In this episode, we uncover the shocking truth that spreadsheets secretly run the world, and nowhere is this more evident than in global supply chains. Through interviews with a supply chain leader who’s seen the pros and cons of spreadsheets firsthand and a consultant who helps companies see the potential of new technologies, we explore how these digital grids became commerce's invisible backbone and why the AI-powered future means it's time to break up with our beloved rows and columns.

Every industry has its trade secrets, but the most fascinating secrets of all? Those lie in the hidden networks that power global trade itself: supply chains. Welcome to Trade Secrets, the podcast that unveils the hidden world of supply chains and their critical role in the global economy. In each episode, we’ll explore how these powerful, global systems reveal answers to today’s most pressing questions like, how does a trapped ship disrupt global commerce? Or how much of our modern world runs on spreadsheets? Along the way, we speak with everyone, from Fortune 500 executives to planners, to better understand how supply chains connect us all and keep the world’s trade systems running smoothly.

In the semiconductor industry where rapid innovation and faster product life cycles add ever-changing complexities throughout the supply chain, tackling sustainability and carbon emissions is no easy feat. As a manager within the supply chain management practice of Deloitte Consulting, Michelle Dumais understands the responsibility of making end-to-end supply chains more earth-friendly through ESG initiatives and reducing scope 3 emissions. Joining Michelle is Polly Mitchell-Guthrie, VP of Industry Outreach and Thought Leadership at Kinaxis, to discuss the importance of strategic sustainability planning for supply chain professionals, data-driven conversations, and why collaboration is critical to address these challenges.

In this panel discussion with Mary Byrne, Vice President of Supply Chain at Cardinal Health, Liz Coddington, CFO of Peloton, Gus Shahin, CIO at Flex and Professor Morgan Swink from Texas Christian University co-hosted by Angel Mendez, Kinaxis Board Member and Kinaxis Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Anne Robinson, the group discusses the supply chain trends carrying over from 2023 that will create opportunities in 2024.

Shifts in consumer behavior are forcing supply chains to evolve, leading many chief supply chain officers to ask: how do we keep up? For Mohan Sodhi, Professor of Operations & Supply Chain Management at the Bayes Business School at the City University of London, and Jayashankar Swaminathan, Professor of Operations at the University of North Carolina, the key is to embrace innovation or risk falling behind. Mohan and Jay are joined by Angel Mendez, Board Member and Supply Chain Innovator, and Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, to discuss how to develop and bring innovation to the forefront of your organization so you can optimize supply chains for the future.

Explore the complexities of supply chain planning in the biopharma industry with Elisabeth Kaszas, VP of Global Supply Operations at Seagen, and Allen Jacques, Industry Thought Leader at Kinaxis. In this episode of Big Ideas in Supply Chain, Elisabeth details her 30 years of experience in life sciences and biopharma, including her recent accomplishments transforming the supply chain process at Seagen. Elisabeth and Allen deliver powerful insights when it comes to tackling rapid growth due to product launches, exchanging data, reducing lead times, and the vital role of advanced planning.

If you’re looking to digitally transform your supply chain, don’t try to do everything all at once. Supply chain leaders at Jamieson Wellness, Andre Teixeira, VP of Global Supply Chain, Raymond Khan, Senior Director of Supply Chain Center of Excellence and Network Operations, and Steve Mailloux, Director, Supply Chain Planning, say your business should use the crawl, walk, run approach: a tactic designed to ease your business into its next phase without overwhelming it. Joining our experts at Jamieson Wellness is Matt Spooner, Industry Thought Leader at Kinaxis to discuss the tools, processes, and capabilities needed to build a more agile and competitive supply chain.

As new pressures emerge to improve sustainability, some supply chain practitioners questioning why they aren’t aware of, or involved in, corporate strategies to tackle carbon emissions. To discuss the importance of operationalizing sustainability within the supply chain, Deborah Dull, Vice President and Global Supply Chain Sustainability Leader at Genpact, and Josué Velázquez Martínez, Director, Sustainable Supply Chain & LIFT research Labs at MIT, join Polly Mitchell-Guthrie, VP of Industry Outreach and Thought Leadership at Kinaxis, to discuss the importance of carbon intuition and the role of data and metrics to drive growth while making a positive impact on the planet.

Supply chain leaders are embracing AI to solve problems faster, proliferate data, and enhance the pace of innovation. Kevin O’Marah, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer at Zero 100, and Pascal Van Hentenryck, Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Director of AI4OPT, join Angel Mendez, Board Member and Supply Chain Innovator, and Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, to explore AI methodologies and research-tested insights that redefine the possibilities of supply chain innovation.

