APAC's Digital Revolution: Leaders, Innovations, and Strategies to Try Now
Once known for low-cost production, the Asia-Pacific region now sets the global pace in digital integration, real-time orchestration, and AI-powered operations. From China’s consumer-driven factories to Singapore’s strategic investment in talent, APAC has created supply chains where data, decisions, and execution move as one. On this week’s episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team unpacks what’s driving this momentum – and why leaders everywhere can’t afford to ignore it. Featuring: Principal Research, Suzanne Lindsay, Senior Research Analyst, Jalen Thibou, and VP, Research, Kelly Coutinho. What’s driving APAC’s digital edge in supply chain? (00:50) Inside the factories syncing data and decisions at speed (03:19) How real-time orchestration is pushing the region ahead (04:23) Cross-industry collaboration wins in policy, tech, and talent (07:22) The infrastructure powering APAC’s smart production model (10:20) When AI meets skilled labor on the factory floor (15:31) The big lessons global supply chain leaders can’t afford to miss (18:59)
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20:42
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20:42
Fusion Teams and How to Build Them
In the age of AI, the most powerful investment you can make has nothing to do with technology – and everything to do with your org chart. Enter fusion teams: cross-functional powerhouses that combine tech and ops expertise to deliver digital products at scale. In this episode, the Zero100 team looks at the personas that drive success and unpacks how to build, empower, and measure the success of these teams across the supply chain. Featuring: VP, Data & Analytics Cody Stack, Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov, and VP, Research Lauren Acoba.What are fusion teams, exactly? (00:58) Meet the key players: Citizens, Translators, and Wizards (01:32) How to spot and grow Translators in your organization (05:50) Fusion team archetypes in action (08:48) From pilot to practice: making fusion teams stick (12:19) How to spot success, and why “failure” is a key ingredient (14:37) What’s next for fusion teams in the age of AI? (19:42)
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22:35
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22:35
Preparing Your Team for a Digital-First World with Bonnie Fetch
The recent digital tech boom has reshaped how supply chains operate – and the skills that powered the last era aren’t the ones that will define the next. This week, Bonnie Fetch, EVP and President, Operations at Cummins, sits down with Caroline Chumakov, Principal Analyst at Zero100, to explore how leaders can develop and empower the supply chain talent of tomorrow and build fusion teams that drive the best tech solutions.The role of humans in an automated world (03:05) Spotting and developing tech-ops “Translators” (05:36) Why fusion teams are crucial for innovation (10:11) The human skills that matter most in a tech-driven era (12:47) Learning and development in the age of AI (15:31) Data cleanliness, the limits of AI, and knowing where to scale (18:36) Building a fulfilling supply chain career for the future (21:02)
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23:46
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23:46
Is Trump’s Tariff Strategy Paying Off?
Six months after Trump declared “Liberation Day,” tariff revenues are up, and major US investment pledges are rolling in. But at the same time, costs are rising, and global sourcing strategies are shifting fast. This week, the Zero100 team explores reshoring readiness, friendshoring alternatives, and the role of AI and robotics in turning volatility into opportunity, outlining the steps supply chain leaders must take to build resilience in a reshaped global market. Featuring: Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah, VP, Research, Geraint John, and Principal Analyst Caroline Chumakov. Breaking down Trump’s tariff playbook (00:05) What the numbers really say about trade deficits and tax revenue (02:01) Moving manufacturing back to the US: Political theater or a real shift? (03:38) The roadblocks slowing a reshoring push (10:17) Non-stop negotiation: How global trade partners are reacting (15:44) Inflation, resilience, and what supply chain leaders must prepare for next (19:14) Trump’s tariffs: a win or a miss? (25:01)
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28:42
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28:42
What Can the West Learn from China’s EV Disruptors?
China's electric vehicle manufacturers are changing the game with seamless ecosystems that blend digital and physical production – and they're scaling without friction. This week, the Zero100 team explores how companies like BYD and Xiaomi are producing high-quality EVs faster and cheaper than Western competitors, and breaks down the operating lessons every supply chain leader needs to know. Featuring: Principal Analysts Suzanne Lindsay and Jenna Fink, and VP, Research Kelly Coutinho. The three waves of China’s EV innovation (00:51) How robotics help Xiaomi produce 1,000 cars a day with just 2,000 workers (02:28) Unpacking BYD's battery advantage (04:26) How STEM talent powers China's automotive transformation (06:03) Understanding China’s EV glut and export strategy (08:54) What Western supply chains can learn from China’s “seamless scale” approach (12:10)
Welcome to Zero100, the “unboring” supply chain podcast. Each week, Zero100's researchers, analysts, and data scientists deliver sharp takes on the news, delve into new research, and interview leaders at the forefront of supply chain’s digital revolution, giving you the insights you need to drive growth and resilience.
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