If you don’t have 80% of the data you need, how can you meet the tireless demands that define today’s global industry? Verusen’s Christine Barnhart has answers – and none of involve relying solely on ERP. In this episode, Scott sits down with Christine to discuss the need for meaningful communications across partners, practical context in your data and an adaptable growth mindset throughout your career. Follow her journey from engineering to product strategy and hear her expert takes on the need for diversity, new initiatives for solving port congestion and more.

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 (00:32):

Hey. Good morning, everybody. Scott Luton with you here on Supply Chain Now. Welcome to today’s show. Now, today, we’re going to be speaking with a business leader that is helping some of the world’s largest and most successful organizations evolve far beyond their legacy systems and processes, and do business and do business well in a brave new era of global supply chain. So, stay tuned for what promises to be an intriguing, informative, and entertaining conversation.

Scott Luton (01:02):

With that said, I’d like to introduce our guest here today. Our featured guest brings more than 25 years of expertise to the table, especially from a manufacturing, purchasing, and planning point of view. Our guest has been named one of the top women in global supply chain by Supply and Demand Chain Executive in 2018, and again in 2021. So, I want to welcome in Christine Barnhart, Vice-President of Product Strategy and Go-To Market for Verusen. Christine, how are we doing?

Christine Barnhart (01:32):

We’re doing great. How are you doing?

Scott Luton (01:33):

Fantastic. I tell you, your ears may have been burning. Members of our team, members of the Verusen team, members of the supply chain market have been talking about you a little bit.

Christine Barnhart (01:46):

You know, as a redhead, it’s hard to stay under the radar.

Scott Luton (01:50):

I love that. Well, for as much as you know about global supply chain, I love already our pre-show conversation. It seems like you bring a lot of personality and passion to the table.

Christine Barnhart (02:01):

Yeah. I mean, I try. I don’t think I can do anything I don’t love, quite frankly. At least not for very long, so yeah.

Scott Luton (02:09):

I love that. So, on that note, before we get into the heavy lifting, let’s talk about Christine Barnhart. Let’s get to know you a little better. So, tell us, where’d you grow up?

Christine Barnhart (02:19):

I grew up in Evansville, Indiana. Heavensville, if you [inaudible]. Beauty of Evansville is, we’re less than three hours from Indi, St. Louis, Nashville, Cincinnati, about an-hour-and-a-half from Louisville, so definitely the crossroads, if you will, of the United States.

Scott Luton (02:39):

Okay. So, growing up in Evansville, and I think you’re the first person I’ve ever met that grew up in Evansville. I’ve always seen, it seems like they’ve got a regular team in the March Madness.

Christine Barnhart (02:51):

The University of Evansville. Go Ace’s. My alma mater.

Scott Luton (02:56):

Okay. Maybe we’ll talk about that in a minute. Let’s talk about growing up in Evansville. Give us some anecdotes. What made it special?

Christine Barnhart (03:04):

You know, I’m a true gen Xer latchkey kid. So, I’m in, like, the second grade going home from school by myself. I mean, it was that blue collar community, but very close knit. You couldn’t really get in trouble without your parents knowing, because they knew, like, everybody in the neighborhood. I mean, it is a great place to raise a family. It’s a little quiet, which is why, for me, as an adult, I love that we’re close enough to do weekend commutes to other places. But Evansville is a great place. I mean, we’re right on the Ohio River, boating in the summer, and things of that nature.

Scott Luton (03:45):

Boating, like skiing, fishing, what?

Christine Barnhart (03:49):

Yeah. Well, I mean, all of the above. Its 175,000 in the city proper, about 500,000 in the greater metropolitan, but still a lot of agriculture, a lot of wooded areas. So, fishing, hunting. I went duck hunting with my dad when I was eight years old, actually on the Wabash, which is very close to us, the Wabash River. So, a lot of outdoor activities, a lot of sports. Sports is huge in Southern Indiana. I played volleyball and softball. My kids are really heavily involved in the lacrosse community, the soccer community. So, you have to learn how to entertain yourself kind of in mid-America, you know, that kind of thing.

Scott Luton (04:36):

All right. One more question and I want to move on to some of the things you did before joining the Verusen team. So, one of our favorite things to talk about here at Supply Chain Now is, certainly, food and local culinary traditions and whatnot. So, growing up in Evansville, Indiana, from a food standpoint, what was one thing you think about?

