In this special episode of This Week in Business History, host Scott W. Luton shares the inspiring business journey of his beloved grandfather: Leroy “Dick” Winton Rutland. Throughout his life, Dick Rutland represented the ‘gold standard’ in terms of professional integrity and action-based, servant leadership. He was a dedicated employee at Winn-Dixie and Kimberly-Clark, providing an example that now lives on – at scale – through Supply Chain Now’s organizational values. Like most people, Dick Rutland was loyal to a few brands – the Solo Cup Company and Buick in particular – and his relationship with their products serve as emblematic reminders of his personal values. Among the key lessons we learn in this week’s episode are:
- Don’t let anything go to waste if you can avoid it, even if it means eating chitlins or handwashing a ‘disposable’ cup
- Strive for balance between work and family, making your own luck and opportunities as you can
- Let your actions speak for themselves, doing the right thing for its own sake, not the attention it may garner
More Podcast Episodes
Operations
Podcast
April 3, 2024
5 Reasons to Rethink Your Freight Auditing
From saving time, cutting costs, and enhancing efficiency to mitigating errors, relieving workforce pressures, and reducing employee turnover, technology adoption can pay dividends when it comes to freight auditing. In this unique episode of Supply Chain Now, we’re joined by two companies that have worked together to realize the benefits that technological innovation can bring to the freight auditing table. With Ecolab having undergone its own highly successful transformation journey, Natalie Rekow, Senior Logistics Manager, Transportation Admin, Cost Performance and Freight Payment, offers up her firsthand experiences on the differences that embracing key solutions can make. Alongside her is Shannon Vaillancourt, President and Founder of RateLinx – the partner enterprise that stepped in to support Ecolab during its process optimization venture – who provides a window of insight looking at exactly what’s involved in moving from a manual to technology-driven operation. Tune into this insightful discussion on freight auditing transformation to discover: · The difficulties presented by manual processes. · How AI-backed software can be leveraged to tackle the work of hundreds of people. · The critical importance of not just any data, but good data.
Microsoft
Podcast
July 3, 2024
How Leading Manufacturers are Leveraging Technology to Fuel Factory Success featuring Stefan Schulz with 3M
With rapid advancements in technology, manufacturers are revolutionizing their operations to achieve unprecedented levels of efficiency, throughput, and productivity. In this episode, sponsored by Microsoft, hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson welcome Stefan Schulz, Senior Vice President, Business Supply Chain Quality and Operational Development at 3M to the show, as they explore how industry titans leverage technology to drive manufacturing success, especially for their workforce. Listen in as Stefan, Scott, and Kevin discuss 3M’s global supply chain footprint, the importance data-driven decision making, tools and innovations in manufacturing technology, the use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, empowering the workforce through engagement and training, and so much more. Tune into this insightful episode to learn how 3M and other manufacturers are leveraging technology to fuel factory success, stay ahead in a competitive global market, and also leave with practical advice for optimizing your own digital transformation journey.