Stefan Schulz

At MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, the energy was unmistakable. With thousands of supply chain professionals gathered, one theme echoed across conversations: uncertainty is no longer episodic. It’s constant and seemingly endless. In a candid discussion with Scott Luton, Pete Blair, VP of Product & Marketing at Pickle Robot, unpacked how organizations are navigating volatility, workforce challenges, and the growing role of automation in keeping operations moving.   Navigating Tariffs and a Moving Target If there’s one word defining today’s global supply chain environment, it’s unpredictability. Blair points to tariffs as a prime example; and not just their presence, but their volatility. “The biggest thing we see… is the chaos of tariffs. It’s not so much that customers have to pay tariffs or not pay tariffs, it’s that they don’t know how to plan,” Blair explains. That lack of predictability is forcing organizations to rethink their networks in real time. Companies are shifting sourcing strategies, standing up temporary distribution centers in new geographies, and even making drastic decisions about whether importing goods makes financial sense at all. What’s particularly challenging isn’t the cost itself. But rather, it’s the inability to forecast. Supply chains, while resilient, aren’t designed for abrupt swings like…

Check out everything that’s been happening at Supply Chain Now! We’re looking back on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes right here. On Monday, we released a special Memorial Day episode of Veteran Voices, hosts Scott W. Luton and Kelly Barner share their own personal messages, including what Memorial Day means to them and a few examples of those incredible individuals that sacrificed it all for others. On Tuesday, we released 2 new episodes! On this TEKTOK Classic Episode, host Karin Bursa speaks with Lora Cecere, CEO of Supply Chain Insights and industry trailblazer, about her career journey. On TECHquila Sunrise, host Greg White continues his conversation with Jack Freeman of PeakSpan Capital, discussing the current investment environment for supply chain tech. On Wednesday, Dr. Marcell Vollmer with Boston Consulting Group and Jacob Gorm Larsen with Maersk Group joined hosts Kelly Barner and Scott Luton on Dial P for Procurement to discuss digital procurement transformation. On Thursday, we released this week’s episode of The Supply Chain Buzz, powered by OpenText. In this episode, Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton are joined by Kelly Barner (Host of Dial P for Procurement) to talk about the 2021 Supply…