Christine Barnhart (04:56):

Okay. So, this is so redneck, but the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. Huge kind of street fair. They close off several blocks on the west side of town, about 130 food vendors, almost all of it is deep fried. If you can deep fry, even if you traditionally don’t deep fry it, we deep fry it. So, it’s not good for your cholesterol. It’s not good for your blood pressure, your weight gain, your diabetes, anything of that nature.

Scott Luton (05:23):

But it’s once a year, so that’s okay.

Christine Barnhart (05:26):

It is. And it’s interesting, I went to Munich a few years ago and I understood how this evolved. It’s a very kind of German Catholic kind of part of town. And it’s like a tiny little October Fest, complete with bars and stuff along the streets that have beer gardens and stuff that kind of compliment it. I mean, it’s not like high brow, but it’s like what you look forward to that first week of October.

Scott Luton (05:56):

I love it. It’s real. It’s authentic.

Christine Barnhart (05:58):

And my birthday is in that period. So, it’s multiple activities during the fall festival.

Scott Luton (06:06):

I love it. All right. So, I’m marking it on my calendar, Evansville, Indiana.

Christine Barnhart (06:12):

First week in October.

Scott Luton (06:13):

First week in October. And it was the West Side Nut Festival?

Christine Barnhart (06:18):

Nut Club Fall Festival.

Scott Luton (06:18):

Nut Club Fall Festival. Okay. All right. All right. So, I want to switch gears a bit, as much as I’d love to dive more into the food dishes that I’m sure that can be found at the Nut Club Fall Festival. I want to switch gears, I want to talk about the 25 years or so you’ve spent doing big things out in the industry.

Christine Barnhart (06:36):

You need to quit calling that 25 years out. You’re making me feel very old.

Scott Luton (06:39):

Well, you know, we’ve got a rule of thumb here, and I almost applied it, but I don’t want to short change anybody. Greg White and I never go over 20 years. We say 20 plus. But I didn’t want to short change anybody. Experience is important, especially during these challenging times. So, we’re not going to be able to do your journey its full justice, but talk about a couple of key roles prior to what you’re doing now at Verusen that really helped shape your worldview.

Christine Barnhart (07:08):

Yeah. That’s such a hard question for me, Scott, because I think I tend to divide my career into kind of two pieces. I have like the first half, which was very engineering oriented. So, multiple roles within Whirlpool, but all kind of with that traditional engineering tool set mindset.

Scott Luton (07:30):

Got you. Whirlpool being the company everybody knows, appliances and you name it, right?

Christine Barnhart (07:34):

Yeah. And I loved Whirlpool. I spent 12 years there. About every two or three years, I was moving on to more responsibility. Like, I’m one of those people that get bored kind of easily. I have to be moving. And when you reach a certain point in engineering, like the next engineering thing, they’re like, “Oh, you don’t have to work with anybody. You don’t have a team.” And I’m like, “Ugh. I don’t know that I want to do this.” So, complete career change. And that was when I really discovered supply chain. Up until about 2008, I didn’t know what supply chain was or that manufacturing was part of the traditional definition of supply chain. So, I think, for me, in terms of a career journey, it’s really marked by those kind of two pieces.

Scott Luton (08:24):

And just to clarify, Christine, kind of what I’m hearing, just to make sure we’re on the same page, kind of pre-2008 when it was mainly engineering and manufacturing. And then, post-2008 where you had, maybe, your global supply chain epiphany. Is that accurate?

Christine Barnhart (08:39):

Yes. A hundred percent. I moved into a planning role with Mead Johnson Nutrition. And what was great about it, Scott, is you don’t quit being an engineer. So, I still had that mindset. I still solve problems that way. And I understood complex processes and I could apply that, but just in a different way to help the business. And it’s really served me well since then. And then, I think for me, that kind of big change going from manufacturing to technology, which is what I did about three, three-and-a-half years ago when I left Barry Global and went to Infor as an industry strategist. So, I mean, there’s multiple roles in through there, but I think it was really more the companies and then just the great support that I got to grow and develop within multiple industries that has really helped me, not just be successful, but be happy. You know, just really be energized and have a lot of passion for what I do.

