The Supply Chain Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12n ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience!

In this episode of The Buzz, Supply Chain Now hosts Scott Luton and Greg White are joined by Paul Noble, Founder and CEO of Verusen, and Kevin Heath, COO at OMNIA Partners – live and in person for the first time in 18 months at OMNIA Partners Connection 2021 in Miami Florida!

Paul, Kevin, Scott, and Greg discuss supply chain news stories pulled from recent headlines as well as what they hope to discuss at this year’s Connection event:

• The impact that one missing part of material can have on a company’s ability to operate, and how well-intentioned efforts to deliver savings often prevent supply chain agility
• How leadership teams suddenly presented with an overwhelming amount of data can ensure it is a blessing for the enterprise and not a curse
• How companies like OMNIA Partners and Verusen are working together to serve as a value-oriented extension of their business partners.

Intro/Outro (00:03):

Welcome to Supply Chain Now, the voice of global supply chain. Supply Chain Now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues, the challenges, and opportunities. Stay tuned to hear from those making global business happen right here on Supply Chain Now.

Scott Luton (00:31):

Hey. Hey. Good morning, everybody. Good afternoon, good evening wherever you are. Scott Luton and Greg White with you here on today’s special edition of The Supply Chain Buzz. Greg, how are we doing?

Greg White (00:41):

I feel like I’m alive and in-person for the first time on The Buzz.

Scott Luton (00:45):

Well, there’s a reason for that. So, folks, welcome, first off. Secondly, this is the first time we have taken our Supply Chain Buzz live since, really, we’re shutdown. So, stay tuned. We got two homerun guests here today to celebrate with us and to bring a ton of supply chain insights to you. And, of course, we want to hear from you as well. So, we’ve got two OGs, two Supply Chain Now OGs. We’ve got Paul Noble, Founder and CEO of Verusen, and Kevin Heath, COO with OMNIA Partners. Paul, Kevin, how are we doing?

Paul Noble (01:17):

Doing well. Great to be with all of you.

Greg White (01:20):

Yeah. With. It’s great to even say that, isn’t it?

Kevin Heath (01:22):

It’s good to be back.

Paul Noble (01:22):

Tough luck, yes.

Kevin Heath (01:24):

It’s good to be back together. It’s been 18 months of a lot of transformations.

Greg White (01:28):

MODEX.

Kevin Heath (01:29):

Thanks for having us. MODEX, that was it.

Scott Luton (01:20):

Well, Kevin and his team, he just said thanks for having us. But, really, we owe him thanks for having us here. We’re broadcasting live from Connections 2021 down here in beautiful Miami, Florida, the magic city. Which, of course, is hosted by the ever hospitable – say that seven times fast – OMNIA Partners team having a blast. And, Kevin, man, when y’all put something on, you go big.

Kevin Heath (02:00):

Yeah. The team does a great job. You know, we have a large group here today. I think we’ll have 500 people over the next couple of days. And it’s an important time for us to get people back together. Try to get back into a routine. So, we’re excited. Thank you.

Scott Luton (02:14):

Awesome. Awesome.

Greg White (02:14):

Yeah. Great. It’s been great so far.

Paul Noble (02:15):

It has. We’re just getting started.

Greg White (02:18):

That’s right.

Scott Luton (02:16):

That’s right. It’s still day one. And, Paul’s, got two – not one but two – keynotes here this week. So, we’ll touch on that more.

Greg White (02:24):

You’re putting him to work.

Scott Luton (02:28):

Yeah. Well, you know, you got to be a heavy hitter. If you get that seat at the table, you’ve got to deliver.

Greg White (02:33):

Yeah. And he literally has the seat at the table.

Scott Luton (02:35):

That’s right.

Paul Noble (02:35):

There we go.

Scott Luton (02:36):

All right. So, what we want to do is say hello to some of the folks that are tuned in live as folks are rolling in now. Let’s see here, we’ll start –

Greg White (02:48):

Of course.

Scott Luton (02:49):

– with Peter Bolle, all night and all day. Peter tuned in from Canada up there. Peter, I hope this finds you well. Ahmed is tuned in via LinkedIn. Ahmed, let us know where you are tuned in from. Brodie Brown is with us also via LinkedIn. Great to see you here. Nurf – is Nurf back?

Greg White (03:10):

He’s Nurf. No longer Nurfad. He’s kind of dodging the authorities a little bit. But he’s back.

Scott Luton (03:17):

Yes. Well, we’re only kidding. Nurf is not on the land at all.

Greg White (03:23):

Not at all.

Scott Luton (03:23):

But he’s back on social. He’s great to have. Lisa Jennings is tuned in via LinkedIn. Great to see, Lisa. Let us know where you’re tuned in from. We couldn’t do this – of course, y’all should see we don’t have a camera, but we’ve got an awesome tram front of production operational talent over here.

Greg White (03:40):

Trust Us.

Scott Luton (03:40):

Trust Us just off camera. Amanda, Vicky, and Sarah. And Clay Phillips and Jayda are also behind the scenes making it happen here today. So, hello, hello. And Nurf reminds everybody, he’s tuned in from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. One final one. Gene Pledger is tuned in. Gene, thanks for your kind comments last week on our growth. He says from NA. He got the joke. LA last week. He’s from North Alabama, not lower Alabama, LA as we call it around here. Okay. Well, welcome everybody. Y’all picked a great show to tune in to. So, Greg, where are we starting here this afternoon?

Greg White (04:20):

It seems odd because we haven’t done this live, so I’m not really sure where we’re starting.

Scott Luton (04:26):

Yeah. You’re right. Normally, I can keep my eye on you in the upper right hand corner of my screen. Now, I’ve got to turn my whole head.

Greg White (04:32):

I know. I feel like there’s so many cameras and so many people to look at. This is actually pretty exciting. It feels like a new era, a new energy.

Scott Luton (04:40):

It’s Christmas morning here on Supply Chain Now. Okay. Well, this is where we’re going to start. Folks, it is World Tourism Day. World Tourism Day. If you’re like me, I had no idea that that was a thing. But it is a thing. Before we get into some heavy hitting supply chain topics – really, global business topics, we’re going to pull our panel on one of the coolest places they’ve been, let’s say, in the last four or five years. So, of course, our travel is being constrained a little bit in the last 18 months or so. But, Paul, I want to start with you. You were sharing some things pre-show about some of his world travels. Where’s the coolest place you’ve been here?

Paul Noble (05:14):

Yeah. Obviously, I’m excited to get back on the road when we can internationally. But I had the opportunity and anyone that knows me well has heard this probably, Tokyo, Japan. We had the ability to go there early 2019. SAP was launching a new innovation center and invited us to talk about how they’re infusing early stage technologies into the SAP ecosystem through SAPIO. And so, myself and a couple of team members went over there to participate. And wow, what a time.

Scott Luton (05:51):

Do you have two two keynotes there as well?

Paul Noble (05:53):

No. Just one. One big event. A handful of meetings. We’re meeting customers. But more importantly, from a travel perspective, we’re able to see the great culture, food, and landscape in and around Tokyo. It was a blast. So, I recommend it, if you’ve never been, or when you can.

