The Gartner Supply Chain Podcast

This episode explores:Defining GenAI: a capability at the peak of its hype and plenty of use cases (2:20)Reasons for CSCOs to take action on GenAI now rather than later (5:02)Real-world GenAI use cases in supply chain (7:04)Recommendations for supply chain leaders implementing GenAI in their own organizations (13:03)Host Thomas O’Connor explores generative AI (GenAI) with guest Cliff Henson, corporate vice president of cloud supply chain at Microsoft. They discuss approaches and opportunities in this emerging space, including use cases for GenAI in space planning and order fulfillment. Though early in the GenAI journey, Cliff discusses the transformative potential of the technology and how it has enabled the connection of disparate systems and provided the ability to obtain data-driven insights in minutes, rather than weeks or months. Then, Thomas and Cliff close the show with four discrete recommendations for supply chain leaders seeking to implement GenAI in their own organizations. 

This episode explores:The concept of antifragile supply chains and thriving due to uncertainty. (00:44)Supply chains are on a spectrum of coping with uncertainty from a state of fragile to resilient to antifragile. (3:12)How supply chains respond to uncertainty depending on where they are on the spectrum of fragile to resilient to antifragile. (5:48)Insight from organizations already on the path to supply chain antifragility. (11:39)Advice for listeners on how to get started on their journey to supply chain antifragility.  (17:56)Host Thomas O’Connor and Gartner research vice president Tim Payne discuss findings from the Executive Report: The Antifragile Supply Chain - Thriving Under Uncertainty, a report that proposes a paradigm shift towards managing uncertainty in supply chain organizations. Tim, author of the report, dives deep into how the majority of supply chains’ approach to uncertainty is fragile, and ultimately rooted in preventing major losses from uncertainty. These organizations are protective of stability, and build their supply chains for redundancy and efficiency. However, shifting towards an “antifragile” mindset allows supply chain organizations to convert uncertainty into business growth and competitive advantage. Thomas and Tim close the show with recommendations for supply chain leaders interested in pursuing this antifragile mindset, including how and where to begin the process.

This podcast explores how honeybees can inspire supply chain design through the concepts of biomimicry and autonomy. It discusses the role of swarm intelligence and provides actionable advice for supply chain leaders. The podcast emphasizes the importance of purpose, culture, and governing frameworks in achieving autonomy and flexibility in supply chain organizations.

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.