Scott Luton (09:47):

I love it. And kind of fulfillment as well, being fulfilled and rewarding.

Christine Barnhart (09:50):

Yes. A hundred percent.

Scott Luton (09:52):

All right. One last follow up question and then we’re going to talk about what you’re doing now and Verusen, who has been on the move, for sure. You mentioned you’ll always be an engineer, which I think is a really cool thing. I am not an engineer. Math and Advance Math was not for me, and that’s okay. So, if there’s one thing though that your average non-engineer might take and apply when it comes to problem solving or getting through a day, if there’s just one thing that you wish you saw more of, what would that be, Christine?

Christine Barnhart (10:26):

Ask questions over and over and over. And don’t ever be completely satisfied that there’s only one answer because, generally, there’s not.

Scott Luton (10:37):

I Love that. If you don’t ask questions, you’re typically making assumptions. And most assumptions, I think, are probably inaccurate.

Christine Barnhart (10:44):

We know that idiom, right? You and me.

Scott Luton (10:48):

All right. So, let’s talk about your current role at Verusen, again, Vice-President of Product Strategy and Go-To Market for Verusen. Let’s flip the script, what does Verusen do in a nutshell?

Christine Barnhart (11:03):

We are a supply chain intelligence platform. So, really taking the data that you have today that often is in multiple systems, it’s not harmonized, it’s disparate. And helping you through AI and machine learning, actually, glean insights out of that data. We’ve really, you know, started focused on the MRO side of the equation. And, now, we’re moving into direct materials, which is a big part of the reason that I came to Verusen now. Because I’ve been associated with the company for, probably, close to three years as part of some kind of industry sharing when I was at Infor, and loved the premise of the company, but really needed it to kind of grow a bit before my skillset was really appropriate.

Scott Luton (11:53):

Well said. The material truth is one of my favorite phrases when folks in Verusen join us. But, you know, that’s the state we live in. Everyone’s got their own spreadsheet. And these days, their own system, different platform, different layers, and stuff. And we can’t move fast enough if everyone’s using a different set of numbers. So, that alignment for organizational velocity is critical.

Christine Barnhart (12:17):

Yeah. I mean, it’s a lot of taking what you created, which was probably not a data lake, a data swamp, and really making it more useful.

Scott Luton (12:27):

Okay. I’m slow to the game. Sometimes I’m the last person to know. I love data swamp, because I’ve heard data like a thousand or a million times. And data swamp is probably in reality, oftentimes

Christine Barnhart (12:39):

I can’t pay credit. Lora Cecere, she used that and I’m like, “Oh, my God. I’m stealing this from her.”

Scott Luton (12:47):

Okay. Kudos, Lora. Good deal. All right. So, let’s talk about now what you’re going to be doing. It sounds like to me, you know, you’d already, on some level, in some measure been, had been collaborating and had relationships at Verusen. So, while it’s a new role, a lot of the relationships and challenges, perhaps, it’s the same old game. So, what are you going to be doing on the Verusen team?

Christine Barnhart (13:12):

I think my role is, really, to help the various teams and functions within Verusen speak each other’s language. Which, I’ll tell you is a common thread throughout my career, because development and product management and sales and marketing and customers, they all speak different languages and how you say something matters. You can have a great product, but if people don’t understand what it is, they don’t know that they need it and they don’t know why they need it. And so, I think, for me, that’s a big part of what I bring. I think, it’s really helping bring kind of the industry. Hey, I’ve been in maintenance. I’ve been in production and operations. I’ve designed products. And so, I can say, “It’s not really how people do that. Let’s think about that differently,” you know, that kind of thing.

Scott Luton (14:05):

I love it. And one last thing, as you mentioned harmonization earlier, and that’s one of my favorite words, it just kind of brings a great visual. And I swear there’s got to be a commercial there for data harmony, kind of along the lines of the famous iconic Coca-Cola commercial in the ’70s. We got to jump on that and make that happen. Okay. Data harmony, and I’m going to save all of our listeners and not sing it because I am not known for my singing exploits.

Christine Barnhart (14:36):

I can’t sing either so I’m going to leave it there too.

