Supply Chain Now
Episode 487

Episode Summary

“The price of ignorance is not knowing what you don’t know.”

Diego Martinez, Business Process Director of Production Execution, The Coca-Cola Company

 

Technology investments don’t always deliver the desired ROI within the intended timeframe, but the range of root causes behind this problem are as varied as the companies implementing enterprise software. Sometimes it is the business case, and sometimes it is about having the right people around the table, but if the team responsible can figure out the issue and resolve it, there is no end to the improvements they can generate.

Diego Martinez is the Business Process Director of Production Execution with The Coca-Cola Company and Mike Lackey is the Global Head of Solution Management, Digital Manufacturing at SAPAriba. Diego went from being a skeptic to a supporter after meeting with Mike and his team.

In this conversation, Diego and Mike tell Supply Chain Now Host Scott Luton and Ben Harris, Director of Supply Chain Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber, about:

· The delicate balance and continual effort required to harmonize locations and business units with different technology legacies into one cohesive picture

· The importance of protecting product consistency and intellectual property with a well-known company like Coca-Cola

· How Coca-Cola is using digital twins to improve their manufacturing productivity, efficiency, and innovation

Episode Transcript

Intro  (00:05):

It’s time for supply chain. Now broadcasting live from the supply chain capital of the country. Atlanta, Georgia heard around the world supply chain. Now spotlights the best in all things, supply chain, the people, the technologies, the best practices and the critical issues of the day. And now here are your hosts.

Scott Luton (00:28):

Hey, good afternoon. Scott Luton and my special guest, The guest host Ben Harris with supply chain. Now with you, welcome to today’s show Ben, how you doing, uh, doing very well. Scott, thanks for asking you bet. We are really excited about one of our longest running series here at supply chain is the supply chain city series, which really spotlights all the latest happenings across the supply chain community in Metro, Atlanta, and Ben, if there’s any cause for celebration, it is the reinvigoration. If that’s a word of this series with our partners over at SAP, so more to come on that, but it’s pretty exciting, uh, on our end, right? Absolutely. Thank you so much to SAP for your sponsor sponsorship of this series. It’s been a long, long time running and simply we could not do it without you. So thanks so much for your support Mike and team that’s right. And, but to our listeners, well, yeah, the stories will, will, uh, originate from the Metro Atlanta area, but still regardless of where you live and where you work, you’re going to learn best practices that will relate back to what you do in business.

Scott Luton (01:32):

And, and of course in supply chain. So stay tuned for what is going to be a great show where we’re working hard to increase your supply chain acute. Okay. On that note, one quick programming item. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check us out and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from. All right. So Ben, are we ready to introduce our special guests for this latest installment of supply chain city? Let’s get into it. All right, let’s do it. Alright. So we are featuring today, Diego Martinez business process, director production execution work stream with the infamous, the world famous the Coca-Cola company. Diego, how are you doing? Doing great. Thanks. Appreciate it. You bet. Great to have you and looking forward to sharing your insights and perspective with our audience. Yeah, of course. Sure. And, uh, along with Diego, we have a repeat guest with us. So we’re going to be featuring Mike Lackey, global vice president of solution management, digital manufacturing with SAP. Mike, how you doing? I’m doing great, Scott. Thanks for having me today. Diego’s good to see you. So I going to have you, we’ve got a great conversation teed up and again, we’ve been fortunate to have Mike with us a few weeks ago. Really great to have him back and great to feature again, uh, a leader from the Coca-Cola company. So Ben, why don’t we, before we dive into Mike and Diego’s story and some of their let’s put our finger on the pulse and see what’s, what’s taking place. What is on your supply chain, city, radar,

Ben Harris (03:05):

A couple of things that are percolating right now. So, uh, as I had mentioned before, we, um, here live our supply chain and logistics talent resource guide is kind of in its final, uh, design phase. At this point, we finally got the first draft announced it’s, uh, in, in design phase. And that’s going to be designed for, if you’re thinking about where to make bets, um, future of talent around supply chain and logistics. Where do you look for that? And it’s going to talk about what all Georgia has to offer from an asset standpoint. So the kinds of curriculum, uh, the programming, all of that, all those things that come together that make Georgia a great place, uh, for supply chain logistics and really your workforce of the future. So extremely excited about that. I think the, um, our latest, uh, publish date is October 22nd.

Ben Harris (03:49):

We’re going to do everything we can to get there at that time. So, uh, should be very single and that’s coming out outstanding. Yeah, very excited about that. Additionally, we’ll have, uh, it’s actually ongoing right now, the bank of America, a million mass challenge, which we have partnered. The Metro Atlanta chamber has partnered with bank of America, uh, the global health crisis coordination center, or GHC three as we like to call it them as well as very good ideas. Another marketing group that we’re working with on sourcing, um, a million masks for local charities and businesses in most need, and some really hard hit areas here in Metro Atlanta. And Coca-Cola thanks to Diego and team. There have been phenomenal partners to work with on that. They’ve actually donated over 150,000 masks to this call. So thank you so much Diego team Coca-Cola, it’s phenomenal what they’ve done there.

Ben Harris (04:40):

So we’ve actually gotten to our milestone at a million math, which I’m very happy to say again, thanks to all of our partners. Uh, you’ll be hearing more about some PR, uh, coming out around that, but when you think about supply chain and procurement and things of that nature, that was a, a big deal. Being able to source all that from the different, uh, large corporations, uh, here in the Atlanta region. And then lastly, we had a pretty cool announcement, uh, you know, for the seventh year in a row, uh, for area development magazine has selected the state of Georgia as the number one state for doing business. So of course, supply chain logistics being one of the largest industries here. That’s one of the biggest reasons why, and we’ve actually had some recent announcements that have contributed to that radius. Research is a collaborative research organization is going to create 50 jobs here.

Ben Harris (05:25):

Think about life sciences and the supply chain near contract research and manufacturing organizations are critical to the infrastructure that need to make that happen and have that here in the ecosystem. So very excited about that radio lane is going to invest $40 million in a new, uh, distribution center here in locust Grove, Georgia 344 new full-time jobs. So extremely happy to welcome them. The neighborhood though, they’re, they’re no stranger to Atlanta already. And then bang energy also, um, we’ll invest $145 million in opening a new and distribution facility in Douglasville. So now we have enough energy drinks to go around and bang, and certainly one of the biggest names within that area. So very happy to add them to the portfolio of manufacturers here in Atlanta region. And then lastly, Papa John’s thanks to our friends, tequila, Neil, uh, they have moved their headquarters actually to Atlanta just recently. So very happy to have them in the fold. They’re going to be creating over 200 jobs here, very nice, you know, headquarters jobs. So again, the is growing, even though obviously COVID continues to take its toll on them, on the business community, but Atlanta still growing a lot. And there’s a lot of opportunity here. So we’re extremely excited about the future of supply chain city because of those partners. I just mentioned

Scott Luton (06:43):

Love it. And you know, Mike, you made a great remark before we went live here about a lot of folks would be surprised about how much manufacturing does exist in throughout Metro Atlanta. Right?

Mike Lackey (06:55):

You know, Scott you correct. And Ben, you know, Atlanta is the epicenter of the Southeast, right? If you’d done States and, and we attract so much talent, not just from the great universities that we have here in, uh, you know, in the state of Georgia with Georgia tech right here in Atlanta, university of Georgia, uh, a lot of the other universities, but we attract talent from all the universities in the South, which really makes Atlanta pretty easy to do business. And when you can get the talent and you can get the, the workers you need, you know, the innovation and the speed at which we manufacture can really come out. But no, with Caterpillar down in Athens, Georgia, their big facility continues to grow. I love it. If you’ve been down 16, if you remember years ago, there was nothing when you got to make, and once you hit Dublin, there was nothing you got to Savannah.

Mike Lackey (07:43):

You know, now just matter of factors are growing up, you know, left and right down there, you know, add code, just opened a new manufacturing facility, uh, uh, Georgia Pacific. It was the port of Savannah is becoming a very big draw, you know, uh, for manufacturers because of the, the transportation, which is a big part of the supply chain. So yeah, it’s just a great place right now and exploding, not just the talent, they, because of the airports. We have the infrastructure, 75, 85. We won’t talk about, I, you know, I tend on there, but, uh, yeah, it’s just terrific right now. So I agree.