Scott Luton (06:12):

So, one little wrinkle to add the Paul’s story he shared with us pre-show is, that’s where he caught the Atlanta Falcons/New England Patriots Super Bowl, which we can’t share any more. If you don’t have that turned out for this [inaudible].

Greg White (06:25):

What was [inaudible]?

Paul Noble (06:28):

28-3, I think from the guy from New England.

Greg White (06:30):

Too soon.

Scott Luton (06:31):

Yes. Tom Brady and the Patriots broke Falcon’s heart for sure. But we’ll keep on moving. Congrats.

Paul Noble (06:38):

And we’ll be back soon. We have a new partner, NTT Data, that we’re going to market with.

Greg White (06:43):

Just a small company.

Paul Noble (06:45):

Yeah. This little company, NTT Data. They’re great. And we look forward to go and see them when we can.

Scott Luton (06:51):

Wonderful. Well, hey, we’ll do a Supply Chain Buzz there in Tokyo live, soon perhaps.

Greg White (06:55):

Let’s do it.

Scott Luton (06:56):

Okay. So, Paul, Tokyo is your favorite spot. Kevin, what’s the coolest place you’ve been to here recently?

Kevin Heath (07:04):

Yeah. As you know, pre-pandemic, I had accepted this role with OMNIA Partners in January of 2020. And we had a trip on the calendar to go to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. And just an outstanding place for a family trip. We loved it so much so that now that we’re coming out of the pandemic, we’re headed back there for Thanksgiving. Highly recommend. It’s a beautiful piece of the country.

Greg White (07:29):

[Inaudible].

Scott Luton (07:36):

He just raised the bar on expectations for Thanksgivings everywhere. So, I appreciate you sharing. And we’re getting some comments here from our skyboxes. Folks, let us know where you’ve enjoyed going. Peter says he was in Singapore years ago for a Star Alliance procurement meeting, “What a fantastic trip that was.” By the way, hello, Farshad, tuned in LinkedIn from Tehran. Great to have you here. And Azaleah Jackson, a new resident of Nashville is tuned to here today. So, great to see you. And one final thing, so Nurf says, “My favorite city is the same favorite city of the U.S. sitting President, Del Rio, Texas, baby.” I had no idea. Okay. All right.

Greg White (08:20):

Always put [inaudible].

Scott Luton (08:23):

[Inaudible] right here on Supply Chain Now. Okay. So, Greg, you’re not getting out of this question. What’s a cool place you’ve been?

Greg White (08:28):

I’ve been to a lot of cities, but I have to say that probably one of my favorites is Oslo, Norway. I know that sounds odd to pick Oslo. But the former king of Norway has kind of a hunting cabin. They’ve turned it into a resort, golf courses. It’s the quietest place on earth. And I used to do a trip all the way around the world a couple of times a year and I would always land there for a few days before we did our European conference. Because even the birds and bugs are polite enough to keep it quiet. You can sleep with your windows open. It’s 60 degrees in June. So, it’s just wonderful in Oslo.

Scott Luton (09:06):

Peace in Oslo, right. Swinging and get your metal and take off. Even the bugs cooperate in Oslo. How about that? All right. So, kidding aside, Nurf says, Zadar, Croatia, coastal city and gorgeous, is one of his favorites to go to. So, I appreciate you sharing there, Nurf. Folks, let us know. We’ll take your comments throughout today’s livestream about your favorite place to go. If you can throw in there why you like it, that’d be great too. Okay.

Greg White (09:35):

I feel like I’m cheating off. I’ve been looking at your paper over here. Just like high school.

Scott Luton (09:43):

Just like high school. All right. So, next, so speaking of World Tourism Day, of course, most of us are tourists down here in Miami. Gorgeous, gorgeous weather, gorgeous city. We’re down here for Connections 2021 hosted by the heavy hitters over at OMNIA Partners. Paul, we talked about you’re like the star power down here, two keynotes. What are you looking most forward to about the event?

Paul Noble (10:05):

I think it’s a unique opportunity at this point in time, right? Supply chains are very chaotic, I think to say the least. And one of the things I’m most excited about is getting different parts of the network together to talk about how we’re going to move forward and attack these challenges. And, you know, that’s one of the great things about OMNIA Partners is the network that they have and the alliances across that network. There’s a lot of great opportunities. Procurement is incredibly strategic, more than it’s ever been before. To be able to talk and hear about the challenges and align with those is what I’m most excited about.

Scott Luton (10:47):

I love that. Greg, speaking of star power, we’ve got Kevin Heath here as well. So, Kevin, what are you looking forward to this week?

Kevin Heath (10:54):

You know, for us, so much has changed over the last couple of years. Businesses have changed their models. There’s significant disruption that we’ll talk about here in a little bit. For me, it’s really similar to what Paul said, it’s having the network back together. You know, we’ll have some of the largest companies in the world. We have a good population of small to medium-sized businesses that’ll be here. And then, a significant portion of our members will be here, both in the public and the private sector side. And, really, understanding what the world looks like for them on a go-forward basis so that, collectively, we can be here to support them.

Scott Luton (11:27):

So, Greg, we talked a lot about companies that, especially during these challenging times, invest in events like this. Folks, don’t just come out and gather market intel and exchange that. But it’s about building relationships. You’re take and what are you looking forward to?

Greg White (11:41):

I think that companies, especially small and medium businesses, they need to outsource, if you want to call it that, or partner with companies to do more of the things that aren’t really their core competency. Companies have struggled a long time. They’ve been really good at selling, not as great at marketing. Or really good at marketing products, but not as great at producing them. And, now, there’s just an incredible opportunity when you have a GPO or a procurement organization to work with that allows you to be able to do what you’re best at and sort of shop what you need help with. And in this market where Amazon is running over everyone, and other big competitors or super competitors are out there challenging smaller companies, it’s a great opportunity. And I’ve always thought that smaller companies should have the opportunity to be able to leverage other entities to do what is not really their core competency.

Scott Luton (12:35):

Well, democratize, and to do that to compete effectively, you’ve got to have resources like the OMNIA Partner’s team. You were going to say something.

Kevin Heath (12:43):

Yeah. I was just going to follow up with what Greg said. You know, we’re seeing a lot of that. When we talk to a lot of our members and what’s important to them right now, they really want to stay focused on their core business and what it is that they do. And they’re seeing an opportunity across supply chain to really have partners that can be trusted pre, mid, and post-pandemic. And so, it’s such a big piece of what we’re trying to do and in our message.

Greg White (13:08):

Yeah. We see a lot of that. You can see a lot of that with a lot of the E first companies, the e-commerce or direct to consumer companies. They are starting by outsourcing a lot of what is not their core. And you can see where it creates huge leverage for the company to be able to accelerate much, much more quickly.

