by raw materials and finished products compared to their value Red Sea tensions and the need for ocean freight to find a new (safer) path to travel The EV trucking mandate rolled out by the EPA under the Biden Administration De minimis shipping provisions that have created a ‘maximus’ problem An as yet unresolved organized labor contract governing operations at East and Gulf Coast ports Links:
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Solving Supply Chain Puzzles: Insights from a Year of Interviews
12/19/2024
Solving Supply Chain Puzzles: Insights from a Year of Interviews
This year on Art of Supply, we welcomed a fantastic group of guests. Each interview episode creates two kinds of challenges: asking questions worthy of the guest’s expertise and capturing a conversation that lives up to audience expectations. Looking back on the interviews we ran in 2024, there are a few key messages that stand out, as individual points of view and what they collectively offer supply chain professionals as we move into 2025. Don’t ever make a decision solely on short term cost. Victor Suarez: Former Lead Vaccine Program Manager for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in Operation Warp Speed at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Founder and Principal Growth Partner, Blu Zone Bioscience & Supply Chain Solutions, LLC Make sure you understand the underlying economics of any strategy you plan to implement. Thomas Goldsby: Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Co-Executive Director of their Global Supply Chain Institute Knowing how to be an effective problem solver - even in difficult circumstances. Ashley Hubka: Senior Vice President and General Manager at Walmart Business In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner shares excerpts of the three interviews and comments on how they connect. Links:
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Supply Chain Forecast: Volatile with Tim Richardson
12/12/2024
Supply Chain Forecast: Volatile with Tim Richardson
“I think if you could summarize what the trend is going to be in the future - It's going to be volatile. That's the trend.” - Tim Richardson, Founder and CEO of Iter Consulting In order to be influential with the C-suite, someone must have experience and expertise in a given subject. They must do detailed technical work and analysis to prepare their strategy recommendations and to be ready to answer questions. They must have a strong grasp of their domain, no matter how complex it is - but they have to be able to communicate all of that simply. Otherwise, the desired support may be withheld, and the desired outcomes may never be realized. In this week’s episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner welcomes Tim Richardson to the podcast. Tim is the Founder and CEO of Iter Consulting, a global team of experts with supply chain and manufacturing experience helping companies transform their operations - and their results as well. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Tim and Kelly discuss: The power of effective supply chain modeling How supply chain leaders can position for economic and ecologic success Forward looking trends that all business should be prepared to address Links:
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In Defense of Outliers
12/05/2024
In Defense of Outliers
“Polling is a science of estimation, and science has a way of periodically humbling the scientist. So, I’m humbled, yet always willing to learn from unexpected findings.” - J. Ann Selzer, President and Owner, Selzer & Company Data and analysis are at the heart of nearly everything attempted in modern business. And while human skill is critical in the process of converting data into insight, human nature may ultimately determine whether the effort can be successful. This episode is about ‘herding,’ a polling practice that combines analytical rigor and human nature in a fascinating way. But this episode is not about politics. It is a story about data and how humans anticipate the others will respond to the data they present, and how that becomes a self-driven feedback loop that is put into practice before the data is ever shared. No one wants to be an outlier. No one wants to be wrong. But if someone isn’t wrong, no one can be right. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barners dives into the practice of herding among pollsters and what it tells us about our relationship with data: The statistical truths that hold, regardless of how complex an analytical project is The challenges pollsters face, and how they inevitably end up affecting analytical results - for better or worse How all of this intersects with human nature - in polling and in business Links:
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Walking a Mile in Another Supply Chain’s Shoes with Alex Jennings
11/28/2024
Walking a Mile in Another Supply Chain’s Shoes with Alex Jennings
“The reason I like listening is I think, ‘If I'd have been CPO there or in other organizations, what would I have done to try and prevent that? And what red flags would I have held up? And what can we learn from that so that it doesn't happen again?’” - Alex Jennings, CEO and co-founder of The Alchemie Network We all consume content for different reasons–education, entertainment, or otherwise. There are always lessons to be learned from one company or supply chain that can be applied in another. To discuss these stories - and the process of capturing them on the Art of Supply podcast - Kelly Barner was invited to speak in a live session hosted by The Alchemie Network, an organization that promotes collaborative learning around ESG and sustainability for procurement. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Alex and Kelly reminisce on past episodes to cover: How companies are coming up on social mandates and using malicious compliance to find loopholes and avoid them The role that legal statutes make in driving sustainability efforts worldwide The careful line businesses have to walk when considering taking government funding Links:
