
Sustainable Supply Chain
Welcome to the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, hosted by Tom Raftery, a seasoned expert at the intersection of technology and sustainability. This podcast is an evolution of the Digital Supply Chain podcast, now with a laser-focused mission: exploring and promoting tech-led sustainability solutions in supply chains across the globe.Every Monday at 7 am CET, join us for insightful and organic conversations that blend professionalism with an informal, enjoyable tone. We don't script our episodes; instead, we delve into spontaneous, meaningful dialogues about significant topics, always with a touch of fun.Our guests are a diverse mix of influencers in the field - from founders and CxOs of pioneering solution providers to thought leaders and supply chain executives who have successfully implemented sustainability initiatives. Their stories, insights, and experiences are shaping the future of sustainable supply chains.While the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast addresses critical and complex issues, we aim to keep the discussions accessible, engaging, and, most importantly, actionable. It's a podcast that caters to a global audience, reflecting the universal importance of sustainability in today’s interconnected world.We are always eager to hear from our listeners. Your feedback and suggestions are invaluable to us, helping shape the podcast into a platform that truly resonates with its audience. Feel free to reach out via email or connect with us on social media to share your thoughts, ideas, or just to say hello.Subscribe to the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast and be a part of this crucial conversation. Together, let's explore how technology and innovation can lead the charge in creating more sustainable, responsible, and efficient supply chains for a better tomorrow.
Latest episodes

Jan 31, 2022 • 34min
AI In Supply Chains - A Chat With VectorAI's James Coombes
Send me a messageAs supply chains are digitising, Artificial Intelligence is having an increasingly positive impact on them. To talk a little about this I invited James Coombes, co-founder, and CEO of Vector.ai to come on the podcast to talk about it.We had a great conversation discussing the current possibilities of AI for supply chains, the impact on jobs, and where to from here.If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about supply chain semiconductor shortages, don't forget to check out SAP's recently published Point of View paper on the topic, as well as my podcast with the author of the paper Jeff Howell.And don't forget to also check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a biElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Jan 27, 2022 • 28min
The Chip Shortage Impact On Automotive - A Chat With Cox Automotive Randy Kobat
Send me a messageIn the last two episodes of this podcast, we spoke more broadly about the causes of the current chip shortages. In today's episode, we are diving more deeply into it, focussing on one of the industries most deeply affected - the Automotive Industry.I invited Randy Kobat (@RandyKobat on Twitter) to come on the podcast to discuss this. Randy is a Senior Vice President at Cox Automotive, so he's supremely qualified to talk on this topic.We had a great conversation discussing the impact of the chip shortages on automotive prices, steps the manufacturers are taking, and the future shape of the automotive industry.If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about supply chain semiconductor shortages, don't forget to check out SAP's recently published Point of View paper on the topic, as well as my podcast with the author of the paper Jeff Howell.And don't forget to also check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study exElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Jan 24, 2022 • 39min
The Semiconductor Shortage - A Chat With SupplyFrame CMO Richard Barnett
Send me a messageThe semiconductor shortages are still causing havoc with global supply chains so I'm running another episode dedicated to the topic.In today's episode, I talk to Richard Barnett, CMO at SupplyFrame about the shortage.We had a great conversation discussing SupplyFrame's recent acquisition by Siemens, some causes and consequences of the chip shortage, and how organisations can respond.If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about supply chain semiconductor shortages, don't forget to check out SAP's recently published Point of View paper on the topic, as well as my podcast with the author of the paper Jeff Howell.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or reviewElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Jan 21, 2022 • 30min
New Report: The Semiconductor Shortage - A Chat With Jeff Howell
Send me a messageThe global semiconductor shortage has been playing havoc with supply chains for a good 12-18 months at this stage. And it doesn't look set to be fixed any time soon.And just recently my colleague Jeff Howell published a fascinating, comprehensive Point of View paper all about the semiconductor shortage. To find out more, I invited him to come on the podcast to talk about it.We had a fantastic conversation talking about what Jeff uncovered in his months of research into the chip shortage, how it is affecting our customers, what they plan to do about it, and strategies to ensure any future shortages similar to this cause minimal disruption.You can check out the point of view paper here. And on the podcast, Jeff also mentioned some videos that were developed to support the chip shortage. Here they are for you:https://video.sap.com/media/t/1_ol90e6um “Shake Chain” Logisticshttps://video.sap.com/media/t/1_6zd5ue56 Big Data in the Garden of Siliconhttps://video.sap.com/media/t/1_lsglh5i0 Our Brave New Virtual WorldOh, and this is one of the first podcast episodes that I have created chapters for. If you find them useful, do let me know (tom.raftery@sap.com) and I'll make the effort to do it more often!If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice mElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Jan 17, 2022 • 33min
Intelligent Assets, Circular Economy, And Sustainability - A Chat With Wipro's Sundararaman Sankaranarayanan
Send me a messageThree topics that are receiving increasing interest in supply chain these days are Intelligent Assets, Circular Economy, and Sustainability, so when I came across Sundararaman Sankaranarayanan , Head of Digital Innovation, and a 25 year veteran of Wipro, I invited him to come on the podcast with my colleague Pavneet Bedi to talk about these topics.We had a fantastic conversation covering what intelligent assets are, how they're linked to circular economic sustainability (with examples), and the next steps for organisations hoping to go down this route.If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, Elevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Jan 14, 2022 • 26min