Scott Luton (08:19):

And you know, a lot of folks we’ve talked about it before, Ben, a lot of folks will be surprised how big of a, of a supply chain logistics and cargo transportation player that the airport is. Yes. And, and growing, uh, capacity and, and the complexity and their ability to deliver and, and own on a huge scale continues to get bigger and bigger. And that’s a great part of the spot chain city. All right. So let’s, let’s, uh, transition a bit, uh, Diego want to bring in Diego Martinez back into the conversation from the Coca-Cola company. So before we get the work and really talk business Diego first, let’s, uh, let’s get to know you a little bit better. So tell us about yourself.

Diego Martinez (08:59):

Oh, that’s, that’s good too.

Scott Luton (09:03):

You’re well-informed now in all things supply chain, city, right.

Diego Martinez (09:07):

As you can tell from my accent, I’m not from the us. So I was born and raised in Colombia. I’m Colombian. And then I joined the company 23 years ago, uh, in, in, in, in Bogota, the capital city. Then I’m a mechanical engineer by trade. So that’s what I studied there in Columbia. And then, uh, normally most of the people in Coca that at least in the manufacturing facilities are having a clinical background. So I was facing people with chemistry backgrounds, and then I was more on the, on the mechanical side. So I joined the company there. Then I transitioned to Chile back in 2000 in 1999. So I live in Chile for six years, always on the manufacturing side. So I was the operations manager in Columbia. Then I went to Chile and I was the production manager for a new facility in Chile.

Diego Martinez (10:01):

And then back in 2006, that’s when I took a new role in a global role at that time. And then I moved to the state. So I moved to Atlanta back in 2006 was in process improvement manager, uh, for kind of deploying best practices across the different facilities across the world. So it is not on the Baldwin side where there are thousands of bottlers. It is more on the company owned facilities. They concentrate manufacturing facilities is just a number of NGOs, uh, around 20. And they’ve been decreasing over the years. And then back in 2009, I took the CPS engineering manager role, which I had on two last year. So I joined now, what I’m doing at the moment is I’m part of the program contour, which is a special program within the company that is responsible to transition from SAP ECC six to S four HANA is a big, big change for the company we’re moving into the new USAP functionality. And then, um, so there’s a big group of people making that transition to the, for the company.

Scott Luton (11:08):

Is that part of the SAP one initiative or is it areas that Coca-Cola one? I couldn’t, I couldn’t remember if there was actually a tagline attached to that kind of initiative to change over to SAP Ana.

Diego Martinez (11:19):

No, there was, um, there was a transition of bottlers since the CNA to, uh, an SAP version, but that didn’t get finished. And then this is completely new. It’s something that started a year and a half ago is a very aggressive plan to deploy new as for HANA into the, all the operations in the company globally. So it’s, it’s not, it’s not the SAP one,

Scott Luton (11:44):

One more follow-up question for you, Diego. Clearly you’ve spent a ton of time in the manufacturing aspect of the, of the enterprise. Uh, you know, I’ve always had a place in my heart for, for manufacturing operations and the people that some of the brightest best problem-solvers folks that make, you know, get stuff done involved in the manufacturing industry. Was that some of your experiences as well?

Diego Martinez (12:05):

Well, yeah, definitely. You don’t mind if lecturing has a lot of, uh, fire fighting activities happening. So definitely you need to be kind of problem solving all the time. So is constantly there and that’s where you really need, uh, systems that can actually help you support the process. And then basically follow the processes on the plans that really helps to kind of reduce the number of possible errors and issues that come up and then definitely having a good system and a good process in place will help. But definitely it is now people that didn’t normally get, uh, the latest out of, uh, out of the facility. Those are the guys that are there, the guys that are on there, especially under this situation, they are under a lot of stress when you have, um, problems with the supply chain and moment countries, closing borders. And so all of that changes the dynamics on the supply chain, but then it is I think, work anyway. So it is if people on the manufacturing side, but then they couldn’t do anything without the rest of the team team members in the facility. So you need to have the planning guys doing the work as well. You have to have the procurement guys doing what they, where they need to do, and they know everything has to be orchestrated correctly to make sure that, uh, you can actually accomplish your objectives.

Scott Luton (13:24):

Well, put, you know, w we, we talked about that being the one that one of the silver linings in this historically challenging year is that supply chain and then supply chain and the people and the technologies you name it are front and center to folks that maybe, you know, consumers that are, uh, that, that haven’t, they’ve been outside of, at least the profession, we all know that consumers are a big, important part of, of global supply chain, but, uh, appreciate you sharing there, Diego. All right. So Mike might lack you with SAP. Let’s bring you back in same question to you. Let’s, let’s give our folks a chance to read Reno you again, we love our repeat guests here, but Mike, tell us about yourself.

Diego Martinez (13:59):

Oh, absolutely. First of all, you know, I’d love what, what Diego’s talking about here, because it’s not just, it’s the amount of international talent it’s in Atlanta as well. You know, him coming from Columbia and it comes back to what Atlanta has to offer the airport, the cost of living, the pretty good weather we have here, you know, most of the time, it just, it’s just great. The amount of talent here, you know, I’m a, I’m a local boy. I grew up on a farm out in Lawrenceville, Georgia. And, uh, my dad was an engineer and, uh, I said, you know, I want to follow in his footsteps. So I went down to, uh, the North Avenue, trade school down here, Georgia tech, and got a great education and, uh, married a Buckhead girl and stayed here in Atlanta. Um, even, uh, got my, uh, advanced degree. Master’s from Mercer here, uh, in international business. And I’ve been very fortunate. Uh, I started at a company DCA up

Mike Lackey (14:52):

In, uh, winter Parkway first cut me in that tech park, fastest growing high-tech company in America, back in the, you know, the early, well, I’ll give it away, but yeah, the eighties, uh, and

Scott Luton (15:04):

My favorite two decade rule here, we don’t play anything more than two decades.

Mike Lackey (15:09):

Yeah. And wrote that out a few startups. And I’m very fortunate. I worked for great company with SAP. That’s innovative and delivering solutions. And, you know, I head up manufacturing and I grew up on the shop floor. I was an industrial engineer. I supported a high-tech electronic manufacturing facilities around the globe. And, and now I’m, you know, driving software that that’s making that automated in innovative here. And I don’t know if a lot of people know, but you know, Atlanta is one of the biggest hubs for SAP, you know, in, in, in North America, uh, not just from a sales and support services organization, but up in Alpharetta, we have a very large innovation center, uh, with a lot of development or a lot of our manufacturing development is done there or Reba. So, uh, Sybase. So we, you know, we have a bunch of the technologies that come together. People don’t realize the hub that we have here in it in Atlanta. So yeah, I’ve been very fortunate and, um, said that airport, I can get anywhere in the world. So I’m a supply chain to myself, so

Scott Luton (16:09):

Well, but I love that. Um, all right, one quick, follow-up question for you, Mike. We didn’t ask you the last time you said he grew up on a farm. Give me one chore. You, you least liked growing up on a farm. What, what, what comes to mind

Mike Lackey (16:22):

Cleaning the, uh, cleaning the stalls in the bar that says wasn’t much fun.

Scott Luton (16:29):

So that’s everything that we’ve always heard about it then, right. Okay.

Mike Lackey (16:33):

Yeah. No, you can get messy pretty quick, but it was part of it. And, uh, in, you know, some days, some days I would, I missed that, so, yep.

Scott Luton (16:45):

All right. Good stuff, Mike and Diego, thanks so much for kind of setting the stage a bit. Now we’re gonna, um, we’re going to ask you one more thing before Ben dives deeper into certainly the Coca-Cola company and some of y’all’s observations and, and some of the conversations you’ve been having with business leaders, uh, Mike and SAP. Um, so Diego let’s talk, you know, we always reference here at least your Eureka moments, right. We always, you know, throughout our journey, uh, personally and professionally, there are moments where it kind of stops us in our tracks. Cause we, we, it something’s finally dawned on us. Right. W when you think about your Eureka moments as part of your journey, what what’s a powerful one that comes to mind.

Mike Lackey (17:23):

Wow. How fun that he’s quite clear in my mind that, uh, is, uh, I mean, it could describe it as an Eureka moment, but something that really changed my thinking 180 degrees. So I’ll, I’ll tell you the story. So, I mean the career role I joined maybe over a year ago in June of last year, that’s when I joined this role. And then, well, I’m responsible for making sure that all the requirements on the manufacturing area are completed,

Diego Martinez (17:50):

That we can actually complete all the transactions in SAP. I’m not an expert on SAP. I wasn’t an expert on SAP. So the first thing that I started doing when I joined the program and said, well, I need to learn about SAP. And when those days AP bring to the table on the manufacturing arena, I mean, we are part of the supply chain on the Coca Cola company, but then manufacturing is one of the pieces of the supply chain. Um, what is it that SAP has new on, on, on the manufacturing area? So we had an SAP consultant and they start asking, Hey, what is new? What does it say is SAP for HANA bring to the table? Then it took almost two months from June until late August, uh, to have people from SAP, come into headquarters and call the call it downtown. And that I still remember the day, August 31st was the date.

