As consultants, our most valuable asset is time. How do we ensure we're spending it on high-value solutioning for our clients, not on clerical work?At LIDD, we are constantly innovating to improve our project delivery. That's why we've been piloting Tato, an AI "virtual colleague" purpose-built for complex IT and ERP implementations. In this episode, we sit down with Tato's CEO, Justin, to discuss our real-world experience and how this technology helps us deliver better, faster, and more reliable outcomes for our clients.We cover how this tool moves beyond simple meeting recaps (like Copilot) to help our teams aggregate data across an entire project , automating everything from documentation and risk tracking to standardized solution blueprints.This means less time on administrative tasks and more time focusing on what matters: your business goals.We also explore:
Learn more about LIDD's ERP & Digital Transformation services: https://lidd.com/Learn more about Tato: https://www.tato.co/enTIMESTAMPS:(00:00:14) Meet Justin, Founder and CEO of Tato (00:00:22) The Origin Story: A "Virtual Colleague" Born from Consulting Pain Points (00:01:15) What Exactly is Tato? (00:02:07) How LIDD is Piloting Tato for its Dynamics Projects (00:03:09) Early Use Cases: A Central Repo for Decisions, Scope, and Recaps (00:04:16) Overcoming Initial Skepticism of AI Tools (00:05:42) The Single Biggest Win: Taming the Documentation Beast (00:06:47) The Big Question: How is Tato Different from Copilot? (00:08:04) The Next Level: Standardizing and Automating Reports (00:09:24) Bridging the "Great Divide": Solving the Sales-to-Delivery Knowledge Transfer (00:11:37) From Project Management to Solutioning: The "Solution Blueprint" Case (00:12:53) The Roadmap for Scaling AI Across the Business (00:14:53) The Future of Tato: Moving from Data Capture to Intelligent Insights (00:17:14) Tackling AI Reliability and the Importance of "Data Lineage" (00:18:25) Why Hyper-Specialized Agents are the Future
Ever wonder how that shirt you’re planning to buy for next summer is already in production? The apparel industry runs on one of the most complex and fascinating supply chains in the world, operating on a timeline that’s a year or more ahead of the current season.
In this episode, we take a look at the world of fashion logistics. We explore the "boom and bust" cycle of seasonal inventory, where warehouses build up massive stock for months only to ship 70% of it to stores in a single push. We also dive into the unique challenges of designing a distribution center that has to handle bulky winter coats one season and small summer dresses the next. From specialized handling systems like monorails for hanging garments to the modern headache of e-commerce returns and unsold inventory, we break down how your clothes truly get from the factory to your closet. Plus, a fascinating story about how RFID technology, once declared a failure, quietly transformed retail inventory management.
Sections:
(00:13) Introduction: What's Unique About Apparel Supply Chains?(00:49) The Incredibly Long Planning Cycle of Fashion(02:42) How High Fashion Trends Trickle Down to the Mass Market(04:59) The "Boom and Bust" Cycle of Apparel Warehousing(05:25) The Three Phases of Seasonal Distribution: Buildup, Mass Push, and Replenishment(11:00) The Challenge of Volumetrics: Why Warehouses Are Designed for Winter(13:07) Handling and Storing Clothes: Garments on Hangers vs. Flat Pack(16:06) What Are Value-Added Services (VAS) in an Apparel DC?(18:15) The Modern Challenge: E-Commerce Returns and Liquidating Unsold Inventory(21:10) Anecdote: The Surprising History and Modern Use of RFID in Apparel
A disconnect between your CRM and ERP could be costing your business up to 25% in lost revenue. When sales and operations work in silos, critical information gets lost, leading to inaccurate forecasts, poor customer service, and internal chaos.
This week, Alex & Romain discuss how to bridge the gap between these two essential systems. We explore the common data challenges faced by sales teams—like lack of inventory visibility —and operational teams, who often lack insight into the sales pipeline for accurate forecasting.
The solution lies in a bi-directional integration that creates a single source of truth across your organization. We discuss how platforms like Microsoft Dynamics 365 are making this easier than ever, with pre-integrated tools that provide a holistic view of your business, from the first customer interaction to final delivery.