Supply chain constraints, disruptions, and expectations have changed, necessitating new tools and processes to reach resilience, profit, and sustainability goals. In this episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Peter Bolstorff, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Business Intelligence at ASCM (Association for Supply Chain Management), talks with Allen Jacques, Industry Thought Leader at Kinaxis, about solving today and tomorrow’s supply chain challenges , like disruption to both supply and demand, and meeting ESG requirements. As part of this discussion, they address the revamped SCOR DS (Supply Chain Operations Deference Digital Standard), a digital, open-access model providing methodology, diagnostic and benchmarking tools so organizations can make rapid improvements in supply chain processes. Upcoming events: • To learn more about concurrent planning, you can find Kinaxis at the “Innovation Lab: Concurrent Planning with Kinaxis” session at the ASCM Connect 2023: North America event at 9:30 am – 10:30 am at Louisville, Kentucky between Sep 11-13, 2023. • To learn more about SCOR DS and Integrated Business Planning, you can find Peter and Allen at their cohosted session at the ASCM Supply Chain Tour at 9:30 am - 5 pm at Anaheim on September 26, 2023. Registrations are now open! Get your tickets today and use the promo code KINAXIS for $100 off for either event.

Supply chain innovation is now more important than ever to reach sustainability goals. In this episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Ann Tracy, Chief Sustainability Officer at Colgate-Palmolive, speaks with Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, to discuss Colgate-Palmolive’s bold approach to sustainable practices including environmentally conscious product designs, plastic reduction, and making smart use of finite resources.

S&OP is a crucial and essential process in supply chains. Unfortunately, it often fails to deliver on its promises due to latencies in data, outdated technology, and siloed business practices. Bram Desmet, CEO of Solventure, and Matt Spooner, Industry Thought Leader at Kinaxis, discuss why S&OP is more important than ever for modern supply chains and why updating how it’s implemented can balance service, cost, and cash.

One of the biggest challenges in the electronics industry is demand forecasting, both upstream and downstream as disruptions happen in real time. In this episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Lynn Torrel, Chief Procurement and Supply Chain Officer at Flex, joins Angel Mendez, Board Member and Supply Chain Innovator, and Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, to explore how to forecast demand with more accuracy and get actionable , real-world insights by pairing contextualized data with external demand signals and applying a layer of analytics and AI.

In this episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Rogerio Branco, Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Eaton, joins Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis to discuss Eaton’s commitment to innovation, diversity and inclusivity. Specifically, how, and why, Eaton created an innovation lab that can be accessed by all employees, and how its global, diverse team helps drive new ideas.

As applications in generative AI continue to rise in popularity thanks to programs like ChatGPT, supply chain industry leaders are beginning to explore how this technology can potentially help accelerate ideation and support decision-making processes in the supply chain. In this episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Mike Watson, faculty member at Northwestern University and Polly Mitchell-Guthrie, VP, Industry Outreach & Thought Leadership at Kinaxis, explore how generative AI can refine data, impact productivity, and empower practitioners to develop more efficient supply chains.

In the latest episode of our Big Ideas in Supply Chain podcast, Mike Corbo, former Chief Supply Chain Officer at Colgate-Palmolive, joins Angel Mendez, Board Member and Supply Chain Innovator, and Dr. Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, to discuss why building resilience in the supply chain is critical during times of disruption and how investing in agile solutions can yield financial benefits.

As global challenges continue to impact and disrupt the supply chain, it’s important that supply chain planners have the best tools and resources necessary to plan for an unpredictable future. In our latest video podcast, Blaine Fitzgerald, Chief Financial Officer at Kinaxis, and Jim Bralsford, Sr. Director of Industry and Solutions Marketing at Kinaxis, discuss long-term planning, the financial metrics that matter most to C-suite executives and how we can learn from disruption to better prepare for the future.

Join Tariq Farooq, former SVP Global Supply Chain at Sanofi, as he speaks with Matt Spooner, Industry Thought Leader at Kinaxis, about how the COVID pandemic and subsequent shortages have caused boards and executives to re-evaluate the importance of the supply chain. They discuss why the supply chain has risen to the top of the corporate agenda, and why it is now essential not just to think about tradeoffs in terms of cost, cash and service, but also to include resilience and environmental impact in the equation.

Supply chain innovator Angel Mendez and Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, Dr. Anne Robinson, cohost a new video podcast series. Join them in their first episode as they discuss valuable supply chain lessons they learned from the pandemic.

Jamieson Wellness is the Canadian leader in the vitamins, minerals, and supplements market with a bold approach to operationalizing sustainability. Join Andre Teixeira, VP of Global Supply Chain at Jamieson Wellness, and Anne Robinson, Chief Strategy Officer at Kinaxis, as they discuss how Jamieson Wellness is successfully using data to make better economic and environmental decisions. Listen now to learn how Jamieson Wellness is bringing ESG into its decision-making framework to make a difference in supply chain and the health of the planet.