Diego Martinez (18:43):

And then Mike and some other colleagues from SAP went to the, to the complex. And then we had a session there, three hours meeting. And then I had, I have to be honest here. I mean, I had in my mind, well, we have this product from SAP that we use today, uh, in, in our old system, I just don’t understand what is the reason for it. And then I was planning to just remove that, that, uh, uh, application from our environment and then change it to, to do, to get them to do something different with it. So we went through that meeting and then that meeting was kind of the Eureka moment that you’re asking me for. So that meeting basically open, open, open my eyes completely to what the digital manufacturing and the strategy was for, for SAP. And then, um, the program that I was planning to kind of, uh, say, you know, we don’t need this product anymore.

Diego Martinez (19:37):

Then I’m the person now that is kind of cheerleading for, for, for that product. So, um, um, completely bought in, into that one, the functionality that it brings is really, really, really good. So I’m extremely happy with it. And then I became the it’s just, I guess I just, I just call it the price of ignorance. I normally call it like, that is just not knowing what you don’t know. And then when you have the opportunity of having the right people on the table and then, uh, getting those people, letting you know, what is it that can be accomplished, then you realize. So that’s what happened during that meeting. After that meeting, everything changed the all day objectives and, uh, saw the requirements that we have captured from the facility saying, these are the things that we need to accomplish in order to kind of modernize our facilities. And then the go into the digital journey. Then those requirements were kind of almost made by these application from SAP. So that’s when they said, okay, well, this is where we need to do. And then from there on, it’s been kind of a, how do we move the company in that direction, as opposed to when we were intending to do before outstanding Ben, that sets the up for one of our next

Scott Luton (20:48):

Topic. So hopefully took good notes there and Diego, uh, this price of ignorance. If I use that phrase, do I owe you any kind of royalties or anything can I said, okay. Yeah. All right, good.

Mike Lackey (21:00):

I got dibs on that already. Really down. Okay.

Scott Luton (21:04):

All right. So Mike, you this for the first time, perhaps at one of our, uh, one of our guests was involved in one of our other guests Eureka moment. So this is, uh, this is a record breaking day, but Mike, when you think of Eureka moments, uh, in, in your journey, what’s one that comes to mind.

Mike Lackey (21:20):

You know, Scott, every time I sit down with customers like Diego, that, that have vision, that those moments happened, all that, you know, on a regular basis for me, because I got to tell you the one that, that, that hit me was the first time I realized that additive manufacturing, 3d printing was real, is not an academic, um, exercise and, and the potential. And when I walk a memory, cause I was in, I was outside of Paris and France, and this automotive supplier was telling me how they’re going to cut six months off the design of a new car. And they’re designing in 3d. You can see they were making a, this time. It was, uh, a bumper assembly and they’re doing it in 3d designing where, and then they’re going to the OEM and 3d putting it on the car and adjustment. And then they’re going to their 3d printer instead of having to have tooling or molding is going to take six weeks to make.

Mike Lackey (22:22):

And, you know, less than 24 hours, they got a real bumper that’s being put on the car and them. And they said, this process will take six months out of developing the next model. And then when I started looking at it, wow, that’s phenomenal. And then you realize your supply chain, it changes the whole supply chain instead of having parts on the shelf, you, you manufacture them as needed, and you’d probably only have six materials in your whole warehouse to make your whole gamut of, you know, 300 different products. So just the thought of the simplicity of what this technology can bring now, all we there yet, no, we haven’t reached the hockey stick. There’s still a lot going on, but these early movers and innovators, the potential of what this brings, it is pretty phenomenal and what it does to the supply chain. So yeah, the, our customers Yreka moments, they know I pay a high price for that ignorance.

Mike Lackey (23:16):

I learned a lot from these guys and, and helped me, uh, you know, understand where they’re going so that we at SAP can be there with them and hopefully be ahead of them to deliver on this. So, yeah, it’s, uh, I think the, it’s probably the most innovative, most eruptive technology I’d seen in manufacturing in the last 20 years. Uh, it’s a pretty excited what we can do with that. I look forward for the future of what we’re going to do to help make that, bring that to our customers, but, uh, what that technology is going to be able to do. Uh, if I can piggyback on that

Scott Luton (23:46):

Ben for, we pass the Baton here. Uh, I had a similar moment where I was listening to a presentation by a senior supply chain executive. That was part of a, uh, a massive industrial equipment organization. And they supplied dump trucks, a very technical term to go mines. And that he talked about the, these autonomous dump trucks and how they stay running. And at least this point in time, this was probably 10 years ago, 24 seven. And they calculated, of course the cost when any of those trucks had downtime. And, you know, previously they were overnighting parts from wherever the fulfillment center was and the spare parts and whatnot. And then they applied 3d printing to the operation and the massive savings. I want to say that per load that came out of the mind was some half a million dollars per, per load. So keeping that operation running full time for, in terms of the cost of the bottom line was really important. And that was probably one of the first really practical, 3d part, uh, uh, additive manufacturing, anecdotes that, that, that hit between my ears. But Ben,

Ben Harris (24:56):

Yes, God, I can’t even, I can’t even, I mean, the amount of times that we’ve heard that Mike, I mean, th the way you put it so eloquently was, was very well done, but the amount of times that we’ve heard that that is really probably one of the biggest game-changers, whether it’s industry 4.0 or whatever.you want to call it. But I mean, it, it is an absolute game changer to the global supply chain when it comes to that. So my hats off to you for, for saying that, because Scott, I mean, if we had a nickel for every time that we heard that, but without true evidence of seeing that really backed up, that’s just, I mean, you hit the nail on the head there, my God, this innovation. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So let me, let me, let me switch gears a little bit, uh, Scott, all, um, you know, Diego, you really started to hit on this kind of tip of the iceberg as far as, you know, kind of your roles and responsibilities, but what if you had to say exactly and we, before we talked about your, your recent title change and it’s, it’s a longer title also Diego.

Ben Harris (25:56):

So you’ve got a lot of responsibility obviously, but what is it you do essentially, uh, for the, for the business there at Coca-Cola and how do you, how do you leave? Like how does that work? What does your group look

Diego Martinez (26:07):

On this current role? I’m responsible for gathering all the requirements from the business or the business are all the operating units or the operating manufacturing operating units that the company has around the world. So we have basically two big groups. One group is international concentrate, manufacturing world is composed of 18 facilities. And then we have CCNA is Coca-Cola North America. Then they have also manufacturing facilities, different types of facilities there, another bunch of operations there. So basically my responsibility has been able to gather what are the requirements from those operations to be able to operate and then say, well, then there is, are, are there standards that we can actually, um, apply across those other facilities or do we actually need to have different processes? So that’s one of the big elements we are trying to standardize and digitize the supply chain. So those facilities have been coming into play either from acquisitions.

Diego Martinez (27:04):

So from they have different ages, different technologies. Uh, so there is a big spectrum of, uh, uh, technology and history that is behind those facilities that make them different and they are not necessarily the same. So it is a challenge to have standardized processes and standardized equipment. So he’s kind of making a balance between how can we just apply standards and try to digitize and modernize these facilities without investing a significant amount of money, which is requires to have a return on that investment. So that’s, that’s a balance that has to be in place there. So it’s really collecting those requirements and working with insert a group of people that are going to help us to say, you know, can we use those standards? Can we just use the basic functionality that SAP is providing? Because that’s what we are deploying, where deploying as for HANA, which is the new system, do we need to customize the CP to accommodate to the differences between those facilities?

Diego Martinez (28:02):

Or could we just transfer the business process on those facilities to be able to use the standards that are coming with? There’s a piece of whenever we need to migrate in the future to another version or upgrade SAP, then we don’t have to go through this customization process again, so we can actually reduce the cost on, on deployment the system. So that’s one portion of the work. And the other portion of the work is saying, well, we have information that is sitting in SAP, then web, if we want to digitize them, the manufacturing process, and then have more visibility on what actually happens at the shop floor, then we need to pass information down and then we also need to bring information out. So doing that vertical integration is a key element that I’m also really focused on at the moment. So that’s where I kind of had their hard moment from the meeting with, with SAP named last August.