Scott Luton (13:27):

Good point. We’re not talking about that or that, just some striking off your list, in case you didn’t know. To keep you focused. No baseball, no culinary exploits. [Inaudible]. All right. So, I want to say hello, we’ve got a couple special – all of our guests in the skyboxes are special. But Andrea Scobie is with us as well. Of course, she’s part of the leadership team here at OMNIA Partners.

Greg White (13:52):

She could actually be here with us. She’s tuning in from somewhere around the building.

Scott Luton (13:56):

That is right. Azaleah says, it’s time for vacation. Maybe she’s going to checkout Iceland. And Jose is with us via LinkedIn. Jose, I think Singapore is one of your favorite places. Let us know where you’re tuned in from and I appreciate your message last week. And then, finally, Natalie – I don’t know. Are y’all Big Brother fans? We are Big Brother fans – says, “Zingbot and the Big Brother reference was not expected today.” So, she enjoyed that. Amanda and I, we love Big Brother.

Greg White (14:27):

That went right past me.

Scott Luton (14:29):

We got to bring in Zingbot at some point, Amanda. We had a lot of fun with that. Davin and Dr. Rhonda Bompensa-Zimmerman, great to see you all here as well. Okay. We’ve got to get into the heavy lifting, right? We’ve got a couple big stories we’re going to dive into. We’re going to get Greg, and Paul, and Kevin’s take on them. So, Greg, first off, what are you looking forward to this week? And then, we’ll get into it.

Greg White (14:51):

Well, I think a lot of what we just discussed, the opportunity for some of these SMBs to see what is potential out there. Some of the suppliers that are engaging. It’s not all about parts and pieces. We’re going to talk about that here in a second, it’s about people and relationships. And when you’ve got an organization like what OMNIA Partners is putting together, it gives a smaller company so much more leverage. Look, everybody knows by now, I’m a fan of this business model because I think it creates so much leverage for these smaller businesses. And the time is right. It’s accelerate. Not just get passed over, get run over. So, we have to enable these small businesses to be able to build and accelerate.

Scott Luton (15:36):

Morbid Monday here on Supply Chain Now. Okay. But well said. I agree with you.

Greg White (15:40):

It’s true.

Scott Luton (15:41):

That’s right. Canceling laws. Okay. I want to start, so, Paul and Kevin, y’all ready? We’re entering the guru zone. We’re going to dive into and get y’all’s take on some things taking place across global supply chain. So, the first one – and Paul, we’ll start with you – we’ve got this really neat story from NPR where it talks about how one single missing part can unleash the cracking in global supply chain. And you know what? I’m only slightly exaggerating there. So, Paul, tell us more about this story and then give us your take.

Paul Noble (16:11):

Yeah. So, this was sent to me by Jeff Peters – shoutout to Jeff – the other day, and it hit home and he knew it definitely would. So, our business is focused on materials. And there’s a lot of focus on logistics and supply chain. But I think a lot of people overlooked that. From a materials perspective, one small disruption, whether it’s a gasket on an asset or a microchip in a vehicle, can shut everything down. And then, things begin to pile up. So, as I looked at this story, it really hit home of a lot of the things that, you know, we’re talking about. We’re talking with chief supply chain officers, chief procurement officers every day about really trying to understand what they need, where they need it, when they need it. Give agility – and that’s a buzzword everyone, blah, blah.

Greg White (17:09):

We’ll keep track.

Paul Noble (17:10):

Yeah. Bingo. As much as cost savings is important, you need to understand the risks of how you’re partnering with your most strategic suppliers where you have first, second, third sources. And it’s a combination of both. It’s something that we talk a lot about. What we call material truth, it’s part data. It’s how that data is presented to take action to people. And it’s a combination of what do you need that doesn’t induce more risk into your supply chain. And that’s going to move up and down with the craziness of supply chains all across. And it can be a ship getting stuck in the Suez. Or it can be, you know, something not available to keep production up and running. So, that’s what hit home to me. And, again, it’s just very much the tip of the iceberg of how to get a handle on that.

Scott Luton (18:02):

So, I want to come to you, Kevin. And then, you in a second here, Greg. But Wauconda, Illinois was part of this article. In fact, they started with Nicole Wolter, who runs HM Manufacturing. And you all know what Wauconda, Illinois is known for.

Greg White (18:17):

Gears and pulleys? I just read that in the article.

Scott Luton (18:21):

Well, I’m going to add that the list. So, Blues Brothers, Wauconda was one of the places they filmed that.

Greg White (18:27):

Is that a hundred miles to Chicago? [Inaudible] gas and –

Scott Luton (18:34):

Sunglasses. But, secondly, in 2005 I think it was, a 3,000 person snowball fight – the largest in the world – took place right here in Wauconda. And I guess that’s one of the ways that we’re recruiting businesses into Wauconda, Illinois. It’s breaking records. But the other thing that Nicole Wolter said in this article – and, Kevin, I’ll come to you next – is, “It’s a circus. And I’d like to get off this ride.” So, Kevin, whether it’s article or something that Paul said, what are some of your takes here about what we’re seeing?

Kevin Heath (19:05):

We see the world similarly, Paul and I, as we’ve been together for a long time. But, you know, it can be a part, it can be people. We are seeing significant disruptions around the world. It’s chips. It’s labor shortages. And the impacts are compounding. And people think that parts can’t be produced because of the one missing part. But you can stack that up, if you can’t get the parts out of there, even if you have all the materials, we’re hearing stories of companies shutting down because they have no place to put goods. You can’t get a container ship. So, this disruption is real. You know, I was talking to a friend the other day, there are 75 fully loaded cargo ships sitting in San Francisco Bay right now that can’t get unloaded. So, whether that’s your missing part or that’s what’s keeping you from making more parts, the disruption is unprecedented in anything I’ve seen 30 years.

Scott Luton (20:00):

A world record, a historical record of 75 ships. And as the article points out – as we’ve been tracking for a while, Greg – it is taking more than a week to unload each ship. So, Greg, some of your thoughts?

Greg White (20:11):

I think we have to redefine what efficiency is in the supply chain, because we have defined efficiency so often as cost minimization. And, now, we have to recognize that that is hardest when it comes to risk and supply chain. And I think that’s one of the things that we have to tackle here. And, also, this article is really good. It’s really interesting some of what these people saw. I love the analogy of it being like a recipe. You’re trying to build a really complex meal and you don’t have that one recipe, that stops the entire thing from happening. And I think for so long, companies have presumed that they’ll be able to get everything. As you said, Paul, they may have even had secondary or tertiary suppliers, but they weren’t really serious about keeping that at that agility and resilience thing in their supply chain. So, that’s impact. Now, we have to get really serious about systematizing and really having secondary options that [inaudible] business.

Paul Noble (21:17):

It’s seems like very cliche, but supply chain, obviously, now supply networks, and you really are only as strong as your weakest link. And the focus on that, not over-complicating an already incredibly complex situation is going to be, you know, what helps navigate out of this [inaudible].

