Supply Chain Now

Supply chains are facing pressure from every direction, from inflation and shifting consumer behavior to climate-driven disruption and rapidly evolving AI capabilities. For leaders, the challenge isn’t simply keeping up. It’s figuring out where to focus, how to make faster and better decisions, and how to turn emerging technology into measurable business value.
In this episode of The Buzz, powered by MFG.inc, Scott Luton and special guest co-host Tanzil Uddin with Manifest are joined by Dheera Anand, Partner at Bain & Company, to unpack some of the biggest forces shaping supply chain today. They explore the latest challenges at the Panama Canal, changing consumer behavior, and lessons in regional resilience from APAC before diving deep into AI and supply chain transformation.
Dheera shares practical examples of how organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and “pilot fatigue” to create real operational value. The conversation also explores high-frequency decision-making, the importance of choosing the right AI applications, and how AI could reshape integrated business planning through faster scenario planning, continuous monitoring, and an “always-on” approach to IBP.

Key Takeaways
Predictability and visibility are critical to resilience. Disruptions such as those affecting the Panama Canal demonstrate why companies need to understand their exposure throughout the supply network, not just at tier one.
Consumers are still spending, but they’re becoming more value-conscious. Retailers need greater precision around inventory, working capital, automation, and productivity as economic pressures continue.
AI’s greatest value may be in high-frequency decisions. Thousands of small operational decisions can create significant value leakage when humans simply don’t have the capacity to address them all in real time.
Moving beyond AI pilot fatigue requires better use-case selection. Leaders should consider data availability, decision frequency, variability, and the consequences of error when determining where AI can deliver scalable value.
World-class IBP is a decision process—not a reporting process. Effective IBP should drive decisions, trade-offs, scenario planning, and preparation for what happens when the plan changes.
AI could make IBP increasingly “always on.” Faster scenario modeling, automated assumption monitoring, and early-warning signals could move organizations beyond the traditional monthly planning cadence.
Not all complexity creates value. Organizations need greater visibility and governance to distinguish complexity that customers value from complexity that adds cost without meaningful return.

Supply chain leaders don’t need more technology experiments; they need practical ways to turn technology, data, and planning into better decisions. Tune in to hear Scott, Tanzil, and Dheera explore how leaders can move beyond AI pilots, strengthen resilience, rethink IBP, and build supply chains that are better equipped to compete in an increasingly complex environment.

Additional Links & Resources:
MFG.inc: https://mfg.inc/
With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-12-Sep-2026
Manifest 2027: https://manifestvegas.partners/partners/SupplyChainNow
Supply Chain & Logistics Summit: https://bit.ly/SupplyChainAndLogisticsSummit-2026
The Panama Canal’s New Boss Inherits a Drought and a Bidding War for Transit Slots: https://on.wsj.com/4xW4xYb
Inflation persisted in August, potentially locking in a Fed interest rate hike: https://bit.ly/4gSLJD8
3 lessons from Asia-Pacific on regional cooperation in a fragmented world: https://bit.ly/Learning-from-APAC
The Buzz APAC Edition for September 9th: https://bit.ly/The-Buzz-APAC-Edition
MFG.inc Leadership Training: https://mfg.inc/training
Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/
Bain: https://www.bain.com/
Dheera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dheeraanand/
Tanzil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanziluddin/
Upcoming Live Programming: https://supplychainnow.com/upcoming-live-programming/
Supply Chain Now Resource Hub: https://supplychainnow.com/resource-hub/
Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
WEBINAR- Demand Volatility Isn't a Forecasting Problem: How One FMCG Distributor Released Capacity Without Capital: https://bit.ly/4r94YM6
WEBINAR- You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Using Visibility, KPIs, and AI to Optimize Logistics Operations: https://bit.ly/4ql6iem
WEBINAR- The Real ROI of AI Analytics in the Supply Chain: Better Answers When Everyone Starts Asking: https://bit.ly/3TpCX6u
This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Tanzil Uddin, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated episode page at: https://supplychainnow.com/buzz-ai-scale-panama-canal-risk-future-IBP-1636

The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com
© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Supply chain performance is still being measured by outdated assumptions. Lora Cecere argues that optimizing individual functions for lower cost does not necessarily improve the business. In fact, it can throw the entire supply chain out of balance. Better performance starts with understanding what is actually feasible within an industry, focusing on the metrics that drive value, and recognizing that supply chains are complex systems that cannot be improved one function at a time.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton speaks with Lora Cecere, founder of Supply Chain Insights, and Wael Abdelmalek, CEO at Uthereal, about the research behind Supply Chains to Admire and how that work is being brought into Ask Lora, an AI-enabled benchmarking and advisory platform. They explore why traditional supply chain rankings and generic AI tools can reinforce conventional thinking, how verified research and industry-specific data can create better benchmarks, and why leaders need a more balanced view of growth, operating margin, inventory turns, and return on capital employed when evaluating performance.