Diego Martinez (28:53):

And then from there we learned, okay, this is the tool that you need to use because it’s right there. I mean, you’re going to have it anyway. You just better use it the proper way. So that’s where we learn all the functionalities. And there is an [inaudible] SAP MII, which is a tool that we are using. And then that’s the one that is allowing us to do all the intelligence portion of it. And which is the intelligence, the AI of the MII that we were not using before. And then we were only using the interface. So that’s, that’s what we are doing at the moment. And I think we’ll touch base on that later on with when we get into more detail. But

Ben Harris (29:28):

What about the facilities themselves, Diego, like, you know, you think about your older facilities with other pieces of technology, let’s say it’s not SAP for, for HANA. Um, if you could illustrate to our, to our listeners kind of, you know, what it feels like, you know, running those older facilities under the older technology and the difference digitally, you know, after the upgrade, what does that feel? What does it look like? What’s, what’s the big difference in pay off for you guys? When you think about digital transformation?

Diego Martinez (29:59):

I, I wouldn’t be able to answer to that question maybe in a year from now, we are regarding that process. So we’ll see, we’ll see how that comes out to be, because I mean, at the moment, um, we are, we’re working towards, uh, digitizing, uh, the manufacturing side as part of the supply chain. Uh, but I think we are having the right tools in place that are, it’s kind of a combination of using the tools that come with SAP, that we can actually apply on facilities that are highly automated, but also at the same time that I know how you automate it, and then they can benefit using the same interface, but that’s what we’re pursuing at the moment or how that is going to be coming out. Um, it would be, it would be a, maybe a subject for another, for another conversation in the future saying, Hey, this is the outcome of what we were dreaming and while we were working on, so it is an IP project at the moment and that’s what we’re working on.

Diego Martinez (30:54):

But then, uh, everything that we’re doing so far is, is looking, I go down and we have a lot of support from, from SAP and have the right resources that they can provide insights. And again, I mean the ideas on the strategy that they are following for digital manufacturing. Yeah. This makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Is unified this phase where we can have information that is, you don’t have to integrate point by point, but basically you have information that can be published and then being read depending on who is, who is the entity that needs it, whether it’s somebody at the ERP level with somebody that is sitting in a chocolate level, then you just need to get the information, wherever that information is available.

Ben Harris (31:33):

Hey Diego, real quick, because the supply chain city series right here on supply chain now should have first right. Of refusal for that future episode. All right. Can we, can we get your sign off on that? Can we go ahead

Diego Martinez (31:45):

And lock in or should it, yes. Yeah, of course.

Ben Harris (31:48):

Lots of, lots of learnings. It sounds like, uh, now, and, uh, as, as implementation continues to roll out, you know, a year or so from now,

Diego Martinez (31:56):

I got you. He’s going to be a, I mean, it’s a journey, you know, so we, we have some kind of on faces. We said, okay, well, this phase one is going to cover these elements. And then that’s building the baseline that you can actually go from there and start building on top of it. So basically, uh, I believe we are building the, kind of the solid foundation for being able to digitize the manufacturing process as part of the whole digital and digitalization of the supply chains. But that’s, that’s going to be very useful for the rest of the team members that are working on the rest of the supply chain. So at lead, we are working on the piece of the portion of it that that is the manufacturing. So they permission that is required for training these readily

Mike Lackey (32:40):

Available. And you can provide insights to wherever it needs, that information, the rest of the supply chain.

Ben Harris (32:46):

And my, you you’ve worked with obviously a lot of folks, including Coca-Cola in this case. I mean, this is a great opportunity with the amount of companies that you work with, but also the types of operations and types of engagements that you’ve been involved in. What’s, what’s the hope, I guess, you know, for Coca Cola, you know, with your engagement with them, is, is, are there some metrics that kind of, you know, you’re shooting for? There are some common themes that you’ve seen across other organizations are trying to do something similar around digital transformation.

Mike Lackey (33:13):

Well, you know what, I just heard what Diego saying. I don’t think people realize that the total impact on manufacturing, we talked about standardization is protecting Coca-Cola’s most important intellectual property. And that is that this brand, you know, consistency is everything. When you weather, whatever, you know, what is the diet, Coke, Coke, zero Coke, when you pop that, can there, there’s a reaction you’re expecting to have, and when they’re standardizing, it doesn’t matter where it’s manufactured. Their supply chain just got more resilient. He can move production as he needs it because he has to enter disease. Yep. And, you know, my job is to support the vision that Diego in Coca-Cola or our other customers have. So when I hear what he’s, you know, Diego’s talking about, you can see, you know, the path that they’re on that journey and how far along they are on it. And, uh, I think that’s real important. You got to have that vision and he does, they definitely have it. My job is to support him and his team and the Coca Cola organization. So that, that, that brand, that is such the fabric of Atlanta, right. I mean, uh, Delta airlines is, you know, Georgia Pacific ups, ups is so important to us and, you know, being in Atlanta and, uh, yeah, that’s what, that’s what I loved about the standardization.

Ben Harris (34:34):

Yeah. Well, to that point, that’s a, that’s a, a perfect way to transition. Also, we talk about supply chain, city, and some of the partnerships with the companies that you mentioned. I mean, Coca-Cola, like you said, is Atlanta, you know, ups is the home Depot GP, all these companies, obviously supply chain related companies or companies that are enabled by supply chain, as far as, you know, some of the other partnerships and some of the work you’ve done that you talked about earlier about your footprint here in Atlanta, who are some of the folks that you work most extensively, you know, here in, here in the Metro area and really Georgia and Georgia for that matter. Yeah.

Mike Lackey (35:10):

Uh, I mean, you know, one that I spent a lot of time with because their challenges coming from, you know, from, uh, from China and in, in the, uh, in APJ was the Caterpillar facility in Athens, Georgia. That division makes the small excavator and they have, uh, we were just talking and, you know, I said, one day we, you know, we come to work and we had about 22 competitors, and now we have 52, you know, overnight lot of them coming from, you know, uh, China and other areas of, of the, uh, Asia Pacific and the impact it had on their business. They had to change quick. And, you know, they really had to change their process. How do you get standardization like Diego was talking about, but they really had to change the way they looked at business. And they realized that their value to their customer was the dealer.

Mike Lackey (36:02):

So getting more digitizing just doesn’t mean data that we use internally in a plant, but it’s data that, that deeper can use to help service their customers. And, yeah, it was just a phenomenal transformation. Now that plant is that one of the marquee plants, you know, within, uh, the Caterpillar network of plants, uh, and that plant is doing extremely well and it’s growing and it’s expanding, creating more jobs. And I, I just love it. And the fight that I love about it, right. Go there. I know this land I used to hide on this land. It was owned by the orchids, you know, which of the pest control, and you start tying this all together. And I just started laughing. It’s like what a small world. It is, uh, how they, you know, the brands may change. But the origins of what started here in Georgia are just phenomenal.

Mike Lackey (36:48):

They’re a terrific one. You know, we had, uh, Phillips medical had made a lot of the, you know, the respirators here in Atlanta for a great up in Marietta for a great period of time. Uh, I cannot tell you, I’ve learned more about paper and Georgia Pacific down in their plant, down in Pula, Pooler, Georgia. I love that, you know, got to go through Pooler where you going into everyone to Pooler Georgia, you know, down by Savannah, but that facility is phenomenal and what they’ve done from an environmental standpoint. And we can’t talk about the supply chain without talking about sustainability and the impact on the environment, you know, circular economy we’re using. And I tell you between Coca-Cola and Georgia Pacific, and a lot of, you know, you can even Caterpillar they’re redefining for global companies, what sustainable operations really mean. And, uh, so th th that’s, those are some of the companies that really jumped out to me that just, you know, are leaders in their industry leaders, uh, in this community and, you know, on a global basis.

Scott Luton (37:45):

Yeah. I’ve toured that, uh, Caterpillar operation, uh, and it’s out, out near my neck of the woods in the Metro Atlanta area. And, um, not only it fascinating tour by the way, but they also give back, they, they open up the operation for university students come out and put their eyes and ears and hands own a manufacturing operation and see it. And that is so important from a variety. We can, we can all probably remember our first factory tour, right, is such a great thing to do for the next generation of manufacturing and, and really end to end supply chain. And, and, and for that matter, global business talent, so loved to see operations that understand and embrace that role. So, Ben, as we’ve heard from Diego and Mike share some of their experiences and perspectives and, and insights, what’s one been one of your favorite aspects of what they’re sharing here are common themes for that matter.