Learn more about LIDD’s services by visiting our website: https://www.lidd.com
Timestamps:
[00:37] Defining the role of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
[02:14] The challenges sales teams face without access to ERP data like inventory and lead times.
[03:25] How a lack of CRM data impacts forecasting and production planning in the ERP.
[05:05] Solving the problem with a bi-directional flow of information between systems.
[08:50] How Microsoft's ecosystem (Dataverse, Business Central, Dynamics Sales) simplifies integration.
[11:39] Strategic advice: Should you implement a CRM or an ERP first?
Is AI a game-changer for supply chain management, or just the latest round of corporate hype? This week, we go behind the headlines to find out.First, we explore Starbucks' new inventory-taking AI tool. While the company talks about accuracy and protecting revenue, we argue the real motivation is far more strategic: solving the decades-long labor shortage and improving employee retention by automating the tasks baristas hate most.Then, we pivot to the healthcare supply chain, where executives are making bold claims about AI's ability to anticipate disruptions and manage risk. We cut through the noise, explaining why many of these applications are "ridiculous propositions" and examples of the hype that leads to failed investments.Next, we break down the end of the $800 de minimis rule and the $240 million hit Lululemon is expecting to its gross margin. We explain what this policy is, how it was used, and the irony behind the US government’s current stance given its position during USMCA negotiations.Finally, we look at the massive disruption caused by a recent hack at Jaguar Land Rover, which brought its entire network of orders, deliveries, and sales to a halt. It’s a stark reminder of how vulnerable finely tuned, "just-in-time" global supply chains are to IT security failures.
Timestamps:
[00:00:04] - Intro
[00:00:45] - Headline 1: Starbucks Deploys an Inventory-Taking AI Tool
[00:02:30] - The Real Driver Behind AI in Quick-Service: The Labor Shortage
[00:04:28] - Headline 2: AI in the Healthcare Supply Chain
[00:05:35] - Contrasting Real vs. "Hype" applications of AI
[00:07:00] - Headline 3: Lululemon Feels the Pain After the Death of De Minimis
[00:07:59] - What is the De Minimis Rule?
[00:09:08] - The Irony: How Past US-Canada Trade Negotiations Play into Today's Policy
[00:10:28] - Headline 4: Jaguar Land Rover Production Shut Down Amidst Hack
[00:11:03] - How a Hack Can Halt a "Just-in-Time" Global Supply Chain
[00:12:43] - Final Thoughts
Produced & edited by: Jeremy RotenbergHosted by: Charles Fallon & David Beaudet
Quand on pense à un hôpital, on imagine les médecins, les infirmières et l'effervescence des unités de soins. Pourtant, derrière chaque patient qui reçoit les bons soins au bon moment se cache une danse complexe de matériel, de transport et d'information : la logistique de la santé. C'est le moteur invisible qui permet à un hôpital non seulement de fonctionner, mais aussi d'exceller.Lors d'un récent épisode de notre balado, nous avons eu la chance de nous entretenir avec Martine Legault, directrice logistique du CIUSSS de la Montérégie-Ouest, pour explorer cet univers fascinant. Ce que nous avons découvert, c'est que les principes de la chaîne d'approvisionnement prennent une dimension critique lorsque des vies humaines sont en jeu.
(00:00) Introduction : La logistique du CIUSSS de la Montérégie-Ouest(00:37) L'étendue cachée de la logistique hospitalière(02:11) Les différences entre la logistique industrielle et celle de la santé(03:41) Comment mesure-t-on la complexité d'un entrepôt vs un hôpital?(06:03) L'impact direct de la logistique sur la qualité des soins aux patients(07:43) Étude de cas : Le système de double casier (Kanban) à l'hôpital(10:12) Projets innovants : Chef Jasper, la cuisine robotisée(11:45) Projets innovants : La civière robotisée pour le transport des usagers(12:42) Pourquoi automatiser? Qualité des soins et attraction des talents(13:46) Conclusion et remerciements
In this episode, we peel back the layers on a topic that most people never think about: how bananas get from the farm to our tables.