Mobile Devices Are Transforming Supply Chain - A Chat With Jan Mölls
Send me a messageWelcome back and happy new year. For this first episode of 2022, I thought of having a future-focussed episode, one talking about mobile devices in supply chain.To that end, I invited SAP Product Manager Jan Mölls to come on the podcast to talk about how new smartphone apps and capabilities are transforming supply chain.We had a fantastic conversation covering why smartphones are taking over, or about to take over in supply chain, going beyond smartphones into smart glasses and AR, and what the future of this space looks like. I learned loads, and I hope you do too.If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don'tElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Dec 24, 2021 • 34min
Smart Factory, Digital Literacy, And Successful Digital Transformation Strategies - A Chat With Joachim Hensch
Send me a messageThe apparel industry has been very slow to digitise, so when I had a chance to chat with someone who has rolled out a successful Industry 4.0 initiative in this sector, I jumped at the opportunity.Joachim Hensch rolled out a smart factory project for Hugo Boss while working for them, and has since left to set up his own consulting company (Joachim Hensch Consulting) to help other organisations successfully digitalise.We had a fantastic conversation covering why the apparel industry is now (finally) beginning to digitise, the digital literacy issues holding it up, and how organisations need a company-wide digital strategy to succeed. I learned loads, and I hope you do too.Oh, and this is one of the first podcast episodes that I have created chapters for. If you find them useful, do let me know (tom.raftery@sap.com) and I'll make the effort to do it more often!If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on IndustryElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Dec 20, 2021 • 22min
Disruption In The Cosmetics Industry - A Chat With PCA Group's Ransley Carpio
Send me a messageThe cosmetics industry is an interesting space and never more so than in the last two years. Demand has shifted wildly, as have purchasing habits with more than ever being bought online.Against this backdrop, I invited PCA Group's SVP Strategy, Corporate Development, and New Business Development, Ransley Carpio to come on the podcast to talk about some of the things that have been happening. We had a fascinating conversation spanning the impact of the pandemic on beauty products demand, how Amazon has responded to the huge shift to e-commerce (inventory controls), and what's coming next as we head into the holiday season.Oh, and this is one of the first podcast episodes that I have created chapters for. If you find them useful, do let me know (tom.raftery@sap.com) and I'll make the effort to do it more often!If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks.And remember, stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane! Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Dec 17, 2021 • 20min
Sustainable Logistics - A Chat With Juliet Mwangi
Send me a messageThe topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important for organisations, and since 80-90% of an organisation's emissions originate from its supply chain, this means as supply chain professionals, we have an obligation to act on it.A large proportion of emissions often come from logistics, so I invited Juliet Mwangi to come on the podcast to talk about this. We had a great conversation spanning Juliet's Afrika Kommt fellowship, key elements of sustainability and logistics, and how these benefit companies.Oh, and this is one of the first podcast episodes that I have created chapters for. If you find them useful, do let me know (tom.raftery@sap.com) and I'll make the effort to do it more often!If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks.And remember, stay healthy, stay safe, stay sane! Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.

Dec 13, 2021 • 26min
Digital Supply Chain Trends - A Chat With Blue Horseshoe's Steve Shebuski
Send me a messageIn this episode of the Digital Supply Chain podcast I spoke to Steve Shebuski. Steve is VP Digital Strategy for Blue Horseshoe.We had an excellent conversation around the latest trends in supply chain covering the rise of control towers, warehouse automation, and supply chain flexibly and resilience.Oh, and this is one of the first podcast episodes that I have created chapters for. If you find them useful, do let me know (tom.raftery@sap.com) and I'll make the effort to do it more often!If you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to leave me a voice message over on my SpeakPipe page or just send it to me as a direct message on Twitter/LinkedIn. Audio messages will get played (unless you specifically ask me not to).If you want to learn more about how to juggle sustainability and efficiency mandates while recovering from pandemic-induced disruptions, meeting growth targets, and preparing for an uncertain future, check out our Oxford Economics research report here.And don't forget to check out the 2021 MPI research on Industry 4.0 to find out how to increase productivity, revenues, and profitability for your operations. This global study examines the extent to which manufacturers deploy Industry 4.0 in their business and the benefits it brings.And if you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or rElevate your brand with the ‘Sustainable Supply Chain’ podcast, the voice of supply chain sustainability.Last year, this podcast's episodes were downloaded over 113,000 times by senior supply chain executives around the world.Become a sponsor. Lead the conversation.Contact me for sponsorship opportunities and turn downloads into dialogues.Act today. Influence the future.Support the showPodcast supportersI'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous supporters: Lorcan Sheehan Olivier Brusle Alicia Farag Kieran Ognev And remember you too can Support the Podcast - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one.Podcast Sponsorship Opportunities:If you/your organisation is interested in sponsoring this podcast - I have several options available. Let's talk!FinallyIf you have any comments/suggestions or questions for the podcast - feel free to just send me a direct message on LinkedIn, or send me a text message using this link.If you liked this show, please don't forget to rate and/or review it. It makes a big difference to help new people discover it. Thanks for listening.
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