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BONUS: Indictment in the 2022 Tractor Trailer Human Smuggling Case
11/23/2024
BONUS: Indictment in the 2022 Tractor Trailer Human Smuggling Case
When we cover a news story on Art of Supply, we stick with it, even when it seems to have gone cold. In late August, we got an update on the case of the 53 migrants who lost their lives as a result of illegal attempted smuggling over the Mexico border back in 2022. On June 27th, 2022, an abandoned tractor trailer was found near Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The truck had mechanical problems and it had been abandoned by its driver. A local worker heard cries of distress and opened the trailer door. What he found would go on to be declared the deadliest example of migrant smuggling in U.S. history. In this bonus update episode, Kelly Barner shares the latest on the arrests, indictments, and specific charges associated with those allegedly involved in this crime. Links:
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Liverwurst, Listeria, and Liability: Food Safety at Boar’s Head
11/21/2024
Liverwurst, Listeria, and Liability: Food Safety at Boar’s Head
When something goes wrong in the supply chain, it is never good news. It always leads to disruption, often costs a lot of money, and sometimes people get hurt - or worse. In July of 2024, the USDA suspended production at a Boar’s Head processing plant in Jarratt, Virginia. A listeria outbreak, the worst such outbreak in over a decade, had started in the plant. The facility has been closed indefinitely, leading to over 500 layoffs of union employees, but that wasn’t the worst of the fallout. Before the outbreak was over, over 7 million pounds of meat were recalled, 59 people were hospitalized, and 10 people lost their lives. How could production have gone so wrong, especially in such a heavily inspected industry? Unfortunately, as the details emerged, it became clear that this was an easily preventable situation allowed to happen by multiple layers of mismanagement. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The details behind the outbreak: Where did it start and how did it spread? An odd family squabble that may or may not have contributed to the problem but which certainly didn’t help Problems associated with inspections: How were they conducted and why did they fail to protect consumers? And what we can expect to happen next Links:
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The Power of Visualization in Freight Optimization and Resilience with Ruud van Dijk
11/14/2024
The Power of Visualization in Freight Optimization and Resilience with Ruud van Dijk
“Humans are so much more effective in processing something visually than, let's say, a table or two pieces of text next to each other. If you see it on a map, you can say, okay, this line goes like this, the other goes like this. I can make the connection in my head very easily that, okay, this is what changes. And it also makes it very easy to sort of have an opinion on it, because it clicks in your head quite easily.” - Ruud van Dijk, Commercial Director, Routescanner We routinely talk about the complexity of global supply chains - here on Art of Supply and in the wider business community. Moving our focus from talk to action requires one key thing: data. But even with good data, these are highly complex decisions. They are often made without certainty, on a compressed time frame, and with a lot of money on the line. Setting up human beings for successful decision making under those circumstances requires more than data. The data needs to be standardized and presented in a way that matches how people process information and compare the likely outcome of multiple scenarios. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner welcomes Ruud van Dijk. Ruud is the Commercial Director at Routescanner, a platform designed to improve transparency in container shipping and help companies optimize routes while lowering CO2 emissions and costs. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Ruud discuss: How data needs to be presented in an accessible format for decision makers to put it into practice The change effort associated with moving from a suboptimal but familiar approach to one that is far more effective Empowering supply chain teams to lead cross functional conversations about operationally minimizing both costs and environmental impact Links:
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Consolidating the USPS Final Mile
11/07/2024
Consolidating the USPS Final Mile
The United States Postal Service occupies a unique spot in the supply chain. On the one hand, it is a federal agency, tasked with delivering mail to every home, business, and P.O. box 6 (and sometimes 7) days per week. On the other hand, it does not “generally” receive taxpayer funding; it must meet its mission by selling postage and services. Thanks to this middle space between the worlds of public service and private industry, transformation is a massive challenge - even when successfully driving financial and operational change is a matter of long term survival. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the current status of Delivering for America, the USPS’s 10-year transformational plan: The complexity of the U.S. post office’s operational and financial status quo The multiple roles that package volume will play in determining USPS success The slowdowns and questions that have plagued that transformation Links:
