The SupplyChainBrain Podcast

In the era of the Internet of Things, we're playing catch-up with the huge volume of data that the phenomenon is generating. Need to track high-value goods throughout the supply chain? No problem. Their cost has long justified the time, resources and technology involved. Now, however, we have the Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN), which allows for long-range communications between lower-value goods and equipment. In the past, those items might have been tracked inadequately or not at all. On this episode, we examine the benefits and impact of the LPWAN with Michael Orr, vice president of sales and partnerships with network operator Sigfox. He provides a picture of the modern-day Internet of Things ecosystem, identifies gaps in visibility, addresses the issue of network security, and offers his view of how the technology of smart devices will evolve in future. ''I see the market as essentially infinite,'' he says. ''Everything will be connected in the next five to 10 years.''

Forget about the old style of business networking. ''Social'' networking has brought a whole new meaning to the term. Social networking is fast becoming a must-have skill in the business world — both for career advancement and for managing day-to-day operations. More specifically, it's a critical element in procurement and supply chain. Just ask Tania Seary, founder of Procurious, the online business network for procurement and supply-chain professionals. She returns to the podcast to talk about the new era of networking, and why it's now an indispensable quality for today's procurement executive. She also reveals the secret of being a ''Procurement Network Guru.'' Says Seary: ''It's just the most valuable, cost-effective way to drive change in your day-to-day role that you can get.'' Forget about the old style of business networking. ''Social'' networking has brought a whole new meaning to the term. Social networking is fast becoming a must-have skill in the business world — both for career advancement and for managing day-to-day operations. More specifically, it's a critical element in procurement and supply chain. Just ask Tania Seary, founder of Procurious, the online business network for procurement and supply-chain professionals. She returns to the podcast to talk about the new era of networking, and why it’s now an indispensable quality for today's procurement executive. She also reveals the secret of being a ''Procurement Network Guru.'' Says Seary: ''It's just the most valuable, cost-effective way to drive change in your day-to-day role that you can get.''

How do U.S. executives view the future of manufacturing? Some of the answers are contained in a new report from the accounting and consulting firm of Grant Thornton LLP. In a survey of more than 375 U.S. manufacturers, it asked them to detail the major forces that are shaping their industries. They were also invited to describe the steps they're taking to adapt to those changes. On this episode, we get the details from Jeff French, Grant Thornton's national managing partner for consumer and industry products. Based on the firm's research, he lays out the four critical priorities for manufacturers today, as well as their number-one concern for the future. And he discusses both the political and technological factors that promise to radically transform manufacturing in the years ahead. Are manufacturers reshoring operations back to the U.S.? What's the impact on labor? It's a time of deep uncertainty — but that's no excuse for inaction.

A new wave of protectionism is threatening the stability of global supply chains. A worldwide backlash against free trade and globalization is posing new risks for supply chains. That's the conclusion of a new report from the Atlantic Council and Zurich Insurance Group. It examines a variety of geopolitical trends that could have a significant impact on economic growth, and, as a result, global supply chains. The report zeroes in on three main scenarios: the rise of protectionism in an interconnected world, the impact of conflict in the Middle East on the availability and price of energy, and the scarcity of water and food. On this episode, we take a deep dive into the study with Nick Wildgoose, global supply chain product leader with Zurich. He offers advice on what companies should be doing to buffer themselves against these three critical areas of risk. But judging from the results of a recent Business Continuity Institute study on business resilience, most are likely to suffer serious supply-chain disruptions anyway.

Can the cloud protect us from cyber attacks? Or does it just make us more vulnerable? The early days of cloud computing raised deep concerns among I.T. experts about cybersecurity. Wasn't it riskier to shift systems and data to shared servers that lay beyond the firewall? What's more, system designers seemed to be doing little to insure security in the cloud. But that attitude is changing. Today, the cloud can serve as a potent weapon against security breaches and ''threat actors.'' So says Jeff Schilling, chief security officer with Armor Defense, Inc. On this episode, he talks about recent advances in cloud security, and how the technology can help to ''censor, contain and eradicate'' hackers and cyber thieves. He offers advice to companies on what they should be doing to protect their data, funds and intellectual property in the cloud. He lays out the biggest vulnerabilities that still exist in I.T. systems. And he suggests an answer to the unsettling question: Is anybody truly safe?