Lora and Wael also explain how Ask Lora combines 10 years of research and benchmarking data with a private large language model designed specifically for supply chain decision-making. Rather than serving only as a Q&A tool, users are applying it as a trusted peer to benchmark performance, review strategy documents, pressure-test presentations, compare organizational and technology maturity, and challenge assumptions before taking ideas to leadership.
Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:14) Meet Lora Cecere, founder of Supply Chain Insights, and Wael Abdelmalek, CEO at Uthereal
(04:36) Fearless Friday: career leaps and personal risk-taking stories
(08:04) The origin of Supply Chains to Admire and why "best practices" is a myth
(14:44) What supply chain leaders still get wrong about cost and performance
(19:22) What is Ask Lora? Inside the private LLM built on 10 years of research
(21:30) Private LLMs vs. generic AI: accuracy, guardrails, and the Ethereal partnership
(28:57) How organizations are using Ask Lora: benchmarking, strategy review, and reports
(43:57) Pricing tiers, governance, and integration for Ask Lora
(50:33) Vision for Ask Lora's future and how to connect with Lora and Wael
Additional Links & Resources:
Connect with Lora Cecere: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loracecere/
Connect with Wael Abdelmalek: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wwael/
Learn more about Supply Chain Insights: https://supplychaininsights.com/
Learn more about Uthereal: https://uthereal.ai/
Check out AskLora for yourself: https://asklora.ai/
Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
WEBINAR- Operational AI in the Supply Chain: How context empowers agents and humans to operate side by side: https://bit.ly/4x7Vd2Z
WEBINAR- Demand Volatility Isn't a Forecasting Problem: How One FMCG Distributor Released Capacity Without Capital: https://bit.ly/4r94YM6
WEBINAR- You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Using Visibility, KPIs, and AI to Optimize Logistics Operations: https://bit.ly/4ql6iem
WEBINAR- The Real ROI of AI Analytics in the Supply Chain: Better Answers When Everyone Starts Asking: https://bit.ly/3TpCX6u

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/what-have-we-learned-thus-far-asklaura-ai-1635

The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com
© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most transportation companies talk about technology, efficiency, and growth. But after more than 50 years in the industry, the lesson is simpler: people, relationships, and the ability to adapt are what keep a business moving forward.

Scott Luton speaks with Marcia Taylor, owner and CEO of Bennett Family of Companies, about resilience, leadership, entrepreneurship, and the evolution of transportation. They explore how Bennett grew from 15 trucks and 30 trailers into a diversified transportation and logistics organization, why listening to customers shaped its expansion, how the company has preserved its family culture through decades of growth, and where AI and emerging technology fit into the future of trucking.

Marcia explains why diversification helped Bennett navigate changing markets, why AI should support people rather than replace customer and driver relationships, and why leaders must always be developing the next generation. She also shares why professional drivers deserve more recognition, how strong values guide difficult decisions, and why staying close to customers remains one of the best ways to understand what comes next.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:00) Marcia Taylor on ranch life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
(06:27) Inside Bennett Family of Companies: 14 businesses, from freight to aerospace
(09:31) Why professional drivers are close to Marcia's heart
(12:58) Taking the helm in 1981 after her husband's sudden passing
(16:25) The deliberate strategy behind Bennett's diversification
(24:00) Protecting a family culture built on faith and shared values
(28:23) Embracing AI without losing the human touch
(38:58) Leadership lessons: grooming the next generation at Bennett
(42:54) What people have to understand about truckers

Additional Links & Resources:
Connect with Marcia Taylor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcia-taylor-3b750a13/
Learn more about Bennett Family of Companies: https://www.bennettig.com/
Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
WEBINAR- Labor Is a Margin Decision: How Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Spent a Decade Making It Stick: https://bit.ly/4d4FauG
WEBINAR- Operational AI in the Supply Chain: How context empowers agents and humans to operate side by side: https://bit.ly/4x7Vd2Z
WEBINAR- Demand Volatility Isn't a Forecasting Problem: How One FMCG Distributor Released Capacity Without Capital: https://bit.ly/4r94YM6
WEBINAR- You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Using Visibility, KPIs, and AI to Optimize Logistics Operations: https://bit.ly/4ql6iem

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/lessons-learned-50-years-leadership-transportation-world-1634

The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com
© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Supply chains used to be built primarily around cost and efficiency. Abe Eshkenazi says that era is over. Today’s leaders have to balance AI, resilience, geopolitical risk, talent, cybersecurity, and a level of disruption that makes predicting what comes next nearly impossible.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton speaks with Abe Eshkenazi, CEO at the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), about how the supply chain profession is changing. From what organizations need to get right before scaling AI, to the reshaping of globalization, the growing importance of optionality, and the evolution of the chief supply chain officer into an enterprise strategist, Abe breaks down the forces redefining supply chain leadership.