Ben Harris (38:39):

Just digital transformation is probably the biggest thing, I mean, is whether you’re a large or a small company. I mean, if you’re not, if that is not the number one priority of what you’re doing right now is being consumer centric and making your supply chain so that it is extremely flexible to customers’ needs and what they in speed almost right now, speed, and then availability obviously, and everything that comes after that with digital transformation. I mean, if you’re, if that’s not the top of your list on things that you’re working on in your supply chain organization or your company, it needs to be. Yeah. And I, I just think that that having that front and center to me is, is by far the most important thing. And I think it was perfectly illustrated, you know, through this, uh, through this great conversation we just

Scott Luton (39:27):

Agreed and how it’s powering as Mike mentioned, the sustainability movement. Love it so much more conversations we’ll have around that. All right. Couple of final questions here. So Diego, back to you, uh, beyond what we’re talking about here with digital transformation and all the, the, uh, the initiatives that you’re leading there at the Coca-Cola company, when you survey global supply chain right now, again, and this historically challenging year of 20, 20, what’s one other trend or topic or development that you’re tracking more than others right now,

Diego Martinez (39:59):

A couple of things that I I’m really into it, um, uh, digital twin is one of them. So being able to kind of get enough information to a knowledge as well, to be able to create a digital twin for a multiplication operation, as opposed to, um, a digital twin for a product. So it is really more on the manufacturing. I would like to recreate a [inaudible] part of our operations. We can actually see those simulations on and then being able to simulate virtually and then kind of connected to, to the real process and then being able to change and simulate on, on the vitriol and the digital twin. What is it that you can do? I mean, it’s still, we are still away from that, but that is a dream that I think is going to have a significant impact on productivity and, uh, improving operational efficiencies on the manufacturing on the manufacturing side.

Diego Martinez (40:53):

So that was one of them. And then, uh, again, combining that with artificial intelligence and all these algorithms that are enabling you to actually bring value to the, to the manufacturing things, problems that are only being able to be handled by humans today, and then not necessarily on an optimal fashion, like you have different conflicting information from different points, different protectives, and then somebody makes a decision and then not necessarily something they did on the other side. So that having, having that model in place, we’ll be able to bring artificial intelligence into making, and then potentially organizing the approach and scale automatically without intervention from people, which is something that is hard to obtain nowadays. So that’s, that’s one, one, one of the, the kind of technologies that I’m looking at at the moment. And then the other one is, uh, really on and getting the vertical integration.

Diego Martinez (41:58):

Uh, we, on the manufacturing side, there is day. We normally, they, uh, if somebody is familiar with this, we have the Purdue model, the Purdue model on the automation side, it has layers different levels, being able to get that vertical integration. And then using that unify this page that I mentioned earlier, that to me, is another objective that we have is basically creating, uh, the ability of connecting the different layers. And then the is going to enable again, to bring data, create a network, as opposed to just the one-to-one connections in, in, in the different layers of the automation. So instead of being a layer, then converting that layers into a network, um, that is in there is, is known as the unified space. So that is the other one that I’m following up very closely just to make sure how we can actually continue our journey and then going in that direction. Um, cause those two combined the vertical integration providing the data is going to enable to have the digital twin that I mentioned earlier. So I think those two are going to be significant importance in the future. So those, those are two that are new words, new things that are coming out there, some facilities or some, um, companies may be much more ahead. Uh, but then doesn’t definitely something that I’m watching very closely.

Ben Harris (43:19):

Ben, you ever feel like you’re in a conversation that’s about five pay, pay grades above where you are. Diego’s a whole different level. I mean, just as he described that he’s so more advanced than I ever got, most of my background was more so logistics related and hearing Mike, you and Diego go deep and the manufacturing space is just, it’s fascinating to me. So we have really appreciate your insight there. We have new degrees leaving this, this product.

Diego Martinez (43:46):

All right. Yeah. You just saw a day in my life here. You know, when I sit down with Diego, he is, this is, this is digital twin, you know, have you helped me get the digital thread? Okay. We tell you beyond that. And then when I’m getting artificial intelligence in my, you know, in your solutions that I can take advantage of Windsor roadmap is nonstop. And when you have customers like Coke and Diego out there that are pushing you, that’s what makes, you know, that’s what makes you stay young. That’s what make us SAP. We, our day is because of our customers and that push to never stop because they’re never stopping. And, and that’s, you know, it’s just great that, uh, you know, that all this has happened to here in Atlanta and you know, we talk about supply chain, city, you know, Atlanta is there at the top and it’s just terrific.

Mike Lackey (44:32):

Yep.

Scott Luton (44:32):

Agreed, uh, love what you just shared there. All right. So let’s, let’s wrap, make sure we’re going to make sure our audience knows how to connect with everybody here, but my really quick reader’s digest version. What’s one thing I know you’re tracking 17,000 things, but what’s one thing relevant to this conversation that you’re tracking in global supply chain right now.

Mike Lackey (44:51):

So the big thing for me is, is our customers are asking, Hey, I need five years with the innovation in 18 months. And cloud computing offers a lot of that. Now in manufacturing, there’s a couple of things, performance, stability, and security, right? So I’m really, really following and working with these hyperscalers to edge computing because when we get that right, then the plants always on, you can do the heavy lifting the cloud. But man, you know, at the plant level I give you 20, we can do 24 seven, always on, if you lose the connection I give you sub-second response time, collect it, analyze it, tell that machine what to do, you know, 150 milliseconds and Diego tell me, Mike, I need 50 milliseconds, you know, but that speed and that’s that is making the cloud, which means we can roll out fast. You know, we can give you that innovation quicker, if we can address that performance speed, that stability speed and the security at the plant level. So cloud compute, I mean, edge computing, there’s a lot of it going on or things I’m really, you know, got my eye on in 5g, of course, which is a big part of that, uh, coming up outstanding problems, a lot of promise.

Scott Luton (46:01):

Well, and you know, one of the things just started coming full circle where our conversation started is the talent that is here in Metro Atlanta from a technology standpoint, that’s, that’s on the cutting edge of a lot of that stuff. So great advantage, uh, for, for working and living in this market here. Um, all right. So, and I love your phrase hyperscalers. I’m going to still, that’s going to be the other thing I steal from this conversation. So if I used something might just, just send us an invoice. You got it. All right. So Ben so much good stuff. Let’s make sure that, that our listeners can connect both with Diego and Mike and yourself. Uh, cause we love our partnership with the Metro Atlanta chamber. So Diego Martinez with the Coca-Cola company. How can our listeners connect with you and learn more about some of the things you shared here today?

Mike Lackey (46:46):

Give giving page. So it would be to point is to that that would be the best way. Yeah,

Scott Luton (46:54):

Definitely. What two people in the world, uh, aren’t familiar with the Coca-Cola company. So great to always, I love these opportunities where we kind of hear some of the thought leadership behind these big brands that we’re all real familiar with. So thanks so much for taking time with us, Mike, same question for you. How can our listeners get in touch with you and the SAP team,

Mike Lackey (47:13):

You know, in this new digital world, there’s a lot on our website, sap.com the self-service, but you know, I love talking to customers part of what I need, you know, what I, my responsibility to do the stay ahead. So, you know, Mike not lackey@sap.com. He welcome to drop me an email and, and uh,

Ben Harris (47:30):

You know, we’ll be more happy to get back with you. You know,

Scott Luton (47:32):

I love episodes where we have a couple of guests that are, you can feel the passion for what they do and how much they love it. And we’ve this episode had that in spades. So I know you enjoyed that as much as I did.

Ben Harris (47:45):

Yeah. I think just that user and provider relationship and having that, you know, it’s basically, it’s a case study that we have on the show and being able to talk about it from both sides is literally why our listeners, you know, we’re here to listen to hear that kind of stuff. So it’s just a phenomenal show. My Diego Scott, and just a phenomenal all around really appreciate you guys taking the time today,

Scott Luton (48:06):

Danny. We’re not gonna let you get away with that just yet been, uh, and you know, one last comment about what you just shared there, you know, of course we love the Metro Atlanta area. We love being here and working here and growing businesses here, but this conversation really shows how listeners, wherever they are, can learn a lot from the supply chain city series. So, uh, on that note that wouldn’t, uh, that wouldn’t be possible without, of course great sponsors like SAP, but great partners like you in the Metro Atlanta chamber. So how can folks connect with you in the chamber?

Ben Harris (48:34):

Www.metroatlantachamber.com is probably the easiest. Obviously you can find us on LinkedIn or Facebook or Twitter, a lot of different places you can find us. And then you can also find me on LinkedIn as well. It’s just at Benjamin J. Harris one, uh, is the backslash on there. So look forward to connecting with the, uh, obviously the audience are going forward and very happy about the episode. They, so thanks so much for everybody’s time. You bet.

