Alex Saric from Ivalua on what is holding back tech investments; Thinking small brings agility; The AI disconnect

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Nov 14, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Alex Saric, the Chief Marketing Officer at Ivalua, shares valuable insights on the hesitancy surrounding tech investments amid economic uncertainty. He highlights the importance of starting small with AI pilot projects and fostering an innovative culture to overcome barriers. Alex emphasizes the advantages of leveraging local suppliers to strengthen supply chains and boost economies, while also addressing the gap between AI ambition and real-world implementation challenges that organizations face.

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INSIGHT

Investment Paradox In Uncertain Times

Leaders acknowledge tech investment is essential yet often pause spending during uncertainty.
Pausing investments risks falling behind competitors who keep building resilience.

INSIGHT

AI Unlocks Sub-Tier Supplier Visibility

Supplier risk and performance management reveal surprises in sub-tier suppliers lacking visibility.
Embedded AI can monitor thousands of suppliers by analyzing news, chatter, and financials in real time.

INSIGHT

Uncertainty, Not Tech, Is The Roadblock

The main barrier to tech adoption is short-term uncertainty, not technology or talent.
Many firms mistakenly view innovation and cost control as mutually exclusive.

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Our guest on this week's episode is Alex Saric, CMO at Ivalua. We have definitely seen a lot of uncertainty this year due to changing economic policies and the supply chain shifts that have resulted. It has placed a lot of companies on the sidelines trying to figure out what to do next with their technology investments. How do they get from just being in survival mode to thriving? Our guest today joins Ben Ames with some insights.

Working with small businesses can help strengthen supply chains and boost local economies; that’s according to a report from supplier intelligence platform Supplier.io, released earlier this week. The company analyzed data from more than 500 large enterprises for its 2025 Small Business Impact Report—to learn more about those companies’ small sourcing initiatives. We share some highlights from that report.

A report from the supply chain software company Kinaxis reveals that there is a gap between AI ambition and AI implementation. The report found that at many organizations, business leaders tend to underestimate the new risks and complexities that AI may introduce. But on the other hand, their staffers are very well aware of those complexities, because they’re focused on the practical realities, such as the effort, change management, and technical challenges. The executives want a fast ROI from AI, but staffers see the hurdles.

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. A new series is now available on Top Threats to our Supply Chains. It covers topics including Geopolitical Risks, Economic Instability, Cybersecurity Risks, Threats to energy and electric grids; Supplier Risks, and Transportation Disruptions 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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This podcast episode is sponsored by: Storage Solutions

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