The Gartner Supply Chain Podcast

An overview of Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25 ranking — what it measures and what the leading companies are doing differently than others: New opportunities and how supply chain can respond to risk and drive commercial innovation and growth for its organization. (3:16)Stories of innovation from organizations in the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 (5:51)The idea of collective progress and how supply chains in the Top 25 are driving it (09:37)How leading supply chains are transforming how they work to cope with challenges, such as employee burnout, high turnover and lower employee engagement (13:12)Recommendations for supply chain leaders who want to embody best practices of the Top 25 (18:24)In this podcast, host Caroline Chumakov and Gartner VP analyst Simon Bailey discuss lessons and best practices from Gartner’s Supply Chain Top 25. They explore how companies featured within the Top 25 drive growth and mitigate risks by seizing innovative opportunities, transforming their organizations and engaging in collaborative action across the supply chain landscape. This exploration includes specific examples from the pharmaceutical, retail and automotive industries. Caroline and Simon also recommend actions for supply chain leaders seeking to integrate these top companies’ practices into their own organizations, including how supply chain can drive business transformation and drive growth.

This episode explores: Insight into Haleon’s transformation from three supply chains to one big supply chain (0:44)The role of agility and resilience in Haleon’s supply chain transformation (5:33)Avoiding change burnout during transformation and disruption (9:28)Key advice on preventing change burnout for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) (13:56)Host Thomas O’Connor and Haleon CSCO Bart Derde discuss how Haleon managed its transformation from three distinct consumer pharmaceutical supply chains into one. Bart discusses the transformation’s consumer insight, agility and resilience goals. Bart shares direct insight into gaining employee buy-in for these transformation initiatives by building agility and resilience into their corporate culture. Thomas and Bart also share recommendations that help supply chain leaders avoid change burnout by connecting interpersonal employee goals with organizational goals.

A tale of two companies — “build-in” vs. “bolt-on” sustainability. What is the difference and what works? (1:27)How can CSCOs effectively manage the enterprise’s approach to sustainability and risk management? (4:52)How to build a strong offense for sustainability. (9:28)How can CSCOs better build sustainability into supply chain capabilities? (11:22)How can CSCOs make sustainability a part of everyone’s job in supply chain? (14:35)Key recommendations for CSCOs who are keen to keep sustainability a top enterprise priority. (17:02)In this Supply Chain Podcast, host Caroline Chumakov and Gartner Research Director Sabu Mathai outline findings from Gartner’s Supply Chain Executive Report: Balancing Sustainability and Resilience for Our Climate Future.They discuss the two types of company responses to sustainability and resilience: “build-in” companies who integrate sustainability as a core tenet of supply chain planning and operations, and “bolt-on” companies who retrofit sustainability onto existing businesses where it is most convenient.Caroline and Sabu walk through the sustainability benefits and best practices “build-in” companies enjoy, and how chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) can acquire the necessary attention, accountability and cooperation from their business partners to strengthen their organization’s sustainability efforts.

In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor and guest Marie Robinson, executive vice president and chief supply chain officer at Sysco, explore recommendations and strategic insights for long-range planning (LRP). Marie discusses Sysco’s integrated approach to using LRP analytics and data to serve daily operations. This creates organizationwide utility and trust in the LRP process, and it allows Marie and her teams to iterate on LRP models as needed. Thomas and Marie close the show with recommendations for cleaning and maintaining data inputs that allow supply chain leaders to build more robust LRP plans.

This episode of the Supply Chain Podcast explores:Overcoming the challenge of improving productivity and what’s at the center of it (01:23) Defining individual potential in supply chain organizations (03:54)Unlocking community potential in supply chain organizations (07:08)Technology’s role in unlocking the collective potential of supply chains (10:16)Actionable advice for unlocking the individual, community and technological potential of supply chains (15:00)Host Thomas O’Connor and Caroline Chumakov discuss the keynote for Gartner’s 2023 Supply Chain Symposium: Unlocking the Collective Potential of Supply Chain. They explore the highly complex operating environment CSCOs find themselves in, and the thorny challenge at its heart: the lowest labor-force productivity in decades. Caroline defines the productivity problem and explains how CSCOs contribute to it with an overt focus on technology over people. Caroline then delivers recommendations for how CSCOs can adapt their organizations to unlock greater collective and holistic productivity from both their people and technology.