(00:01:42) The Banana Ripening Process
(00:03:08) A Tale of Two Fruits
(00:12:10) Banana Trivia
(00:13:30) Home Hacks
Visit our site: LIDD.com
Our team just got back from the ReFED, Food Banks Canada, and Feed Ontario conferences, and we’re excited to share what we learned about fighting food waste.In this episode, we dive into the most important conversations happening in food loss and supply chain sustainability today. We cover the power of collaboration between food producers and food banks , the importance of getting ahead of new policies , and why smart logistics are a game-changer for sharing resources effectively. Join our conversation to hear actionable ideas and learn how we can work together to build a more sustainable food future.(00:00) Introduction(00:27) Provincial vs. National: Differing Views on Food Security(00:42) Comparing Conferences: The Focus of Feed Ontario vs. Food Banks Canada(04:13) A Global Movement: International Perspectives on Food Waste(05:14) A Multi-Scalar Problem: From Your Fridge to Global Policy(09:04) Breaking Down Silos: The Value of Industry Conferences(11:59) Key Takeaways & What Your Business Can Do Now(15:16) How LIDD Can Help
Go behind the headlines with Charles & David! This week, Ferrero Acquires Kellogs, Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy, Amazon Deploys It's 1 Millionth Robot, and Say Goodbye to De Minimis.
How do we move from awareness to action on food waste?Our non-profit consulting team joined leaders at the recent ReFED, Food Banks Canada, and Feed Ontario conferences to find out. Join Anna Gleason, Maria El Dahdah, and Georgina Morris as they sit down to share their biggest takeaways on the latest food waste solutions, from policy incentives and data-driven tech to the operational challenges facing food banks on the front lines.#FoodWaste #Sustainability #Solutions #FoodInsecurity #foodbanks
During the recent Supply Chain Canada 2025 National Conference in Alberta, Melanie Charles and Stephan Lauzon were inspired to explore a fundamental question: What is supply chain, and how do we best understand the various roles that contribute to this essential sector?
On this week's episode of It's the End of the Week, join Melanie & Stephan as they discuss key takeaways from the conference and share their insights on this topic ⬇️
Watch: https://youtu.be/3zOjT59QyW0
Food waste is one of the most pressing challenges in the modern supply chain. In the United States, no organization has been more instrumental in quantifying this issue and uniting stakeholders than ReFed. As the nation's leading authority on food waste, ReFed provides the data and insights that guide government, non-profit, and for-profit sectors toward meaningful action.
That’s why LIDD is thrilled to announce that in 2025, we have embarked on a sprawling research project with ReFed. Following a successful research collaboration in 2024, this new initiative is designed to tackle one of the biggest questions in the industry: How much food is lost within the manufacturing and distribution sectors, why is it lost, and what can we do about it? Our goal is to update the foundational data in ReFed's acclaimed Food Waste Monitor and, in the process, develop a robust framework of food waste solutions for the industry.
Watch: https://ow.ly/iTJQ50WcCeSListen: https://ow.ly/wCVZ50WcCeT Read: https://ow.ly/TjKx50WcCeU
Low-code/no-code (LCNC) platforms are revolutionizing how businesses operate. Tools like Microsoft Power Apps give employees the power to create their own applications and automations with intuitive, visual interfaces, no developer required. The promise is immense: empower your team to solve their own challenges, foster agility, and drive innovation from the ground up.
But this newfound power comes with a hidden risk. While it’s tempting to hand out licenses and let your teams run free, a lack of oversight can lead to chaos. We’re seeing a new challenge emerge: as departments independently build their own solutions, IT is often left disconnected, and the business loses a cohesive technology strategy. This is where a strong low-code/no-code governance framework becomes not just important, but essential.
The rise of automation in warehouses and distribution centers often sparks a significant concern: automation job displacement. It’s a topic that can create anxiety among the workforce and uncertainty for businesses. However, as supply chain professionals, we see a more nuanced picture – one where automation leads not just to change, but to evolution and opportunity. The key lies in how businesses approach and manage this technological shift.