Scott Luton (14:38):

Okay. All right. So, the state of global industry is big, we’d be here all month if we had to really peel all the layers of the onion back. Let’s just talk when it comes to the state of global industry and kind of the current state, what we’re seeing right now. What’s a couple of things that you’re really tracking maybe more than others?

Christine Barnhart (14:58):

I think, first and foremost, I love that supply chain is now part of the vernacular. Like, my family finally understands at least sort of what I do. They’re like, “Yeah. I couldn’t find toilet paper,” things of that nature. So, I think that that’s actually a really positive thing. I think, as painful as it’s been to live through the pandemic, there’s some really positive things from a supply chain standpoint. And part of it is just putting a mirror up to us. We were having disruptions. People were chasing demand. And we had what we thought were isolated problems.

Christine Barnhart (15:36):

And what COVID has really shown us is, we need to be much more intentional in how we design our supply chains – plural – because every company has multiples. It’s not one size fits all. We have to be much, much more intentional about it. And, by the way, they’re constantly changing. So, I love that a couple of weeks ago on one of your podcasts when Lora Cecere was talking about 20 percent of companies are act actively designing their supply chains. So, I think that that’s part of it.

Christine Barnhart (00:16:08):

I think the other part is that, it’s really shown us that we have to have much, much better, more meaningful communication with our trading partners. You know, the multi-enterprise business networks, or supply chain operating networks, or whatever you want to call them, digital supply networks, there’s multiple names, they’ve been around for a while but they weren’t really being leveraged fully. They weren’t being adopted across multiple industries. And I will tell you what I saw is that, companies that were collaborating with their customers and collaborating with their suppliers and their carriers, they did better. And I think we need to see more and more of that as we kind of go into the future.

Christine Barnhart (16:44):

And then, I think the third part of what I’ve seen in global supply chains is, people are finally recognizing that ERP isn’t enough. ERP is great. You need that system of record. There’s definitely business processes that are best suited to ERP. But finding an expert in an area where you have a problem is really beneficial to your business. You don’t have to have all subject matter experts for everything that you do. You can supplement your workforce with people like us. We understand materials, and MRO, and direct materials, and we can help you attack that area. And there’s somebody else that, maybe, can help you on the freight visibility side. So, I think that’s been one of the really great, great outputs, is, people are more open to having those discussions.

Scott Luton (17:43):

All right. So, a couple things I heard there we’ll go backwards – on that last point, is, practical context. And it’s like, if you’re talking global business, it’s not one piece of context you would truly need. You would need all types of context. And your ERP is not enough because, oftentimes, it doesn’t have the type of practical context so many unique companies need. And then, going back to your second point, Christine, what you all but implied was, how much more trust we need. And I think what we can do is use that communication very deliberately, transparent, effective, timely communication to build meaningful trust across your supply chain. And then, as we all know, trust, once you’ve got it, you can move mountains. And that’s where we are right now in global supply chain.

Christine Barnhart (18:34):

A hundred percent. I mean, the other caveat I think to that, Scott, is, it is trust, but it’s also just the data. Like, 80 percent of the data that you need to operate your business doesn’t reside in your business. So, you’re not effectively communicating and collaborating with your trade partners. You’re sub-optimizing.

Scott Luton (18:53):

Excellent point. Okay. And no one wants to be suboptimal, right? Is that the appropriate conjugation of that term?

Christine Barnhart (19:01):

I think so.

Scott Luton (19:01):

All right. Okay. I love your perspective there. So practical, so been there, done that. I want to shift gears though. So, the White House, President Biden has recently announced, Christine, that they’ve got a new action plan to help move goods. A lot of the new activity, I think, it centers on about $17 billion in ports funding. But in particular, they’re going to take action over the next, say, 35 days or so to award a little over $240 million in new contracts, maybe related to ports and our infrastructure for supply chain. So, what’s some of your takeaways there?

Christine Barnhart (19:38):

I think it’s a great start. I don’t think it’s everything that we need to do. You know, I was in long beach last week just getting goods off of the ship. It doesn’t actually get it into the country where people live and distribute it. So, I think there’s a lot more that needs to happen. I think, we, as a country, need to look at how are our ports configured? Does it make more sense to have, maybe, rapid transit away from the port to more inland distribution kind of pick up areas? So, I think there’s definitely more, but I’m super excited that we have funding to at least start to make those investments.