Scott Luton (49:00):

Let note a big, thanks to Diego Martinez with the Coca-Cola company, Mike Lackey with SAP, and of course, Ben Harris, my guest co-host here, uh, who hails from the Metro Atlanta chamber, great partners there. So to our listeners, hopefully you enjoyed this episode as much as we have here. Gosh, I got a couple of degrees going through this last hour. Um, you can learn more about us@supplychainnow.com. Ben, we have dropped the radio here. Uh, it’s been in the works for quite some time.

Ben Harris (49:28):

Yes, you have indeed so much more than obviously than radio show. You guys have done a phenomenal job here at supply chain now, and I think you are turning into your own economic development here. Your story Scott is, as you guys are building out the team, it’s been pretty, it’s been an amazing ride

Scott Luton (49:45):

And it’s been a testimony to great partners like you, but great content and business leaders and thought leaders like Mike and Diego. That’s what it’s all about. That’s our North star. Uh, so to our listeners, Hey challenge, you all like we challenge ourselves, do good gift forward and be the change that’s needed. And with that said, we’ll see next time here on supply chain now.

Would you rather watch the show in action?

Watch as Scott and Ben welcome Diego Martinez and Mike Lackey to Supply Chain Now through our YouTube channel.

Featured Guests

Diego Martinez is the Business Process Director- Production Execution with The Coca-Cola Company. Diego was born and raised in Colombia, South America, and is now US citizen. A mechanical engineer, Diego joined Coca-Cola in Colombia 23 years ago as operations manager, transitioned to Santiago de Chile in 1999 as production manager, then was appointed in a global role as process improvement manager in 2006. Diego became the global engineering manager for the concentrate manufacturing plants in 2009 and in June 2019 joined group responsible to transition Coca-Cola from SAP ECC6 to SAP 4HANA as Business Process Director for Production Execution within the Supply Chain.

Mike Lackey joined SAP in 2008 through the acquisition of Visiprise and is the Global Head of Solution Management, Digital Manufacturing. With previous roles at Visiprise, NetVendor and Teradyne Manufacturing Software Group, Mr. Lackey has a unique set of knowledge that covers both manufacturing software and design collaboration along with over 30 years of experience in the manufacturing sector. Early in his career, he started as a manufacturing engineer with DCA/Attachmate, which provided him with invaluable first-hand knowledge and understanding of how SAP customers can use SAP’s Digital Manufacturing Solution Portfolio to improve their global operations. Mr. Lackey earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MA in Business Administration from Mercer University with dual concentrations in International Business and Marketing.

Ben Harris is Director of Supply Chain Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Ben comes to the Metro Atlanta Chamber after serving as Senior Manager, Market Development for Manhattan Associates. There, Ben was responsible for developing Manhattan’s sales pipeline and overall Americas supply chain marketing strategy. Ben oversaw market positioning, messaging and campaign execution to build awareness and drive new pipeline growth. Prior to joining Manhattan, Ben spent four years with the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Center of Innovation for Logistics where he played a key role in establishing the Center as a go-to industry resource for information, support, partnership building, and investment development. Additionally, he became a key SME for all logistics and supply chain-focused projects. Ben began his career at Page International, Inc. where he drove continuous improvement in complex global supply chain operations for a wide variety of businesses and Fortune 500 companies. An APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Ben holds an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration (EMBA) and bachelor’s degree in International Business (BBA) from the Terry College at the University of Georgia. Learn more about the Metro Atlanta Chamber here: www.metroatlantachamber.com

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Demo Perez started his career in 1997 in the industry by chance when a relative asked him for help for two just weeks putting together an operation for FedEx Express at the Colon Free Zone, an area where he was never been but accepted the challenge. Worked in all roles possible from a truck driver to currier to a sales representative, helped the brand introduction, market share growth and recognition in the Colon Free Zone, at the end of 1999 had the chance to meet and have a chat with Fred Smith ( FedEx CEO), joined another company in 2018 who took over the FedEx operations as Operations and sales manager, in 2004 accepted the challenge from his company to leave the FedEx operations and business to take over the operation and business of DHL Express, his major competitor and rival so couldn’t say no, by changing completely its operation model in the Free Zone. In 2005 started his first entrepreneurial journey by quitting his job and joining two friends to start a Freight Forwarding company. After 8 months was recruited back by his company LSP with the General Manager role with the challenge of growing the company and make it fully capable warehousing 3PL. By 2009 joined CSCMP and WERC and started his journey of learning and growing his international network and high-level learning. In 2012 for the first time joined a local association ( the Panama Maritime Chamber) and worked in the country’s first Logistics Strategy plan, joined and lead other associations ending as president of the Panama Logistics Council in 2017. By finishing his professional mission at LSP with a company that was 8 times the size it was when accepted the role as GM with so many jobs generated and several young professionals coached, having great financial results, took the decision to move forward and start his own business from scratch by the end of 2019. with a friend and colleague co-founded IPL Group a company that started as a boutique 3PL and now is gearing up for the post-Covid era by moving to the big leagues.

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Ben Harris is the Director of Supply Chain Ecosystem Expansion for the Metro Atlanta Chamber. Ben comes to the Metro Atlanta Chamber after serving as Senior Manager, Market Development for Manhattan Associates. There, Ben was responsible for developing Manhattan’s sales pipeline and overall Americas supply chain marketing strategy. Ben oversaw market positioning, messaging and campaign execution to build awareness and drive new pipeline growth. Prior to joining Manhattan, Ben spent four years with the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s Center of Innovation for Logistics where he played a key role in establishing the Center as a go-to industry resource for information, support, partnership building, and investment development. Additionally, he became a key SME for all logistics and supply chain-focused projects. Ben began his career at Page International, Inc. where he drove continuous improvement in complex global supply chain operations for a wide variety of businesses and Fortune 500 companies. An APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Ben holds an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration (EMBA) and bachelor’s degree in International Business (BBA) from the Terry College at the University of Georgia.

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Page Siplon

Host, The Freight Insider

Prior to joining TeamOne Logistics, Page Siplon served as the Executive Director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Logistics, the State’s leading consulting resource for fueling logistics industry growth and global competitiveness. For over a decade, he directly assisted hundreds of companies to overcome challenges and capitalize on opportunities related to the movement of freight. During this time, Siplon was also appointed to concurrently serve the State of Georgia as Director of the larger Centers of Innovation Program, in which he provided executive leadership and vision for all six strategic industry-focused Centers. As a frequently requested keynote speaker, Siplon is called upon to address a range of audiences on unique aspects of technology, workforce, and logistics. This often includes topics of global and domestic logistics trends, supply chain visibility, collaboration, and strategic planning. He has also been quoted as an industry expert in publications such as Forbes, Journal of Commerce, Fortune, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, American Express, DC Velocity, Area Development Magazine, Site Selection Magazine, Inbound Logistics, Modern Material Handling, and is frequently a live special guest on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Radio Show. Siplon is an active industry participant, recognized by DC Velocity Magazine as a “2012 Logistics Rainmaker” which annually identifies the top-ten logistics professionals in the Nation; and named a “Pro to Know” by Supply & Demand Executive Magazine in 2014. Siplon was also selected by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the “Top 100 Most Influential Georgians” for 2013, 2014, and 2015. He also serves various industry leadership roles at both the State and Federal level. Governor Nathan Deal nominated Siplon to represent Georgia on a National Supply Chain Competitiveness Advisory Committee, where he was appointed to a two-year term by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and was then appointed to serve as its vice-chairman. At the State level, he was selected by then-Governor Sonny Perdue to serve as lead consultant on the Commission for New Georgia’s Freight and Logistics Task Force. In this effort, Siplon led a Private Sector Advisory Committee with invited executives from a range of private sector stakeholders including UPS, Coca-Cola, The Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Pacific, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Siplon honorably served a combined 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. During this time, he led the integration of encryption techniques and deployed cryptographic devices for tactically secure voice and data platforms in critical ground-to-air communication systems. This service included support for all branches of the Department of Defense, multiple federal security agencies, and aiding NASA with multiple Space Shuttle launches. Originally from New York, Siplon received both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering with a focus on digital signal processing from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He earned an associate’s degree in advanced electronic systems from the Air Force College and completed multiple military leadership academies in both the Marines and Air Force. Siplon currently lives in Cumming, Georgia (north of Atlanta), with his wife Jan, and two children Thomas (19) and Lily (15).