The conversation around automation often focuses on the “before”: the design, the implementation, the justification based on labor and space savings, or throughput improvements. But what about the “after”? What becomes of your most valuable asset – your human capital – when they find themselves working alongside sophisticated automated systems?
Produced & Edited by Jeremy Rotenberg
On this week's episode of It's the End of the Week, Charles Fallon sits down with Rob Renaud, SIOR of ENCOR Advisors to discuss the trends impacting the industrial real estate market in North America. Tune in for expert analysis into some key subjects:➰ The current "state of flux" in the market📫 The state of ecommerce post-pandemic 🏢 The present oversupply of buildings and what it means for tenants❄️ A look into the high-demand, yet undersupplied, cold storage sectorWatch: https://ow.ly/Ws3750VXZw3Listen: https://ow.ly/qngy50VXZw1Read: https://ow.ly/cpj250VXZw2
While the logistics world races toward robots, the real revolution in warehouse efficiency is happening quietly—with smarter task orchestration, not more automation.
On this episode of It’s The End of The Week, Jean-Martin Roux (JM), president of Onomatic, and Charles Fallon, discussed a critical yet eye-opening truth about modern warehouse operations: automation isn’t just about robots. In fact, some of the biggest leaps in warehouse efficiency today are happening without them.
In an era of growing global volatility, understanding and mitigating supply chain risk is more crucial than ever. In this episode of It’s The End of The Week, Jeff Hamilton and Steve Weyer reunited for their third recording to discuss the rising challenges companies face in managing international logistics, sourcing, and trade amid unpredictable macroeconomic and geopolitical shifts.
The episode tackled the current state of global supply chains, drawing on recent client engagements, particularly a private equity project evaluating the risk profile of a highly time-sensitive, perishable product imported from South America to the U.S.
What sounds like the future of logistics—flawless robots, lightning-fast fulfillment, and precision at scale—often begins in confusion, missed steps, and last-minute scrambles. In this episode of It’s The End of The Week, Marc and Charles—two seasoned voices in the automation space—pull back the curtain on a major automation project’s final act: the critical, often overlooked phase of User Acceptance Testing (UAT).
While the industry loves to talk about robots and AI-powered logistics, this episode centered on something far more foundational—how to avoid a $100 million operational headache by doing one thing right: planning and executing UAT properly.
Watch: https://ow.ly/QT1v50VHUl0Listen: https://ow.ly/sPBp50VHUl1Read: https://ow.ly/FOHf50VHUl2
In the often-unseen world of warehouses and supply chain logistics, headlines don’t typically scream for attention. But a recent industry update from Supply Chain 24/7 caught the eye—and raised eyebrows—with a quietly sobering truth: cold storage construction starts are falling. Behind the headline lies a significant story of overbuilding, recalibration, and a slow-but-steady path back to normalcy in the industrial real estate market.
On this episode of It’s The End Of The Week, Charles Fallon and David Beaudet went behind the headlines and unpacked what the numbers—and the mood—really mean for the future of industrial real estate.
Building a new distribution center (DC) or implementing a new system involves numerous steps, each requiring careful attention. These phases, whether physical or digital, follow a similar process and require thoughtful planning, testing, and collaboration. On the latest episode of It’s The End of The Week, Raphael Leite-Corthesy and Mathieu Galipeau break down the critical stages involved in both the physical and digital implementations, drawing insights from both system and facility considerations.
L'automatisation devient rapidement une nécessité pour les entreprises qui souhaitent rester compétitives dans un monde de plus en plus axé sur la technologie. Alors que l'intelligence artificielle (IA) vole souvent la vedette dans les discussions sur l'innovation, c'est l'automatisation - en particulier la robotisation des tâches - qui mérite une attention particulière, notamment dans la gestion des opérations et la stratégie d'entreprise. Face aux pressions croissantes liées à l'intensification des opérations et à l'amélioration de l'efficacité, les entreprises doivent s'interroger : devons-nous automatiser ? Et plus important encore, quand devrions-nous commencer le processus ? Cette semaine, Raphaël Leite-Corthésy et David Beaudet se sont réunis pour parler de l'automatisation et de son impact sur l'industrie de la chaîne d'approvisionnement.Contactez-nous !