Scott Luton (20:18):

Good point. Hey, at least, it’s being talked about at the executive levels across the globe. And you make a great point, it’s not all about getting the containers off the ships. You know, we’ve heard of 25 miles of train backup coming into key hubs, far inland. It’s a holistic ecosystem.

Christine Barnhart (20:40):

And then, I hear constantly we have a truck driver shortage. I will tell you, we have a retention problem. And I think we need to look at solving the retention issue, the working conditions, how they’re paid and incentivized, the type of facilities that we would expect truck drivers to have access to. And a lot of that also relates to attracting more minorities and females into freight movement and trucking. So, I think there’s a lot of work that needs to be done there.

Scott Luton (21:14):

Agreed. That’s a great segue into what I want to pick your brain about next. But first off, congratulations again for being named one of the top women in global supply chain. Quite an honor, twice no less. Some of the feedback we’ve heard is, “Hey, I want to be known as one of the top supply chain practitioners.” Not top women. And then, I hear on the other side, “Well, it’s important to highlight the fact that these are women movers and shakers making stuff happen.” The good thing is, is these conversations are taking place as practitioners and leaders and organizations feels like, it seems like, with some results, are trying far harder and more creatively than what we’ve seen in decades past. To your point, take hold of the opportunity that is bringing much more diversity to, not just global supply chain, but global business. So, I want to get your thoughts around this.

Scott Luton (22:10):

So, first off, when we talk about the need for more diversity and global supply chain, let’s first – for folks that may not do it because it’s the right thing to do – talk to about the bottom line impact it can have, that more diversity can have, Christine.

Christine Barnhart (22:26):

There are just numerous studies that show that when you have a more diverse leadership team – because I don’t think we could just say workforce. I think it’s leaders. When you have more diversity in your leadership team, you are more creative, you solve problems better. And it absolutely impacts the bottom line, 20, 30 percent over a very large swath of different industries and businesses. So, it’s almost impossible to argue with the data. But I think you have to look a little deeper because it’s not just gender diversity. It’s not just, maybe, identity or orientation diversity. I think they have to be really intentional to make sure that it’s diversity of race – yes – diversity of gender, but also diversity of background, and diversity of education, and diversity of your cultural influences. Because all of that really matters. The more diverse the team is, the higher the probability that they’re going to have different kinds of ideals that will feed off of each other and allow you to solve a problem much more creatively.

Scott Luton (23:37):

That’s such a great point, because while study after study that you allude to, that we’ve seen out there from the big four to other think tanks, and other organizations that have done it for themselves based on their own initiatives, plenty of bottom line and trackable bottom line impact. But to your point, some of the things that aren’t as easily tracked is how we do solve problems differently that may never be captured by some of our metrics, perhaps how we develop products differently. There’s so much more beyond the bottom line. But also with the bottom line, better diversity in all its forms, as the point you’re making, can bring to organizations.

Christine Barnhart (24:20):

And I truly am a believer that supply chain can make the world better. And I think how we do that is by really embracing multiple generations, multiple genders, multiple orientations and ethnicities. Because then, we have multiple perspectives represented and we can really, I think, make step function changes in how we design products and how we move materials and all of those things moving forward.

Scott Luton (24:53):

I love it. Okay. Completely agree with you there. We broached the topic of diversity. you talked about especially leadership teams. And what I’ve seen a lot of data on lately is, you know, when you look at supply chain, there’s a lot of diversity that enters, but then as you go up from frontline and entry level to the next managerial level, and then eventually up into the C-suite, that’s when the disparity really becomes so much bigger, and with the opportunity. So, speak to it a little bit, where do you see some of the biggest opportunities for diversity?

Christine Barnhart (25:33):

I think we’ve seen some inroads, which I’m very happy for. But especially in technical companies, manufacturing companies, I think, we need to be a little bit more prescriptive. We want women in leadership, but we don’t want them siloed just in H.R. and marketing. You want them in supply chain, maybe the chief supply chain officer, the chief development officer, or whatever. So, I will tell you, I have a little bit myself a personal bias. When I’m looking at companies that I might want to join, I’m like, “Well, are the only women that they have kind of in these two functions?” And then, based on the company, how much power do they really have in terms of the culture and kind of shaping where things go. So, I do think we need to be a little bit more prescriptive. We want diversity in the C-suite. We want it across multiple functions, multiple areas.