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Kristi Porter

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kristi Porter is VP of Sales and Marketing at Vector Global Logistics, a company that is changing the world through supply chain. In her role, she oversees all marketing efforts and supports the sales team in doing what they do best. In addition to this role, she is the Chief Do-Gooder at Signify, which assists nonprofits and social impact companies through copywriting and marketing strategy consulting. She has almost 20 years of professional experience, and loves every opportunity to help people do more good.

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Sofia Rivas Herrera

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

Sofia Rivas Herrera is a Mexican Industrial Engineer from Tecnologico de Monterrey class 2019. Upon graduation, she earned a scholarship to study MIT’s Graduate Certificate in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and graduated as one of the Top 3 performers of her class in 2020. She also has a multicultural background due to her international academic experiences at Singapore Management University and Kühne Logistics University in Hamburg. Sofia self-identifies as a Supply Chain enthusiast & ambassador sharing her passion for the field in her daily life.

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Katherine Hintz

Sales and Marketing Coordinator

Katherine is a marketing professional and MBA candidate who strives to unite her love of people with a passion for positive experiences. Having a diverse background, which includes nonprofit work with digital marketing and start-ups, she serves as a leader who helps people live their most creative lives by cultivating community, order, collaboration, and respect. With equal parts creativity and analytics, she brings a unique skill set which fosters refining, problem solving, and connecting organizations with their true vision. In her free time, you can usually find her looking for her cup of coffee, playing with her puppy Charlie, and dreaming of her next road trip.

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Kim Winter

Host, Supply Chain Now

The founder of Logistics Executive Group, Kim Winter delivers 40 years of executive leadership experience spanning Executive Search & Recruitment, Leadership Development, Executive Coaching, Corporate Advisory, Motivational Speaking, Trade Facilitation and across the Supply Chain, Logistics, 3PL, E-commerce, Life Science, Cold Chain, FMCG, Retail, Maritime, Defence, Aviation, Resources, and Industrial sectors. Operating from the company’s global offices, he is a regular contributor of thought leadership to industry and media, is a professional Master of Ceremonies, and is frequently invited to chair international events.

He is a Board member of over a dozen companies throughout APAC, India, and the Middle East, a New Zealand citizen, he holds formal resident status in Australia and the UAE, and is the Australia & New Zealand representative for the UAE Government-owned Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), the Middle East’s largest Economic Free Zone.

A triathlete and ex-professional rugby player, Kim is a qualified (IECL Sydney) executive coach and the Founder / Chairman of the successful not for profit humanitarian organization, Oasis Africa (www. oasisafrica.org.au), which has provided freedom from poverty through education to over 8000 mainly orphaned children in East Africa’s slums. Kim holds an MBA and BA from Massey & Victoria Universities (NZ).

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Adrian Purtill

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Adrian Purtill serves as Business Development Manager at Vector Global Logistics, where he consults with importers and exporters in various industries to match their specific shipping requirements with the most effective supply chain solutions. Vector Global Logistics is an asset-free, multi-modal logistics company that provides exceptional sea freight, air freight, truck, rail, general logistic services and consulting for our clients. Our highly trained and professional team is committed to providing creative and effective solutions, always exceeding our customer’s expectations and fostering long-term relationships. With more than 20+ years of experience in both strategy consulting and logistics, Vector Global Logistics is your best choice to proactively minimize costs while having an exceptional service level.

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Kevin Brown

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Kevin Brown is the Director of Business Development for Vector Global Logistics.  He has a dedicated interest in Major Account Management, Enterprise Sales, and Corporate Leadership. He offers 25 years of exceptional experience and superior performance in the sales of Logistics, Supply Chain, and Transportation Management. Kevin is a dynamic, high-impact, sales executive and corporate leader who has consistently exceeded corporate goals. He effectively coordinates multiple resources to solution sell large complex opportunities while focusing on corporate level contacts across the enterprise. His specialties include targeting and securing key accounts by analyzing customer’s current business processes and developing solutions to meet their corporate goals. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

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Jose Miguel Irarrazaval

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Jose Manuel Irarrazaval es parte del equipo de Vector Global Logistics Chile. José Manuel es un gerente experimentado con experiencia en finanzas corporativas, fusiones y adquisiciones, financiamiento y reestructuración, inversión directa y financiera, tanto en Chile como en el exterior. José Manuel tiene su MBA de la Universidad de Pennsylvania- The Wharton School. Conéctese con Jose Manuel en LinkedIn.

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Nick Roemer

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Nick Roemer has had a very diverse and extensive career within design and sales over the last 15 years stretching from China, Dubai, Germany, Holland, UK, and the USA. In the last 5 years, Nick has developed a hawk's eye for sustainable tech and the human-centric marketing and sales procedures that come with it. With his far-reaching and strong network within the logistics industry, Nick has been able to open new avenues and routes to market within major industries in the USA and the UAE. Nick lives by the ethos, “Give more than you take." His professional mission is to make the logistics industry leaner, cleaner and greener.

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Allison Giddens

Host, Logistics with Purpose

Allison Krache Giddens has been with Win-Tech, a veteran-owned small business and aerospace precision machine shop, for 15 years, recently buying the company from her mentor and Win-Tech’s Founder, Dennis Winslow. She and her business partner, John Hudson now serve as Co-Presidents, leading the 33-year old company through the pandemic.

She holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice from the University of Georgia, a Masters in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, a Masters in Manufacturing from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Certificate of Finance from the University of Georgia. She also holds certificates in Google Analytics, event planning, and Cybersecurity Risk Management from Harvard online. Allison founded the Georgia Chapter of Women in Manufacturing and currently serves as Treasurer. She serves on the Chattahoochee Technical College Foundation Board as its Secretary, the liveSAFE Resources Board of Directors as Resource Development Co-Chair, and on the Leadership Cobb Alumni Association Board as Membership Chair and is also a member of Cobb Executive Women. She is on the Board for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce’s Northwest Area Councils. Allison runs The Dave Krache Foundation, a non-profit that helps pay sports fees for local kids in need.

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Billy Taylor

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Billy Taylor is a Proven Business Excellence Practitioner and Leadership Guru with over 25 years leading operations for a Fortune 500 company, Goodyear. He is also the CEO of LinkedXL (Excellence), a Business Operating Systems Architecting Firm dedicated to implementing sustainable operating systems that drive sustainable results. Taylor’s achievements in the industry have made him a Next Generational Lean pacesetter with significant contributions.

An American business executive, Taylor has made a name for himself as an innovative and energetic industry professional with an indispensable passion for his craft of operational excellence. His journey started many years ago and has worked with renowned corporations such as The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) leading multi-site operations. With over 3 decades of service leading North America operations, he is experienced in a deeply rooted process driven approach in customer service, process integrity for sustainability.

A disciple of continuous improvement, Taylor’s love for people inspires commitment to helping others achieve their full potential. He is a dynamic speaker and hosts "The Winning Link," a popular podcast centered on business and leadership excellence with the #1 rated Supply Chain Now Network. As a leadership guru, Taylor has earned several invitations to universities, international conferences, global publications, and the U.S. Army to demonstrate how to achieve and sustain effective results through cultural acceptance and employee ownership. Leveraging the wisdom of his business acumen, strong influence as a speaker and podcaster Taylor is set to release "The Winning Link" book under McGraw Hill publishing in 2022. The book is a how-to manual to help readers understand the management of business interactions while teaching them how to Deine, Align, and Execute Winning in Business.

A servant leader, Taylor, was named by The National Diversity Council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in the country in 2021. He features among Oklahoma's Most Admired CEOs and maintains key leadership roles with the Executive Advisory Board for The Shingo Institute "The Nobel Prize of Operations" and The Association of Manufacturing Excellence (AME); two world-leading organizations for operational excellence, business development, and cultural learning.  He is also an Independent Director for the M-D Building Products Board, a proud American manufacturer of quality products since 1920.

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Lori Sofian

Marketing Coordinator

Lori is currently completing a degree in marketing with an emphasis in digital marketing at the University of Georgia. When she’s not supporting the marketing efforts at Supply Chain Now, you can find her at music festivals – or working toward her dream goal of a fashion career. Lori is involved in many extracurricular activities and appreciates all the learning experiences UGA has brought her.

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Chantel King

Social Media Manager

My name is Chantel King and I am the Social Media Specialist at Supply Chain Now. My job is to make sure our audience is engaged and educated on the abundant amount of information the supply chain industry has to offer.

Social Media and Communications has been my niche ever since I graduated from college at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco. No, I am not a West Coast girl. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but my travel experience goes way beyond the garden state. My true passion is in creating editorial and graphic content that influences others to be great in whatever industry they are in. I’ve done this by working with lifestyle, financial, and editorial companies by providing resources to enhance their businesses.