Scott Luton (21:38):

Excellent point. Two thoughts there. Number one, going back to something Paul said, you know, if you’re going to compete on price, you got to know about repercussions. You got to build and manage to them. And then, secondly, on the food comparison level settings, universal. it’s like Mi Hao from Corning, I found out after the fact – Amanda, didn’t we? – I was mispronouncing Mi Hao’s name throughout the three-day conference. The efforts, Michael, remember? It’s Mi Hao, and Mi Hao put this wonderful comparison of supply chain excellence. There’s all about Michelin stars, restaurants, and cooking. So, I love that. It’s a great colab. Everyone can relate to food for sure.

Scott Luton (22:18):

Okay. So, I want to callout a couple of quick comments here. I want to welcome in Asmaa from Jordan. Great to have you here, Asmaa. We’d love to know what you’re thinking as we walk through these articles. John Martinez is back. Now, John is a fellow veteran that just got on with a company down in San Antonio, I believe. So, John, let us know. I may have gotten that wrong, let us know. Folks are good about letting us know when we get stuff wrong.

Greg White (22:40):

And they get plenty of opportunities.

Scott Luton (22:45):

John, I’m going to come back to your comment a second. Speaking of which, when you talked about copying from my paper, Davin says, not only will you have more wrong answers, we’ll have a lot more of the same wrong answers. Thank you for that, Davin. I appreciate that.

Scott Luton (23:00):

All right. So, back to the serious adult stuff. John says, “We are seeing lead times of up to 18 weeks for some of our materials. What would you recommend to combat not putting in bulk orders to remain as lean as possible? We are moving towards being a JIT, just in time manufacturing, operation.” So, is that a question or a comment in there? Would any of y’all want to just add a quick response? Paul?

Paul Noble (23:26):

Sure. We talk about it a lot. I just wrote an article in Forbes about this.

Scott Luton (23:33):

Wait a second, Paul. Wait a second. Two keynotes and now you’re in Forbes. Holy cow, man.

Greg White (23:36):

Not now. He’s been in Forbes forever.

Paul Noble (23:39):

Evangelizing. We got to talk about this stuff. Everything pre-pandemic was lean, lean, lean, right? And then, obviously, with the shift, it’s, “Hey, let’s get away from lean. Let’s get agile,” which is often buy more, inflated inventories, do those types of things. You can have both. And in the short term, certainly, have to get back on track. But as you’re planning and you’re looking at who you’re going to partner with, what technologies you’re going to adopt, it’s not one or the other. Prepare to be able to pull the lever when you need to would be my suggestion.

Kevin Heath (24:16):

Paul, one of the key things you talked about there is partnerships. And one of the things that we’ve seen and been able to do across our membership is really be that trusted source of supply, because it went back to the relationships. And we know that there’s going to be a new normal that comes at us. And we don’t want to be the person that was only there in the spot market. We want to be the person that’s there long-term. So, I think that combination of data, technology, planning, trusted relationships, getting good insights with your suppliers into what your day-to-day supply chain looks like is another opportunity for everybody.

Paul Noble (24:50):

Yeah. I agree. And would look at strengthening partnerships and adopting technologies that can get you there faster. Set it a couple of times over the last to both customers and partners. You can’t project your way out of this one. So, don’t think you can build it and take focus away from what you do as a business. Lean on partnerships, strengthen those partnerships. That’s the only way, again, we’re going to get through this.

Greg White (25:17):

It’s really about risk. We have to acknowledge where the risk is very precisely. Where in the past, we would just inflate inventories, everything. You have to identify where your real risk is, where in the supply chain it is, whether it’s with your supplier or with your shipper, with your lead time or the variability of that lead time. And do so for those items where you recognize that. Because you will have items that you may not need to change policy at all. But you will have items where you’ll need to change policy significantly in the days of treating everything the same there over, when they should’ve been over before. But, now, they are [inaudible].

Paul Noble (25:53):

Sometimes it takes something serious.

Kevin Heath (25:55):

Greg, I think you’re talking about risk, but I think it’s also understanding what problem you’re solving for. Because the problem we’re solving for today to get through the pandemic and to get supply chains back to an efficient point is so different in the solution that we need for whether it’s a chip shortage, a part shortage, or a labor shortage long-term. So, I think it’s a combination.

Greg White (26:14):

It’s extreme because we shut down the economy of the entire planet all at once. But, often, these sort of ends of the spectrum kind of activities, they give us a good insight. And I wouldn’t say we’re coming back to normal, but, look, let’s face it, supply chains have always been about risk. It’s always been about addressing, and preventing, and managing, and then assessing, and retargeting how we attack disruption. This has just been the biggest disruption in the history of the planet.

Paul Noble (26:46):

And it’s building that trust in untrustworthy data. Trust in each other across internally and external partners that I think might be a segue for you.

Greg White (27:00):

Well done. You could swap sits.

Scott Luton (26:58):

I want to get to Azaleah’s comment here, because partnership is where that last segment started. Azaleah says, “Partnerships are precisely what will keep small businesses alive from today forward. Some companies will do digital transformation better than others. But you can see how companies are piggybacking off others to transition into that more smoothly.” And, of course, one of y’all mentioned the lean on me, hey, Bill Withers has a seat in the table in global supply chain.

Scott Luton (27:30):

Okay. So, I forgot that segue but, Paul, thank you. I’m going to come back to the second article. There’s so much to leave that last article, that NPR piece was a great piece. And, folks, even if you’re not in supply chain, you can read that and you can really take away a lot of the common and unique constraints of these crazy times we’re living in, especially for supply chain practitioners.

Scott Luton (27:53):

But let’s move to the second story from Supply Chain Dive. Paul, this is right up your alley. You know, this is a tidal wave of data. As this article – which Supply Chain Dive is one of our favorites – Rudolf Leuschner – I think I got that right. Rudolf Leuschner from Rutgers, he says, “Hey, folks are no longer screaming for the data. They’re screaming because they have too much data.” So, Paul, give us your take on this article and give us a hot take after that.

Paul Noble (28:22):

All right. Obviously, data’s important. And I went back to the equation earlier, is that, you have more and more data available, and it’s not just about having the data. It’s about understanding the data and presenting it to people that are experts and can provide direction on how that can be utilized in the business. So, it’s this combination, right? Where there’s a part of the story that exists in systems today, but it’s about trust. And people just do not trust their data today. And so, as we look at more information coming in, more external signals to just your traditional materials or production schedules and things, and you’re looking at external signals, sensor data, weather data that can go into these traditional algorithms, and help build trust and help be more predictive, you have to look at it differently.

Paul Noble (29:18):

So, if you are turning to the technologies and processes of the past to get you to the future, you may need to look at things a little differently, because that’s what got you here. And we talk about that a lot, right? There is a place for master data management. There is a place for data governance. But it’s kind of a long road. You need to do it in parallel with things that will get you there quickly, or it’s going to be difficult to be as agile as you want to be.

Scott Luton (29:47):

And you mentioned the material truth a little while back. And you just said there at the start of your answer that folks don’t trust the data. Because everyone’s got their own spreadsheet. And leadership is trying to find that material truth or that data truth, whatever you call it to, make good decisions faster, oftentimes, in this day and age. So, I know you want to address that. But, Kevin, I want to get you in really quick. Based on what Paul just shared and based on this article about this tidal wave of data, any take from you?