Scott Luton (26:30):

Yep. Great call out there. And by the way, to your last point you made, folks, if you’re looking to hire talent, and as everyone’s trying to really pick apart to build the best talent attraction equation, you got to really take to heart what Christine just shared. Folks are looking. Folks are observing. They’re seeing where leaders and maybe the true home of power is within organizations. That’s a great call out, Christine.

Scott Luton (00:26:57):

So, now one of my favorite questions to ask all of our guests is – consider it, Christine, you’ve got a captive audience. Let me paint a picture. You’re at the Ritz Carlton up in New York City. And you’ve got their finest event room. And you’re the keynote. You’re the star of the show. And in that room, you’ve got a thousand captive audience members that are either in school or maybe they’re new to the industry, and they’re really trying to figure out from someone that’s been there and done it. How can they get into executive leadership roles, especially in supply chain, any advice?

Christine Barnhart (27:34):

I don’t think there is a single journey. I think that it’s really about more of a mindset than it is a particular educational route or even an experience route. People that I see that do well in leadership are people that are continuous learners. They’re innovative. They’re not afraid of experimenting. And they’re constantly growing and learning and trying to, really, push their business forward. So, I don’t think there’s a single path. I think there’s multiple paths, which I think is exciting. I mean, that ensures that, you know, we have multiple perspectives. And I don’t want everybody in supply chain to be an engineer. I don’t want everybody in supply chain to be supply chain oriented. I think we need that mix, because it’s different mindsets, different skillsets. I don’t need everybody to be good at math. I need some people to be really good at communication and those type of things.

Christine Barnhart (28:31):

So, I don’t think that there’s one path, but I do think it’s growth. If you look at me, yes, I have an undergrad in electrical engineering, but then I supplemented that over. I did, you know, advanced project management. I’m certified in project management. I did Six Sigma Black Belts. And I did APICS and ASCM. I’m certified in production and inventory management. I did all those things. And then, I got to a level in the company that I needed really to understand more of the finance and business context. And I went and did a weekend executive MBA. That was challenging. I was just over 40. I had two young kids. But it was the right time for me to grow and accelerate. If I would’ve done that MBA right out of college, I don’t know that I would’ve gotten as much value from it, because I was able to ask questions to challenge my professors. It was more of a three-way learning triangle versus that kind of two-way. It was me learning from peers, me learning from professors, that kind of thing. So, I think it’s just that continual growth, just getting dirty and digging in and trying to figure out a better way.

Scott Luton (29:50):

I love it. And part of your answer, you talked about timing. It seems like, to me, generally speaking, there’s such a rush to get every degree and certification and other learning experience without, perhaps, – at least often as the case – understanding kind of what you want to do and then working backwards to make sure you get the right ones. So, to your point, you don’t waste that critical time that no one has enough of, and the resources, and the money that goes along with investing in yourself. But that right timing and understanding what’s the right program, and then how are you going to apply it, and what’s that return going to be like. It sounds like that was a regular part of your thinking there.

Christine Barnhart (30:30):

You know, it was. And I actually feel really bad for the millennials. It was starting with gen X and then the millennials and now gen Z, we’ve sold them on this idea that everybody has got to go to college. It’s the only path to success. And I look at some of my mentors when I was starting out at Whirlpool, many of them, yes, they had degrees when I met them, but that’s not where they started. They started out in an apprenticeship, or they started out in the military, or they did these things that helped them mature and grow and kind of figure out what they like to do and what they were good at before they ever went and got a college degree. And so, I think, especially in the United States, we have to reexamine the model and the talent.

Christine Barnhart (31:20):

And I think there’s a ton of opportunity to start to nurture at the high school level. You know what? You want a program, you’re really good with computers, let’s start getting you that training now. Not everybody needs a liberal arts education. I feel like it’s time. We know that we have a labor shortage in the United States. It’s really time to kind of own up to the fact that it’s not one size fits all. And that we have saddled an entire generation with debt that is not proving to be an obstacle that they can very easily overcome.