Another passion of mine is trying new things. Whether it’s food, an activity, or a sport. I would like to say that I am an adventurous Taurus that never shies away from a new quest or challenge.

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Trisha Cordes

Administrative Assistant

Trisha is new to the supply chain industry – but not to podcasting. She’s an experienced podcast manager and virtual assistant who also happens to have 20 years of experience as an elementary school teacher. It’s safe to say, she’s passionate about helping people, and she lives out that passion every day with the Supply Chain Now team, contributing to scheduling and podcast production.

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Clay Phillips

Business Development Manager

Clay is passionate about two things: supply chain and the marketing that goes into it. Recently graduated with a degree in marketing at the University of Georgia, Clay got his start as a journalism major and inaugural member of the Owl’s football team at Kennesaw State University – but quickly saw tremendous opportunity in the Terry College of Business. He’s already putting his education to great use at Supply Chain Now, assisting with everything from sales and brand strategy to media production. Clay has contributed to initiatives such as our leap into video production, the guest blog series, and boosting social media presence, and after nearly two years in Supply Chain Now’s Marketing Department, Clay now heads up partnership and sales initiatives with the help of the rest of the Supply Chain Now sales team.

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Amanda Luton

Vice President, Production

Amanda is a production and marketing veteran and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience across a variety of industries and organizations including Von Maur, Anthropologie, AmericasMart Atlanta, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Amanda currently manages, produces, and develops modern digital content for Supply Chain Now and their clients. Amanda has previously served as the VP of Information Systems and Webmaster on the Board of Directors for APICS Savannah, and founded and managed her own successful digital marketing firm, Magnolia Marketing Group. When she’s not leading the Supply Chain Now production team, you can find Amanda in the kitchen, reading, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time with family.

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Constantine Limberakis

Host

Constantine Limberakis is a thought leader in the area of procurement and supply management. He has over 20 years of international experience, playing strategic roles in a wide spectrum of organizations related to analyst advisory, consulting, product marketing, product development, and market research.Throughout his career, he's been passionate about engaging global business leaders and the broader analyst and technology community with strategic content, speaking engagements, podcasts, research, webinars, and industry articles.Constantine holds a BA in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA in Finance & Marketing / Masters in Public & International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

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Mary Kate Soliva

Host, Veteran Voices

Mary Kate Soliva is a veteran of the US Army and cofounder of the Guam Human Rights Initiative. She is currently in the Doctor of Criminal Justice program at Saint Leo University. She is passionate about combating human trafficking and has spent the last decade conducting training for military personnel and the local community.

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Kelly Barner

Host of Dial P for Procurement

Kelly is the Owner and Managing Director of Buyers Meeting Point and MyPurchasingCenter. She has been in procurement since 2003, starting as a practitioner and then as the Associate Director of Consulting at Emptoris. She has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point since 2009. Kelly is also the General Manager at Art of Procurement and Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business. Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College and she has co-authored three books: ‘Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals’, ‘Procurement at a Crossroads’, and ‘Finance Unleashed’.

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Enrique Alvarez

Host of Logistics with Purpose and Supply Chain Now en Español

Enrique serves as Managing Director at Vector Global Logistics and believes we all have a personal responsibility to change the world. He is hard working, relationship minded and pro-active. Enrique trusts that the key to logistics is having a good and responsible team that truly partners with the clients and does whatever is necessary to see them succeed. He is a proud sponsor of Vector’s unique results-based work environment and before venturing into logistics he worked for the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his time at BCG, he worked in different industries such as Telecommunications, Energy, Industrial Goods, Building Materials, and Private Banking. His main focus was always on the operations, sales, and supply chain processes, with case focus on, logistics, growth strategy, and cost reduction. Prior to joining BCG, Enrique worked for Grupo Vitro, a Mexican glass manufacturer, for five years holding different positions from sales and logistics manager to supply chain project leader in charge of five warehouses in Colombia.

He has an MBA from The Wharton School of Business and a BS, in Mechanical Engineer from the Technologico de Monterrey in Mexico. Enrique’s passions are soccer and the ocean, and he also enjoys traveling, getting to know new people, and spending time with his wife and two kids, Emma and Enrique.

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Kevin L. Jackson

Host of Digital Transformers

Kevin L. Jackson is a globally recognized Thought Leader, Industry Influencer and Founder/Author of the award winning “Cloud Musings” blog.  He has also been recognized as a “Top 5G Influencer” (Onalytica 2019, Radar 2020), a “Top 50 Global Digital Transformation Thought Leader” (Thinkers 360 2019) and provides strategic consulting and integrated social media services to AT&T, Intel, Broadcom, Ericsson and other leading companies. Mr. Jackson’s commercial experience includes Vice President J.P. Morgan Chase, Worldwide Sales Executive for IBM and SAIC (Engility) Director Cloud Solutions. He has served on teams that have supported digital transformation projects for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US Intelligence Community.  Kevin’s formal education includes a MS Computer Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School; MA National Security & Strategic Studies from Naval War College; and a BS Aerospace Engineering from the United States Naval Academy. Internationally recognizable firms that have sponsored articles authored by him include CiscoMicrosoft, Citrix and IBM.  Books include “Click to Transform” (Leaders Press, 2020), “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” (Packt, 2018), and “Practical Cloud Security: A Cross Industry View” (Taylor & Francis, 2016). He also delivers online training through Tulane UniversityO’Reilly MediaLinkedIn Learning, and Pluralsight.  Mr. Jackson retired from the U.S. Navy in 1994, earning specialties in Space Systems EngineeringCarrier Onboard Delivery Logistics and carrier-based Airborne Early Warning and Control. While active, he also served with the National Reconnaissance Office, Operational Support Office, providing tactical support to Navy and Marine Corps forces worldwide.

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Tyler Ward

Director of Sales

Tyler Ward serves as Supply Chain Now's Director of Sales. Born and raised in Mid-Atlantic, Tyler is a proud graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned his degree in Communications. After college, he made his way to the beautiful state of Oregon, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

With over a decade of experience in sales, Tyler has a proven track record of exceeding targets and leading high-performing teams. He credits his success to his ability to communicate effectively with customers and team members alike, as well as his strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

When he's not closing deals, you can find Tyler on the links or cheering on his favorite football and basketball teams. He also enjoys spending time with his family, playing pick-up basketball, and traveling back to Ocean City, Maryland, his favorite place!

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Chris Barnes

Principal, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain is Boring

Talk about world-class: Chris is one of the few professionals in the world to hold CPIM-F, CLTD-F and CSCP-F designations from ASCM/APICS. He’s also the APICS coach – and our resident Supply Chain Doctor. When he’s not hosting programs with Supply Chain Now, he’s sharing supply chain knowledge on the APICS Coach Youtube channel or serving as a professional education instructor for the Georgia Tech Supply Chain & Logistic Institute’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Center for Professional Education courses.

Chris earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Bradley University, an MBA with emphasis in Industrial Psychology from the University of West Florida, and is a Doctoral in Supply Chain Management candidate.

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Greg White

Principal & CMO, Supply Chain Now
Host of Supply Chain Now and TECHquila Sunrise

When rapid-growth technology companies, venture capital and private equity firms are looking for advisory, they call Greg – a founder, board director, advisor and catalyst of disruptive B2B technology and supply chain. An insightful visionary, Greg guides founders, investors and leadership teams in creating breakthroughs to gain market exposure and momentum – increasing overall company esteem and valuation.

Greg is a founder himself, creating Blue Ridge Solutions, a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader in cloud-native supply chain applications, and bringing to market Curo, a field service management solution. He has also held leadership roles with Servigistics (PTC) and E3 Corporation (JDA/Blue Yonder). As a principal and host at Supply Chain Now, Greg helps guide the company’s strategic direction, hosts industry leader discussions, community livestreams, and all in addition to executive producing and hosting his original YouTube channel and podcast, TEChquila Sunrise.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

As the founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now, you might say Scott is the voice of supply chain – but he’s too much of a team player to ever claim such a title. One thing’s for sure: he’s a tried and true supply chain expert. With over 15 years of experience in the end-to-end supply chain, Scott’s insights have appeared in major publications including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and CNN. He has also been named a top industry influencer by Thinkers360, ISCEA and more.

From 2009-2011, Scott was president of APICS Atlanta, and he continues to lead initiatives that support both the local business community and global industry. A United States Air Force Veteran, Scott has also regularly led efforts to give back to his fellow veteran community since his departure from active duty in 2002.

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