Guest: Andrei Quinn-Barabanov of Moody’s on supply chains five years after Covid hit us; Integrating diverse automation; New battery charging and energy solutions

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Mar 21, 2025

Andrei Quinn-Barabanov, Supply Chain Industry Practice Lead at Moody's, shares his insights on the altered landscape of supply chains five years post-COVID. He discusses how companies adapted during the pandemic and the lasting changes in risk management. The conversation shifts to the diverse automation technologies showcased at ProMat, highlighting the challenges of integrating these systems. Andrei also introduces innovative energy solutions, like battery storage and automated charging, that enhance efficiency and reduce costs in logistics.

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INSIGHT

Key Supply Chain Lessons from COVID-19

Supply chain risks are material and being proactive pays off.
Intertwined supply chains create hidden risks and ripple effects, especially during trade wars.

INSIGHT

Why Supply Chains Struggled During COVID-19

Pre-COVID, supply chain risk management was under-resourced and not taken seriously enough by executives.
Companies were unprepared for disruptions due to low inventories and a lack of proactive risk mitigation.

INSIGHT

Inventory Management and Risk

Post-COVID, supply chains initially received more resources, enabling higher inventories.
As interest rates rose, pressure to reduce inventory increased operational risks.

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Our guest on this week's episode is Andrei Quinn-Barabanov, Supply Chain Industry Practice Lead and Senior Director with Moody’s. It was five years ago this month that our world was rocked with the Covid-19 virus. That is when businesses and schools closed and we were all stuck at home waiting for things to get better. All the while, supply chains kept us fed and happy at home, for the most part. Our supply chains had to adjust and they are still feeling the effects of the pandemic five years later. Our guest reflects on how supply chains reacted then and how they now will never be the same.

Most of our editorial staff was at ProMat 2025 this past week in Chicago – a huge supply chain show and the largest material handling exhibition in North America. And everywhere we looked, there were robotics and automation systems to be seen. Most distribution facilities and factories will eventually end up with a number of different types of automation and robotics within their facilities. So, the big challenge is to integrate all of these disparate systems to play nice with one another. We look at a couple of "orchestration" solutions on display at ProMat.

All of the automation solutions exhibited at ProMat take power. In this episode, we look at some innovative energy solutions that keep those automation systems operating at peak performance. We also discuss an energy management solution that can potentially lower the utility bills of facilities.

Supply Chain Xchange also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane. It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. All episodes are available to stream now. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.

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Podcast is sponsored by: Zebra Robotics Automation

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