2024 has begun with tremendous challenges for the global supply chain, as the ongoing Red Sea crisis and the Panama Canal drought continue to escalate, impacting multiple key stakeholders. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, join hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson as they welcome Windward’s Co-Founder and CEO, Ami Daniel to the show, for an in-depth exploration of the current technology-driven supply chain landscape. Tune in and discover: How the transformative roles of AI and digitalization, including the use of Gen AI, can effectively manage ocean supply chains, even during these uncertain times Why Windward’s platform goes beyond standard visibility solutions, enabling its customers to manage by exception for efficient disruption management in the ocean logistics space Practical applications of AI for streamlined logistics management for navigating unpredictable hurdles

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and special guest host Claudia Freed, President & CEO of EALGreen, welcome Chuck Johnston, Chief Strategy Officer at ReturnPro, for a deep dive into the “dark side” of supply chain: reverse logistics and returns management. They unpack why returns are a nearly trillion-dollar challenge in the U.S., how BORIS (buy online, return in store) strains store operations, and why many retailers still under-invest: leaders often can’t see the full cost across functions or make the ROI case for what’s treated as a cost center. Chuck shares how the space has evolved from yellow notepads to data-driven decisioning, highlighting intelligent algorithms that route items at the customer’s first return click, fraud mitigation with imaging and behavior signals, and how third-party innovation is compressing software build times. Claudia adds a nonprofit and circularity lens: donation channels, extended tax credits, and AI pilots (computer vision + MCP agents) that identify item condition and slotting in real time. Together, they explore where to start, why cross-functional “ambassadors” matter, and how partnerships across retailers, manufacturers, nonprofits, and 3PLs can turn returns from margin erosion into measurable value and social impact.   This episode is hosted by…