Kevin Heath (30:17):

You know, to pull off a little bit of what we were talking earlier, OMNIA is a procurement organization. We probably are one of the largest aggregators of data in North America, if not the world – transactional data. And Paul and I have been working together collectively because it’s not a core competency of us, but we believe it really can help shape how we bring solutions to the workplace. And so, how do you bring it in? How do you contextualize it? How do you structure it so that it drives insights in a repeatable way? In many cases, I think we know this, people don’t trust it because they use the same language talking from different datasets. And so, it’s not just about getting the data, it’s understanding it and using it to solve problems in a way that create value.

Kevin Heath (31:15):

We got some business intelligence that you guys will see this week that we’re building on some technology platforms called OMNIA Connect, and discuss some machine learning behind it that Paul’s going to be working with us on in the future. So, we’re excited about that, but it’s hard. I mean, it’s really something that we have to lean on our partners for to help us understand it.

Scott Luton (31:34):

I love it. Man, getting Paul signed up to power some of this stuff. It’s like getting Rick Fleur to star in a wrestling movie.

Paul Noble (31:43):

I heard that. That’s good. That’s good.

Scott Luton (31:45):

All right. I know you’re dying to jump in here based on what Paul and Kevin –

Greg White (31:49):

Yeah. I think it’s important as the wealth or lack or the cleanliness of data is the analytics that we use. Because so many of the analytics, so much of the math that we talked about before, so much of the math that we use assume a lack of robust data. And, therefore, it can only use the data that was presented to it in 1689 when predictive analytics are created [inaudible].

Kevin Heath (32:18):

Let’s face it because I think it’s important.

Greg White (32:19):

Predictive analytics are not a new thing, right? And a lot of the calculations that are built around the top things that we use predictive analytics for, forecasting, and customer insights, and supply and inventory optimization, and things like that. Those calculations were built in 1689. At the latest, some of them in the late 1800. And you have to think about the data that was available then. This sold. End of discussion. We don’t know why it sold. We don’t know who bought it. Because it was written down, if it was even written down the sale. Now, we know who bought it, why they bought it, what path they came to buy it through the web, in a store, what ads did they pass on the way there. All of those things are rich and valuable to data that allows to discern better things like forecasting, demand forecast, which we’ve just described. And that’s going to require a change in the mathematics and analytics that are used to create this, the machine learning and artificial intelligence that you all use to analyze this data allows us to incorporate a lot of this data. Once we make it less of a mess, then you have to be able to incorporate this rich data to be able to come up with a result that you want.

Kevin Heath (33:35):

In our earlier piece that we talked about, it’s potentially a solution to prevent us from over buying, over procuring, overstocking things that you don’t necessarily need in the quantities that we feel like we need them today.

Paul Noble (33:47):

Again, it goes back to my 1:00 push, so we’re good to go. So, you want to know what you need, where you need it, when you need it. That’s the bottom line. There’s a ton of complexity on how we get there. But, Greg, you and I have talked about, I think, if you took a market share of the demand planning system that has the highest market share, it would be probably Microsoft Excel. And so, you’re doing all these decisions outside of the system. You can learn nothing of the why that went into that decision. And then, two, you combine that data and the why, it’s going to be –

Kevin Heath (34:23):

You don’t get a solution.

Paul Noble (34:24):

Yeah. You’re just going to be continuing to be reactive instead of being predictive. Everything is there to buy in, lay the foundation, and begin learning from those things at scale, like at a global level. And, again, it’s just the beginning of that. But you need to pull yourself out of Excel and how you exchange with your partners.

Greg White (34:45):

Not just Excel though. I mean, it sounds some of the legacy applications, I’m not going to name them here, but we know who they are. They still forecast the way that Excel does. They may do it more fast and they may manage the data better. But the truth is, the why is critical. That’s the thing that you’ve identified. In the past, it used to be how much and when. And then, we evolved to who, to some extent, who bought it. So, we’ve continued to evolve with that data, with the techniques that we use. But the why is the critical part of it. It is the most important part in the instance of predicting consumer sentiment or consumer action or demand. So, we have to understand what the real trigger points are. Not the ones we presume them to be in the past because we built calculations that lack the ability to really analyze data that we couldn’t capture before.

Scott Luton (35:34):

You’re ruining my day.

Greg White (35:36):

Did I steal something else [inaudible]?

Scott Luton (35:37):

No. But you’re saying I’ve got to learn new math. But I have [inaudible].

Greg White (35:40):

No. No. With these guys around, you don’t have [inaudible]. You have to learn new math though.

Kevin Heath (35:46):

One plus one will always equal two.

Greg White (35:48):

You just need to find new sources.

Scott Luton (35:49):

Okay. I feel a little better. I feel a little better.

Greg White (35:51):

You just need to find new sources because the old ways of doing things no longer apply. They simply don’t work.

Scott Luton (35:57):

The why is important. Of course, Simon Sinek, the world renowned bringing watch to the forefront of why, that’s where we have to start. So, much good stuff in that last five minutes from the three of y’all. I want to go back to the folks in the skybox. We’ve got some great comments here. Let’s see here. Lettie says, “Love to see you repping your Verusen shirt, Greg White. What a solid panel of people.” Hey, thanks, Lettie. And that is a good looking shirt. Let’s see here. Natalie says, “We are finding that the systems and mathematics of planning, demand and supply, are a great start, but the human evaluation is critical right now.” Excellent. Excellent point.

Greg White (36:35):

Right now and forever [inaudible].

Scott Luton (36:37):

Right. Let’s go to Farshad. Farshad says via LinkedIn, “Maybe we need to consider new types of forecasting techniques and inject COVID experiences.” Excellent point. Gregory, William Shakespeare supply chains is his nickname. Gregory says hello everyone on this great form. So, Gregory, hey, you got to chime in eloquently with a tape of what we’re talking about.

Greg White (36:59):

Maybe he should summarize what we’ve said so far today.

Scott Luton (37:01):

Yeah. We welcome that.

Greg White (37:02):

He’ll say it most eloquently.

Scott Luton (37:03):

Yes, he will. One more, so I’m going to go to a question here. Folks who love the questions, and when we have a home run panel like we have today, it’s a good time to pose and get some takes. So, this comes from Andre. So, Andre says, “After the pandemic, I am now using more time on sourcing for alternatives as a hospital purchaser in Norway. Can you suggest any good tools other than my best friend, Google?” We all have a best friend in Google, huh? “Plastic aluminum and chips shortages is affecting us throughout the supply chain.” Andre, we feel your pain. It’s a tough question to get in a short conversation. Kevin, I’ll start with you, from a sourcing procurement, any thoughts to pass to Andre here?

Kevin Heath (37:47):

Yes. So, we’ve started to leverage some tools out there around ZoomInfo and other applications. But, ultimately today with the chip shortage, everyone’s going to the same source. Or with these shortages, everyone’s going to Google to try to find [inaudible]. ZoomInfo is another tool that people could consider as finding resources. It also gives you contact information, name, and numbers.