Abe explains why AI success depends less on the technology itself and more on data, talent, governance, and strong processes; why globalization is not disappearing but being redrawn around resilience and regionalization; and why supply chain leaders can no longer focus solely on operations. He also shares how ASCM is preparing professionals for jobs that do not yet exist, what leaders can expect from CHAINge 2026, and why his book, “The Chain: Links That Bind Us”, starts the supply chain story with the consumer rather than the factory.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:19) Meet Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of ASCM
(06:09) AI adoption challenges: data, talent, and governance
(11:35) Data ownership, the Google–Spirit Airlines deal, and cyber risk
(14:18) The talent gap and career progression in the AI era
(17:47) Globalization redrawn: tariffs, resilience, and a multipolar world
(23:15) Semiconductors, TSMC, and the infrastructure talent gap
(27:28) How the CSCO role has evolved into an enterprise strategist
(32:06) What excites Abe most about ASCM in 2026
(39:10) Abe's new book: "The Chain: Links That Bind Us"

Additional Links & Resources:
Connect with Abe Eshkenazi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshkenazi/
Learn more about Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM): https://www.ascm.org/
Learn more about Abe’s book “The Chain: Links That Binds Us”: https://a.co/d/0a9PzJfV
Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
WEBINAR- Labor Is a Margin Decision: How Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Spent a Decade Making It Stick: https://bit.ly/4d4FauG
WEBINAR- Operational AI in the Supply Chain: How context empowers agents and humans to operate side by side: https://bit.ly/4x7Vd2Z
WEBINAR- You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Using Visibility, KPIs, and AI to Optimize Logistics Operations: https://bit.ly/4ql6iem

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/new-rules-global-supply-chain-strategy-1633






The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com
© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most wine drinkers picture a boutique vineyard. Andrew Rice says the real story is scale: hundreds of rail cars, thousands of truckloads, and a regulatory maze most consumers never see.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and special guest co-host Wanda Johnson speak with Andrew Rice, senior ERP technical product manager at Gallo, about the wine supply chain. From grape to glass, government regulation and the three-tier system, harvest and weather risk, inventory and aging complexity, and how technology like agentic AI is transforming operations.

Andrew explains why wine supply chain complexity comes down to regulation and aging, how Gallo balances luxury and commercial brands against the unpredictability of nature, why most wine should actually be consumed within one to five years rather than aged indefinitely, and how Gallo's tech-forward culture is helping the company scale one of the world's oldest industries.

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:52) Meet Andrew Rice, senior ERP technical product manager at Gallo
(08:19) What makes the wine supply chain unique: regulation and the three-tier system
(15:25) From grape to glass: mapping Gallo's supply chain functions
(24:08) How weather and harvest conditions shape flavor and planning
(34:10) What surprises people most about the wine industry: it's the scale
(42:27) The truth about wine and aging: most bottles won't get better with time
(48:11) How robotics, and agentic AI are transforming Gallo's operations

Additional Links & Resources:
Connect with Andrew Rice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rice-supplychain/
Learn more about Gallo: http://www.gallo.com
Connect with Wanda Johnson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wanda-riddick-johnson-28070a3/
Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
Learn more about Blue Yonder Cognitive Solutions: http://blueyonder.com/cognitive
WEBINAR- SAP AI Inside the Supply Chain: From Silo to Orchestration: https://bit.ly/4bvpz6K
WEBINAR- Labor Is a Margin Decision: How Reyes Coca-Cola Bottling Spent a Decade Making It Stick: https://bit.ly/4d4FauG
WEBINAR- Operational AI in the Supply Chain: How context empowers agents and humans to operate side by side: https://bit.ly/4x7Vd2Z
WEBINAR- You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Using Visibility, KPIs, and AI to Optimize Logistics Operations: https://bit.ly/4ql6iem

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and Wanda Johnson, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/inside-gallos-grape-glass-supply-chain-1632

The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com
© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.