Scott Luton (32:02):

Well said. It’s time for a next generation approach, certainly, to how to be equipped. All right. So, as we start to wrap up – by the time our conversation here publishes, you’ll have been to, I think, a big event, big trade show conference. We’ll have to debrief you next time when you get back – so Verusen is on the move. Folks, by the way, they’re hiring left and right. And, clearly, with folks like Christine, they’re hearing top talent. Be sure to check them out and check out the website. But, Christine, given your journey – and I love that you said everyone’s on the same journey. That’s such a great truth from this interview – where you’ve been, some of the biggest, most recognizable companies in the planet, to a team that is on the move, new headquarters is where I’m talking to you from here today.

Christine Barnhart (32:51):

Midtown. Midtown, Atlanta.

Scott Luton (32:53):

In Midtown, ATL. That’s right. Before we close and before I make sure folks know how to connect with you, if you had to pick thing that most excites you about where Verusen is, where they’re headed, what they’re doing to change how supply chain happens and takes place in 2021 and beyond, what’s one thing that really excites you the most about what you’re doing now?

Christine Barnhart (33:16):

I think that what I’ve learned since I’ve been here is, it doesn’t have to be complicated. We have the tools. We have the technology. Companies have the data. It’s just applying the tools and the technology to make the data useful. And it doesn’t take a team of 20 people a year to implement something that you can then start to get value on. I think that selectively partnering and leveraging technology, there’s a beauty in that, and we can solve problems. We can solve problems quickly and I’m super excited about that, because look, I’ve lived through the big ERP implementations, two years over $100 million invested. And I’m not saying it wasn’t valuable because it was. It was valuable, but it solved part of the problem. It didn’t solve all the problems. And it sure didn’t help make the supply chain agile and resilient. It gave us a foundation. I think foundation is critically important. I don’t want to see us throw the baby out with the bath water. But we have to start to embrace micro applications, edge technologies to really take that move forward.

Scott Luton (34:35):

Excellent point. Folks, you got to find a trusted resource for harmony, and velocity, and a lot more stability, and, undoubtedly, a lot more core curve balls that are headed our way in global supply chain in 2022 and beyond. Okay. Christine, as advertised, as I mentioned your ears have been burning. I’ve heard a lot about you and your journey here. I’m so glad that we had finally a chance to sit down and get to know you a lot better. Let’s make sure folks know how to connect with you. So, Christine, what’s the easiest way?

Christine Barnhart (35:06):

I think the easiest way is probably on LinkedIn. So, just type in Christine Barnhart. I’m the only one generally that comes up. I’m definitely the only redhead so you should be able to find me. Or you can actually get to us on verusen.com as well. So, either is a great way to get in touch. And I know I fit in, in this org because everybody is generous with their time and they’re motivated by the right mission, which is, I want to make it better. I want to make it easier. So, I think all of us are always open to a conversation or communication and whatever we can do to help, we definitely will.

Scott Luton (35:45):

I love it. And they love to compare notes. They love just to have the conversation. Because they love what they do – and I say this with all love and affection – they’re big supply chain nerds like we are here. We love to talk about what’s going on. And we’re going to make it easy. You’re going to be able to connect with Christine and the Verusen team one click away if you check out the show notes of this episode. Team on the move, Christine Barnhart, really a pleasure to get to know you here today and share some of your observations with our audience.

Christine Barnhart (36:15):

The pleasure is all mine. I appreciate you inviting me on. And I always love to talk about this kind of stuff. So, thank you.

Scott Luton (36:22):

We’ll have you back soon. Christine Barnhart, Vice-President of Product Strategy and Go-To Market for Verusen. And, also, the pride of Evansville, Indiana. So, we’ll have to learn a lot more about that in the months to come. Okay, folks. Hopefully, you enjoyed this conversation as much as I have. Christine, it’s a pleasure to chat through. And she strikes me as someone who kind of tells it like it is. So, we need a lot more of that in global leadership these days.

Scott Luton (36:51):

But, hey, for now, be sure to check us out at supplychainnow.com for more episodes and conversations just like this. But most importantly, we want to challenge you and all of our listeners and our team to do good, give forward, be the change that’s needed. And on that note, we’ll see you right back here next time at Supply Chain Now. Thanks everybody.

Intro/Outro (37:12):

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.