Greg White (38:11):

I’m curious, since he asked this question and we’ve talked to a lot of your team members before, I know that you do consider who are the potential sources of certain products. I mean, is that something that when you build your supplier network, do you include, “This is a great primary. These are great secondaries,” that kind of thing?

Kevin Heath (38:31):

We do. We have tier one, tier two, tier three in multiple different variables of sources of supply. You know, we also have a sourcing desk. Dan Grant leads our sourcing desk team and handle stuff, Asia pack, Mexico areas. So, you know, OMNIA is also a great source to find those tier two, tie, three type solutions. But our suppliers have a pretty good network throughout. We’re having a conversation with one of our suppliers the other day on a forged plastic and looking for sources to really attack that for things that go into, like, electronic dispensers. And so, we see it all. We also have a community with our private sector, OMNIA Partners private sector, where if people are interested, they can reach out and touch base with us on OMNIA, send in questions and we can help them touch base with our sources [inaudible].

Greg White (39:20):

Do you do business in Norway?

Kevin Heath (39:22):

I’ll have to go check. I can.

Greg White (39:25):

Yeah. Right. I can tell you it’s a great place to stay.

Scott Luton (39:27):

So, as you all know and as Andre knows, Google or any one tool is not a magic wand. It takes a village, perhaps, in more ways than ever before –

Greg White (39:38):

Network.

Scott Luton (39:39):

Network, and also gathering all that market intel. So, you don’t just identify one potential new path or one potential new approach. It’s working with experts that can give you maybe a couple of different options. Paul, you were going to add something to Andre’s [inaudible].

Paul Noble (39:54):

Yeah. The piece that you touched on, Greg, that’s on top of mind for everyone is, don’t be overwhelmed. Start, can’t –

Kevin Heath (40:04):

You can’t solve it in one day. I think [inaudible].

Paul Noble (40:05):

Exactly. So, let’s look at your riskiest situations, tackle that first, and start working through. And you’re going to learn the right progression to turn that on so it doesn’t happen again. So, all the things we’ve been talking about, but just start. That’s a big thing.

Scott Luton (40:25):

Just start. So, what you’re saying there, Paul, is you got to tackle these problems like Greg White tackle that 56 ounce steak last night. So, Greg –

Greg White (40:33):

It was only ten, I think. Wasn’t it? Looking for verification [inaudible] ten ounce steak, just to be clear. But they did have a 32 ounce [inaudible]. We just couldn’t afford it.

Paul Noble (40:48):

You are from Kansas.

Greg White (40:49):

I know right.

Scott Luton (40:50):

We’re about to switch gears and kind of dive in a little deeper in this last segment to the relationship between Paul and Kevin, and also what’s going on with Verusen and OMNIA Partners. But before we do that, as we wrap on these two articles, this conversation, Greg, what else would you offer?

Greg White (41:06):

I’m going to say this the way I’ve always said it whenever we’ve had OMNIA on with us, is, if you don’t get help with OMNIA Partners, get help somewhere. Seriously, I really believe in this GPO model, because, as I said, it’s a huge leverage point. One of my neighbors used to be the CFO of Charter Hospitals, so I sold their tagline. So, there are too many things that need to happen too quickly for small companies to be able to learn. They need to be able to dive in where they can mitigate risks, where they can create network opportunities, as you’ve talked about. But we see this all the time in technology. And I think what we’re doing is we’re applying the way that technologies have started up in the past decade or two, to other businesses that aren’t necessarily technology related or at least that’s not their core business. And it’s a great model. We’ve seen it be incredibly successful, outsourcing development with other types of businesses. You can do the same thing and create a lot of leverage in your business to really accelerate your opportunity for [inaudible].

Paul Noble (42:14):

There are so many things in today’s supply chain and supply networks that you cannot control. So, control what you can control. And don’t overcomplicate it. Start, but keep it simple and make your way to the path. Because everyone knows the utopia they want to get to. And it’s a progression.

Scott Luton (42:34):

So, we got about 17 t-shirt-isms already, but one of them you said there, Paul, was, “Don’t be overwhelmed. You can’t solve it all today. Tackle your riskiest situations first. But just start.” And, folks, we’re live across five social channels right now. That was from our hardworking Twitter account, which I think Amanda is driving Twitter today. So, good stuff. You can tune in –

Greg White (42:56):

Is she? Okay. And not from a basement. At least not from her mom’s basement.

Paul Noble (43:05):

[Inaudible].

Scott Luton (43:05):

It’s not a [inaudible]. But we try to make it easy for y’all to engage wherever you’d like to. I want to share a couple of quick comments here and we’re going to dive into this last segment. Andre, thanks for tuning in today. Appreciate your questions and commentary. “Last two years, I have also unintentionally become a data scientist moving from Excel to Microsoft Power BI. We have so much available data in our hospitals, it’s like a candy shop of low hanging fruit. Sharing experiences in the same sector would be appreciated.” Hey, reach out to the folks in the skyboxes. And we’ll try to be that connector as best we can. So, Peter Bolle – Peter, great to have you back – he says, “Previous 39 minutes can be summarized as ‘Wake up, smell the coffee, get out of the box, creative with your solutions to meet future demands.'” Not current demands, future. And then, Kyle also agrees with Kevin and the rest of y’all, ZoomInfo is a great tool. Kyle, excellent podcast with the team over at FreightPlus. Y’all check it out. Lot of great content across social there. Great to have you here today, Kyle.

Greg White (44:07):

Can I just have one more [inaudible]?

Scott Luton (44:08):

Yeah. Please. Yeah.

Greg White (44:09):

So, one of the things that has been a hindrance for companies as well has been technology. We just barely touched on technology as a business model. But one of the sources in this article said, “When they can build an app that can help me do this and I can carry it in my pocket,”and this was the professor from Rutgers, Leuschner. And then, small and medium businesses will be able to do that. And that is part of the issue is, it’s a $5 to $10 million initiative right now. It needs to become a $5 to $10 a month initiative or something like that. And then, that will help. So, technology has to catch up. We’ve already acknowledged that we’re using old technology to try to use new data. And we need to simplify it so that the everyday business can actually leverage all of that value. So, there’s also steps we’ve got to do.

Scott Luton (45:01):

Yes. Lots of work. Lots of homework to do leaving this livestream, we’ll check it on Friday as we reconvene. Gregory says, “Thanks, Scott and Greg. Sorry I tuned in late. Evolving strategies should exist in the proper utilization of data capturing, intelligently designed tools implemented throughout supply chains/value chains to drive fluid and sustainable ecosystems.” How about that from the Shakespeare of supply chain?

Greg White (45:27):

That’s why he’s the Shakespeare of supply chain.

Scott Luton (45:30):

And then, one final comment, and I promise I’ll come to you next, Paul. Mohib is tuned in from air capital world, says, “Cool that you’re in Miami. I hope you get some supply of cool dad coastal shirts saying -”

Greg White (45:43):

I’m looking at Amanda and her look right now.