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Creating a B2C to B to C Improvement Cycle at Walmart Business w/ Ashley Hubka
10/31/2024
Creating a B2C to B to C Improvement Cycle at Walmart Business w/ Ashley Hubka
“Most fundamentally, strategy is about asking good questions, creating alternatives, and then making decisions about how to allocate scarce resources. [...] It's a place where you have a 360-degree view of a business.” - Ashley Hubka, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Walmart Business Corporate and consumer buying started and developed on separate tracks, and while there are some things that procurement has learned from and embedded in the B2B experience, others will always be beyond reach. What would happen if you took a consumer shopping experience and expanded it to support institutional customers as well? Walmart Business is in the process of finding out. Ashley Hubka is the Senior Vice President and General Manager at Walmart Business. She has held a number of consulting and strategy positions during her career and holds a degree in Philosophy from Harvard University. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner sits down with Ashley to learn: Why Walmart decided to offer a distinct experience for organizational and commercial customers How that experience is different than the consumer Walmart experience (and when it is the same) Areas of strategic B2B focus over the next 12-24 months Links:
/episode/index/show/f4e89409-441f-4d4b-bdf7-2dd4f1cb9a73/id/33567752
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Part 4: Head-to-Head Comparison of Candidate Policies
10/24/2024
Part 4: Head-to-Head Comparison of Candidate Policies
In the final part of this four-part special series, we compare and contrast the actual policy positions of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump. With less than two weeks until election day, procurement and supply chain professionals must have plans in place for the eventuality of either candidate being voted into office, focusing on the areas where they agree as much as where they differ. Listen in as Kelly Barner describes where the two major party candidates actually differ (and where they have a lot in common) based on their own campaign websites, policy platforms, and statements from publicly available interviews: The differences we can expect when supply chain policy is focused on critical industries versus an emphasis on keeping production domestic Looking at a diverse range of energy sources as well as the overall cost and supply of available energy Corporate tax rates that may go up or down And one thing both candidates agree upon: China Links:
/episode/index/show/f4e89409-441f-4d4b-bdf7-2dd4f1cb9a73/id/33500332
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Part 3: Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump
10/23/2024
Part 3: Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump
In part three of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Republican Candidate former President Donald Trump. Former President Donald Trump is 78 Years old, and a former businessman/real estate developer as well as the former host of The Apprentice. He became the nominee on July 18, 2024 when he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention Listen in as Kelly Barner explores his policy positions and platform: Detailed positions on global trade and China The lack of detail regarding his position on emissions and the environment Strong statements about both the cost and availability of energy, and the importance of emphasizing domestic production over imports from other parts of the world Links:
/episode/index/show/f4e89409-441f-4d4b-bdf7-2dd4f1cb9a73/id/33500272
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Part 2: Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris
10/22/2024
Part 2: Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris
In part two of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris. Vice President Kamala is 60 Years old and a former Senator and Attorney General from the State of California. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee on July 21, 2024 when President Biden suspended his campaign for re-election, and the official nominee on August 22 when she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Listen in as Kelly Barner explores her policy positions and platform: Detailed plans for renewable energy and the environment The lack of detail regarding her position on trade and tariffs Strong statements about China, specifically around the race to dominate AI, domestic labor protections, and intellectual property concerns Links:
/episode/index/show/f4e89409-441f-4d4b-bdf7-2dd4f1cb9a73/id/33500227
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Part 1: Playing Politics with Supply Chains
10/21/2024
Part 1: Playing Politics with Supply Chains
There are two weeks to go until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Interest, speculation, and tension have been building all year. Most news coverage of the election is intended to sway voters, hyperbolic to a fault, and not tailored to the specific information needs of procurement and supply chain professionals. What we really need to know is what each major party candidate has said and what likely outcomes that would lead to. In this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump as well as how they compare. Listen in as Kelly Barner kicks off the series by explaining: Why all procurement and supply chain professionals need to be prepared for either candidate to win The impact of tariffs, China, energy, and environmental policy on corporate strategy The rules of engagement and discussion that will apply in this series and the discussions that result Links:
/episode/index/show/f4e89409-441f-4d4b-bdf7-2dd4f1cb9a73/id/33499902