Lorraine Balog

At MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, Scott Luton sat down with RD Deshmukh, Chief R&D Officer at ID Logistics US, to explore how supply chains must evolve to keep pace with a rapidly shifting retail and e-commerce landscape. From AI deployment to warehouse design and customer expectations, RD offers a clear message: the old playbook no longer applies; and those who fail to adapt risk falling behind quickly.   A “Day-One” Mindset for Continuous Change Drawing from his experience at Amazon, RD emphasizes the importance of maintaining a “DayOne” mindset, which is one rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and constant reinvention. “Be curious, be innovative… the day you’re not curious, it will kill you,” he explains. In today’s environment, where disruption is constant, this mindset isn’t optional. It’s essential. Leaders must prepare their teams not just to respond to change, but to expect it. As RD puts it, the only certainty is that “tomorrow is going to change.” This philosophy underpins how ID Logistics approaches innovation, engineering, and customer solutions; always with an eye toward flexibility and resilience.   AI: Start with the Problem, Not the Technology While artificial intelligence continues to dominate industry conversations, RD cautions against rushing into implementation without…

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton sat down with Nari Viswanathan, a veteran innovator in the planning and procurement technology space and a key leader at Coupa. The two reconnected after several recent collaborations—including webinars, industry sessions, and conversations in Dallas—and discussed the new realities of supply chain planning and how organizations are embracing technology like never before.   Coupa and Autonomous Spend Management For those less familiar with Coupa, Viswanathan explained the company as the global leader in autonomous spend management—a framework that brings together direct and indirect spending to help organizations manage total spend more intelligently. Direct spend, of course, is where supply chain operations come into focus, making planning, design, and cost optimization central to the value Coupa delivers. Viswanathan leads Coupa’s global supply chain strategy, shaping how the company positions and scales its solutions across the market. After years spent in supply chain planning technology, he now sits at the intersection of procurement, supply chain, and advanced analytics—an area he believes has never been more exciting or more critical.   Old Problems, New Pressures—and a Greater Willingness to Innovate When asked about the biggest challenges facing planners today, Viswanathan emphasized a…