Scott Luton (45:44):

“- ‘This is my cool dad t-shirt.'” All right. Mohib, just for you, I sure will. And your ears may have been burning lately as Greg and I were talking about some of y’all’s recent conversations. Okay. So, as we turned down this home stretch here, Paul, I love what Verusen has got going on. We were just talking over dinner last night about our first conversation, forever godfathers in Atlanta. And our dear friend Darryl Lou, talk about a heavy hitter amongst donuts and data and a lot more. But, Paul, what’s going on with Verusen? Give us the latest news. And, also Kevin mentioned, and we know this as well, that y’all have collaborated for quite some time, shed some light on that too.

Paul Noble (46:25):

Yeah. Sure. So, exciting time. I mean, unique time in supply chain. I’ve talked to our team, and our investors, and our customers about the stars aligning for a supply chain technology business and the way we approach legacy systems and processes. But Verusen, we’re growing quickly based on the market. And what we do is we’re the simplest way to manage materials across your network. So, it’s getting data out of the Frankenstein, knowing it’s dirty, knowing it’s incomplete, making sense of it to drive value, whether that’s inventory, procurement intelligence, being able to send it to existing systems. That’s what we’re really about is, you know, adding that layer of intelligence, combining data with humans, and allowing that to drive fast results and scale. And so, we’ve grown very quickly over the last year and we’re looking to grow even more over the next 12, 18 months, not stopping anytime soon.

Paul Noble (47:26):

And it’s really important for us as we, obviously, partner with larger organizations that manage these materials, whether it’s indirect or direct and raw materials. It’s about having partners like Kevin and his team in OMNIA Partners. So, it’s bringing together those elements of network, allowing them to support one another. It goes down to, “I call it this. You call it that. It’s called this in this other part of the supply chain.” Getting it out of those systems and making sense of it is going to catalyze us and accelerate us.

Scott Luton (47:59):

Get to the truth. Get to the truth.

Paul Noble (48:03):

That’s right. And the way you handle the truth.

Scott Luton (48:05):

That’s great, man. And, really, Paul is very humble. Y’all been blowing up and it’s great to see. You got new headquarters. You joined Greg on TECHquila Sunrise and talked about the last round of fundraising, which is wonderful. Just pooling up, tons of demand in the marketplace. So, I love seeing that. And then, we’ve appreciated our collaboration together going back several years. So, thank you for that, Paul.

Scott Luton (48:29):

Kevin, based on what some of the things that Paul shared there and y’all’s relationship you all have, what it sounds like this next generation relationship, how exciting is that? Tell us about OMNIA Partners, what folks should know, and touch on y’all’s relationship.

Kevin Heath (48:43):

Paul and I have been on this data journey for a while. You know, he talks about the unique time in supply chain, we’ve been saying that for five years now. The last five years has been unique because technology is ever changing in this digital transformation. You know, these buzzwords get thrown around a lot, but it’s what’s driving this change.

Kevin Heath (48:59):

For OMNIA Partners, really, I think a lot of people think of us as a traditional GPO. We’re really trying to break that mold and have them think about us as a trusted advisor and extension of their organization, whether you’re a supplier or a member. We have trusted partners like Paul and many others that fit in our network. But our contract portfolio is expansive. It’s very large and it doesn’t stop there. You know, we help with data, we help with analytics, we help with assessments, benchmarking. We have a sourcing desk in our private sector business. So, for OMNIA Partners, it’s going through a tremendous transformation. It’s a company that has grown exponentially over the last five years. And a great place to really help, specifically it’s the small to medium business. We also have a large membership in the enterprise, and that’s going to really continue to grow in years to come. So, we’re excited.

Scott Luton (49:55):

I love that. Tons of growth.

Paul Noble (49:57):

Yeah. And Kevin has put a great team together since at OMNIA. A couple of years ago now we first met when he was at Georgia Pacific, but it’s really important on that factor of, you know, suppliers need certain things, manufacturing customers or end users need certain things. Tthey can achieve and get out of it what they want and lean on each other. And, actually, again, trust in the data. And that’s where we’re getting to.

Kevin Heath (50:22):

It’s a total value solution. I think traditionally people think of this as a low price market. But it’s transformed into a real solution-oriented organization that really has the ability to help companies grow their business and be more profitable.

Scott Luton (50:37):

Yeah. Excellent point. All right. Nurf says, “The extension of an organization should not be something companies are afraid of. People are stuck in the, ‘We’ve always done it this way’ mode. And that mindset needs to change.” Well said, Nurf. And great to see you here today. All right. So, one more thing, one distinction, too, because I know OMNIA Partners has a private practice and a public practice. And Sarah is just off-stage here. We appreciate all of her facilitation this week. And we should note that the LinkedIn feed for the private practice is chockful?

Greg White (51:16):

Chockful? Chock-a-block. It’s simply saying [inaudible].

Scott Luton (51:19):

It’s full of best practices resources, articles, you name it. Right?

Kevin Heath (51:22):

It is. It is. Yes. It’s omniapartners.com. You can follow us on LinkedIn, click on our private sector business. There’s a wealth of information there for you.

Scott Luton (51:32):

I’m so glad I’ve got you here instead of in the screen to correct me when I say something wrong.

Greg White (51:37):

Actually, [inaudible].

Scott Luton (51:42):

Ain’t that cool to be able to do that?

Greg White (51:40):

Yeah. I remember those days vaguely.

Scott Luton (51:42):

You can just email or a quick text after [inaudible], folks. We have two of our favorite people. So, Kevin, I really admire what you and the OMNIA Partners team is doing in general. But, also, here this week, investing, giving folks really the opportunity in-person to do what you and Paul both have been speaking to, which is kind of that market intel exchange. Certainly, you know, starting new relationships, investing current relationships. And, folks, as we’ve been talking, Greg, for months now, it’s been free for supply chain procurement pros to come down here and attend, right?

Greg White (52:14):

What is it we said? Learn, connect, grow, Miami. What else do you need?

Scott Luton (52:24):

And it’s not inexpensive. So, I appreciate what companies like OMNIA Partners –

Greg White (52:30):

And this is a fantastic facility. And just anyone –

Kevin Heath (52:32):

Hey, and a shoutout to you guys. This is not an easy thing for you guys to undertake. And greatly appreciate our partnership and friendship. So, thank you guys.

Scott Luton (52:40):

Vice versa. Thank you so much for that, Kevin. All right. So, Paul, we’re asking you how folks can connect with you for long. It’s going to be going through your agent, I believe.

Greg White (52:50):

Well, if they don’t know by now. We get new listeners and viewers everyday so we got to keep letting people know. Probably, some people are going, “I’ve got five notes here. Oh, yeah. That’s how.”

Scott Luton (53:04):

So, Paul, how can folks connect with you and the Verusen team?

Paul Noble (53:08):

A simple a website, verusen.com. Social channels @Verusen_AI. Call Greg White. Or directly with me at Paul J. Noble across, you know, pretty much every platform.

Scott Luton (53:23):

Wonderful. Wonderful.

Paul Noble (53:26):

We’re waiting to hear from you.

