Michael Pytel

National Supply Chain Day (NSCD)® returns on Wednesday, April 29, 2026 with Supply Chain Now, bringing together professionals across the industry for an annual celebration dedicated to recognizing and elevating the people, processes, and innovations that keep the world moving. Established in 2020, National Supply Chain Day® was created as a way to lift the supply chain industry up and propel it forward by spotlighting the stories, leaders, and breakthroughs that shape global commerce. What began as a single-day celebration has grown into an industry-wide movement that continues to inspire pride, visibility, and momentum across the profession. Supply Chain Now will host its annual National Supply Chain Day Livestream, led by SCN’s own Scott Luton (CEO & Founder) and Mary Kate Love (President & the visionary behind the creation of NSCD) with a keynote from Billy Ray Taylor and the announcement of two new award recipients. And, for the first time ever, organizations can officially register both virtual and in-person National Supply Chain Day events on the Supply Chain Now website. From the logistics behind everyday essentials to the complex global networks delivering critical goods worldwide, National Supply Chain Day® honors the professionals who connect the world.   Livestream Registration…

At Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo 2026 in Orlando, some of the sharpest minds in supply chain gathered to tackle one central question: what does the next operating model for supply chain actually look like? In a special livestream conversation, Scott Luton sat down with Mike Griswold, VP Analyst at Gartner, alongside fellow Supply Chain Now hosts Karin Bursa and Jake Barr, to unpack the biggest themes emerging from this year’s symposium. The consensus? Supply chain leaders are moving beyond AI fascination and toward something much bigger: redesigning how decisions, workflows, and organizations operate.   AI Is No Longer the Story. Outcomes Are One of the strongest themes from the event was a more mature, pragmatic approach to AI adoption. According to Mike Griswold, many organizations are finally moving past the “shock and awe” phase that dominated conversations a year ago. “People need to figure out exactly what problem or problems AI is going to solve for them,” Griswold explains. That may sound simple, but it represents a significant shift. Instead of experimenting with AI for AI’s sake, companies are becoming more disciplined about identifying operational value and measurable business outcomes. Griswold also warns against a familiar trap: creating “highly efficient…