Supply chain benchmarking has been evolving rapidly, but the biggest shifts in driving true organizational value may still be unfolding. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott W. Luton and Lora Cecere (Founder of Supply Chain Insights), are joined by Dave Winstone (Global Director, Supply Chain Excellence at Dow) and Wael Abdelmalek (CEO of Uthereal). Together, they explore what it truly means to define and measure supply chain excellence, moving from rigid historical spreadsheets to data-driven, dynamic benchmarking and human-AI partnership. The panel highlights how 32 top-performing companies outperformed the market by focusing on metrics that correlate directly to market cap rather than a simple popularity contest. Dave draws on nearly four decades of global leadership to make the case for focusing on portfolio rationalization and network design while bypassing traditional distractions like massive ERP implementations. Meanwhile, Wael shares how agentic AI platforms can condense 15 years of industry-leading research into minutes, creating a powerful learning engine that works alongside humans to scale organizational insights. The guests share the core operational pillars that separate top performers from the rest of the market: leadership alignment, clear strategic direction, customer focus, and balanced performance scorecards. By embracing data objectivity and the…

Elaine Read & Matt Weyandt have stamped the most important values from their previous careers into every facet of their craft chocolate manufacturing business. In this episode of Logistics with Purpose, host Kristi Porter welcomes Elaine Read and Matt Weyandt, co-founders of Xocolatl Small Batch Chocolate. The Atlanta-based company sources cacao directly from farmers and cooperatives in Central and South America, and the Caribbean, and makes chocolate bars in small batches. Listen in and learn more about Read and Weyandt’s unique story and commitment to sustainability through their organization’s carbon neutrality, packaging, and more.