Supply Chain Podcast host Thomas O’Connor and Danone COO Vikram Agarwal discuss how Danone is transforming its supply chain to align to customer demands rather than bend to industry drivers. Vikram explains Danone’s key transformational drivers and goals, including improved resiliency and greater manufacturing agility and flexibility. Vikram delivers several strategic recommendations for supply chain leaders who want to implement these same principles, and delves into how digital tools can help these leaders achieve their transformation goals.With 35 years’ experience in supply chains around the globe, Danone Chief Operations Officer Vikram Agarwal has worked at leading companies, such as Unilever, Avon, Dole Packaged Foods, and at private equity funds. Besides being well-versed with most disciplines within the supply chain, Vikram possesses a successful track record in supply chain turnaround, digitalization of operations, route to market expansion, procurement strategies, new business development, and M&A projects. He is also an avid advocate of sustainability in operations.This episode explores:An overview of the scale and scope of Danone’s global supply chain operations. (00:43) The need for supply chain transformation at Danone. (2:51) Danone’s major pillars of supply chain transformation. (05:36) Supply chain transformation’s impact on the financial model at Danone. (09:31) Sustainability’s role in supply chain transformation at Danone. (12:00) The key enablers driving Danone’s supply chain transformation. (17:50)

What is a digital twin of the customer? What does it look like and why do we need it? (1:11)Success stories from organizations investing in a digital twin of the customer. (4:40) Recommendations for listeners interested in developing a digital twin of the customer. (14:30)Digital twin of the customer (DToC) remains a nascent technology, and current research is only beginning to uncover its possible use cases, but it has significant potential to change how businesses go to market. In this Supply Chain Podcast, host Caroline Chumakov and guest Beth Coppinger discuss the benefits of employing DToC and how this emerging technology can transform your supply chain by driving growth, improving demand forecasting and enhancing customer experience. This technology can simulate customer behavior and reactions, which will allow supply chain leaders to better sense customer demands and predict the scenarios of how the supply chain should respond to those demands.

Why is British American Tobacco (BAT) trying to act quickly in response to Scope 3 emissions? (1:56)How do we get internal support to drive change and impact on Scope 3 emissions? (03:00)What’s changed in the business environment that has allowed this response/change? (4:52)Examples of what BAT is doing to reduce Scope 3 emissions. (08:20)The role of data in driving Scope 3 emissions across the different ecosystems. (10:15)Advice to supply chain leaders looking to reduce Scope 3 emissions. (13:00)In this episode of the Supply Chain Podcast, host Thomas O’Connor and guest John O’Reilly, Group Head of Procurement, Strategy and Sustainability at British American Tobacco (BAT), discuss how supply chain leaders can drive mutually beneficial Scope 3 initiatives in collaboration with suppliers. John offers first-hand guidance from BAT’s experiences with Scope 3 initiatives, including earning stakeholder buy-in, leveraging procurement to evaluate supplier priorities and gaps, and identifying win-win opportunities through data. Thomas and John also discuss  recommendations that supply chain leaders can use to build connected Scope 3 agendas and awareness for both their organization and their suppliers.John O’Reilly joined British American Tobacco (BAT) in 2008. As Group Head of Procurement, Strategy and Sustainability, John integrates sustainability across BAT procurement, driving step changes within its global supplier base. This ensures BAT’s suppliers are aligned in achieving BAT’s corporate ESG goals, including climate, human rights, biodiversity and waste. During his tenure, John has contributed to maintaining operational delivery, cost management and security of supply.

Host Caroline Chumakov and Gartner VP Analyst Simon Bailey share insights from the Supply Chain Executive Report: Realizing the True Potential of Ecosystem Partnerships. Specifically, they explore how chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) can capitalize on the various, interconnected value opportunities supply chain ecosystems present. Simon discusses the benefits of interconnectedness for both individual enterprises and the full ecosystem, such as greater access to innovation and resources as risk is shared among several enterprises. Caroline and Simon also explore recommendations for CSCOs interested in defining and leveraging an ecosystem of their own.Simon Bailey is a VP analyst in Gartner’s CSCO enablement team, supporting CSCOs’ strategy development in areas including ecosystem strategies, customer centricity and sustainability. His published work includes the Leadership Vision for CSCOs and Gartner’s Supply Chain Strategy Predicts. His recent research focuses on the circular economy, the barriers to ecosystem partnerships and the enablement of new operating outcomes, such as greenhouse gas emissions reduction.

Host Thomas O’Connor and Gartner Vice President Sarah Watt discuss how the current energy crisis is affecting sustainability initiatives such as net zero for supply chain leaders. Sarah delves into how supply chain leaders are continuing to advance their sustainability goals by leveraging them to drive business outcomes. She imparts recommendations on how other supply chain leaders can follow suit, and she explores the interlinked future of supply chain and global sustainability initiatives.This episode explores:What supply chain leaders are doing in the space of energy and sustainability to drive business impact (01:05)Three actions everyone can borrow from supply chain leaders (03:11)Emerging issues for supply chain leaders to be aware of (07:49)Why climate change adaptation is needed (13:59) What gives hope for the future ahead of Earth Day 2023 (17:23)