Greg White (53:27):

What does the J stand for, Paul?

Paul Noble (53:29):

Joseph.

Greg White (53:30):

That’s good. Okay. I was afraid you weren’t going to share. Some people won’t share their middle name.

Paul Noble (53:34):

That’s all good. It’s my grandfather.

Scott Luton (53:35):

That is cool. And so, that’s one little known fact about Paul, Paul Joseph. And then, secondly, y’all might not know that Paul was a collegiate scholarship basketball player.

Greg White (53:48):

Yeah. Don’t challenge him to a game.

Scott Luton (53:49):

Yeah. Don’t do that. But where’s your –

Paul Noble (53:52):

That’s about all I can do.

Scott Luton (53:53):

Does your range start when you step foot on the court? What’s your favorite shot?

Paul Noble (53:57):

Just get me in the building. No. Yeah.

Scott Luton (54:02):

Free corner? Inside? What do you do?

Paul Noble (54:04):

No inside game, man. I’m just floating around the three point line.

Greg White (54:08):

Noted.

Scott Luton (54:08):

These are noted. Two-on-two will commence here in about a couple hours.

Paul Noble (54:12):

Well, I haven’t done that in many years.

Scott Luton (54:15):

So, one last comment here and we’re going to be wrapping up here shortly. I hate to do it. I really enjoyed the conversation we’ve had with Paul, and Kevin, and Greg. But, Peter, I want to share his comment here. Because Peter retired as a strategic procurement professional, especially in the aviation industry. And he says, “GPO equals group purchasing organization. And, yes, it does work with great benefits. Been doing that since 2000 leveraging Aeroexchange out of Dallas for airlines.” And Peter, I think, tuned into the webinar we had.

Greg White (54:47):

Yeah. He has some really great insights into procurement generally, but GPO specifically. And he had tremendous success with it.

Scott Luton (54:55):

That’s right. A lot of good feedback about the OMNIA Partners team. Okay. So, folks, I’ve enjoyed this conversation too much, maybe.

Greg White (55:03):

Probably a little too much.

Scott Luton (55:04):

It’s good to be back in-person.

Greg White (55:07):

It’s good to see you in-person. And you guys too.

Paul Noble (55:11):

Yeah. Great energy.

Scott Luton (55:11):

Nurf says he’s a basketball player too. “I think we just became best friends, Paul.”

Greg White (55:17):

And he’s 6’7″ though, so you’re going to have drive him.

Paul Noble (55:19):

Join the Verusen squad.

Greg White (55:21):

Yeah. And you’re going to have to drive him a couple of times to keep him honest on the perimeter.

Paul Noble (55:24):

Shooters shoot.

Scott Luton (55:27):

Nurf and Peter are challenging both of y’all to two-on-two. So, can we make that happen pay-per-view?

Kevin Heath (55:32):

[Inaudible] Nashville. Nashville. Let’s do it.

Scott Luton (55:34):

All right. So, folks, don’t forget to connect with Kevin Heath with OMNIA Partners and Paul J. Noble – Paul Joseph Noble – of Verusen.

Paul Noble (55:45):

Only my mother calls me that.

Greg White (55:45):

And only when you’re in trouble.

Paul Noble (55:48):

That’s right.

Scott Luton (55:50):

All right. So, Greg, before I wrap, what has been your favorite thing that’s come out of this conversation of the last hour?

Greg White (55:55):

I think I’ve used this word a whole lot, but I think it’s the leverage that this really provides to small businesses. First of all, full disclosure, adviser and shareholder in Verusen, just a huge fan of OMNIA Partners, frankly. But I mean, I think that OMNIA is bringing technology companies, and sales resources, and other unique solutions to companies as part of a group purchasing organization is really critical. And it shows their forward-looking a position in the marketplace. And it’s an absolutely critical thing. Look, we may or may not have a small business right here. And we use a lot of resources outside of our core competencies to help us become better.

Greg White (56:37):

And one of them is sitting behind the camera’s right there. Joshua, thank you very much, first of all. And, of course, our beloved spouses and business partners also sitting off-camera. So, I think it’s important to understand how you make a company successful and do so rapidly. I really liked some of the comments about it is life or death for small businesses right now. And the world is changing very rapidly. We have to look at that pace and we have to match that pace in order to maintain growth as a small business.

Scott Luton (57:11):

Well said. Well said. Charles Heether, great to see you tuned in here today. And thank you, Dr. Rhonda Bompensa-Zimmerman says, “Super amazing listening experience here today. intelligence, great vibes, and content here.” Appreciate your insights all, Paul, and Kevin, and George, your positive perspective. Thank you for that. And make sure you check out, Rhonda’s got some excellent – how would you – kind of mental wellness type of content. Some great pictures of out in Arizona.

Greg White (57:38):

Rock climbing and hiking. She is definitely getting well.

Scott Luton (57:43):

That’s right. Folks, one more thing here. So, whether you’re tuned into the live version of this or you’re hearing this on our podcast replay, get ready. We’ve got two interviews taking place on the exhibition floor later in this event. We’re going to be talking about total cost ownership and how that’s evolved. We’re going to be talking about labor channel challenges. Holy cow. Raise your hand if that’s not impacting. You won’t see any hands raised. And a lot more challenges with some members of the OMNIA Partners teams. So, y’all stay tuned for that. All right. Greg, we ready to call it a wrap?

Greg White (58:13):

I guess we have to.

Scott Luton (58:14):

[Inaudible] the rest of the afternoon.

Greg White (58:16):

There’s a few good sessions that I want to get some eyes on and then there may or may not be a pool across [inaudible].

Kevin Heath (58:23):

I heard there’s a Monte Carlo night that you might be joining.

Greg White (58:26):

Yeah. That’s right. I heard that.

Scott Luton (58:28):

Shaken, not stirred. Okay. With that said, great to have you all here with us.

Greg White (58:34):

[Inaudible].

Scott Luton (58:35):

Yes. We’re talking about [inaudible] last night? Great to have y’all with us here today on the first in-person Supply Chain Buzz. We look forward to doing a lot more of these. Big thanks to our host, OMNIA Partners. Of course, y’all check them out. Check out at lot of thought leadership’s going to be coming out of Connections 2021. Be sure to connect also with the Verusen team, the heavy hitting Verusen team. One of our favorite repeat guests here at Supply Chain Now.

Scott Luton (58:57):

If you like conversations like this, check us out at supplychainnow.com or wherever you get your podcasts from. But whatever you do today, take a page out of Paul and Kevin’s book. And whatever you do, just start, just start. Do good, give forward, be the change that’s needed. I did that quick.

Greg White (59:12):

That was quick. Do it again.

Scott Luton (59:14):

Do good, give forward, be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we’ll see you next time right back here at Supply Chain Now. Thanks everybody.

Intro/Outro (59:22):

Thanks for being a part of our Supply Chain Now community. Check out all of our programming at supplychainnow.com, and make sure you subscribe to Supply Chain Now anywhere you listen to podcasts. And follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on Supply Chain Now.