More and more women today are stepping up as entrepreneurs. What will it take for them to succeed? The world of entrepreneurs has largely been dominated by men. Now, that's beginning to change. According to the U.S. Census, there's been more than a 30-percent jump in female business owners. Still, their path to success might be somewhat different than that of men. On this episode, the second of two focusing on entrepreneurship, we speak with author, marketing expert and serial entrepreneur Felena Hanson. She's the founder of Hera Hub, a shared workspace and community for female innovators. With six locations around the world and growing, it supports hundreds of aspiring business executives in more than 16 industry segments. The author of Flight Club — Rebel, Reinvent and Thrive: How to Launch Your Dream, Hanson talks about what it takes for women to thrive in the often cutthroat world of business startups, the qualities that an entrepreneur needs to have, and why she believes that ''woman will be responsible for the next wave of prosperity in the U.S.''

The entrepreneur has taken on near-mythic status in modern-day society. But who is this individual really? You can't deny the importance of the entrepreneur: the individual who challenges conventional wisdom, and makes something new and transformational. We look up to the individual who pursues a goal with relentless passion, builds a business from its beginnings in a humble garage, and realizes smashing success. But the entrepreneur can also be a difficult person, one who doesn't subscribe to the norms of human behavior. On this episode, we speak with Joe Carlen, founder of Value Guards and author of A Brief History of Entrepreneurship - The Pioneers, Profiteers, and Racketeers Who Shaped Our World. He sketches out a nuanced view of this unique individual, whose contributions to society can be immense, but who might also cross some ethical lines along the way. One thing is certain: it's about more than just making money.

Can't wait to ditch that old phone, computer, car or sweater? You're a victim of planned obsolescence. As consumers, we often bemoan the poor quality of products, blaming manufacturers for deliberately designing them with a short lifespan. Then we scramble to buy the latest version of the hot new item. Planned obsolescence is a reality, and it's killing the earth, says Kamila Pope, a Brazil-based lecturer, researcher and lawyer with a specialty in environmental and bio-law. On this episode, she talks about her new book, Understanding Planned Obsolescence: Unsustainability Through Production, Consumption and Waste Generation. Pope relates how we became a consumer society, the survival of which depends on continuous growth (and consumption). And she lays out the price we're paying for our acquisitive ways. How about putting corporate executives in jail for making products that are designed to last only a short time? That's what regulators in the European Union and Brazil apparently want to do. But can an economy based on sustainable and long-lasting products survive?

How long can our society get by without trucks? How about five days? A new documentary, Be Prepared to Stop, presents a portrait of the trucking industry in crisis. Chief among its woes is the nation's crumbling infrastructure, with no solution in sight for funding critical repair, maintenance and construction of roads, highways and bridges. But the film goes even further, to show us the everyday lives of truckers, as well as key issues related to driver safety, and the failure of government to act on multiple fronts. As the film puts it, ''America's 'Check Engine light' is on.'' On this episode, we speak with the filmmakers, co-director and executive producer Jennifer Clymer, and co-director and producer Marijane Miller. They recall how they became aware of the industry's dire plight, what they learned in making the movie, and what steps need to be taken now. It's all about adopting a nationwide view of citizens' self-interest — or, as the filmmakers put it, ''the ultimate connectivity movie.''

The so-called platform economy promises to drastically change the nature of work. Is that a bad thing, or a good thing? Call it the ''platform'' or ''gig'' economy: the blending of powerful computing with the growth of networks, digitizing the means by which work is assigned and carried out. Uber and Airbnb are obvious examples, but there are an estimated 1,800 other active platforms today, with many more to come. What happens, though, when work is intermediated by a digital platform? What's the impact on wages, job security and other aspects of traditional employment? The Institute for the Future is looking for answers, in its Workable Futures Initiative. The idea is to spark a productive conversation about a trend that is in danger of outpacing our ability to understand its long-term impact on society. On this episode, we speak with Devin Fidler, research director for the Institute for the Future. He describes the work of the initiative, and its mission to discover the potential for ''positive platforms.'' He also discusses the implications of a system governed by algorithms, raising the possibility of a ''self-driving'' company that is managed entirely by software. In such a world, what's the fate of the traditional American worker?