Supply Chain Now
Episode 608

Episode Summary

“I think the best thing that Logan did, and why our relationship has been so incredible with Alloy, is because they came in and they said, we’re going to show you how to do this. Like you said, we’re going to show you what our mission statement is, why we’re trying to do this, here’s our objectives. Then not just show us how he does it, but show us how we can do it ourselves.”

-Katlyn Davis, Valvoline

 

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Greg White and Scott Luton welcome Logan Ensign with Alloy and Katlyn Davis with Valvoline to the show to discuss how sales and supply chain can work together for retail success.

Episode Transcript

Intro/Outro (00:03):

Welcome to supply chain. Now the voice of global supply chain supply chain now focuses on the best in the business for our worldwide audience, the people, the technologies, the best practices, and today’s critical issues. The challenges and opportunities stay tuned to hear from those making global business happen right here on supply chain. Now,

Scott Luton (00:33):

Then Scott Luton and Greg white with you here on supply chain. Now welcome to today’s live stream, Greg, how are you doing? I’m doing quite well. I can see that we both got new haircuts, so that’s good. Getting respectable for, for the community. I got to keep it that way, right? Yeah. Well, we have a great conversation today up here today. It’s been, it’s been a busy production week, but we’ve been looking for a forward to this one here today, diving into the neat story of really next generation business partnership. That’s powering supply chain success and in a way that really is benefiting the entire ecosystem. So we’re gonna be diving into the story of alloy and Valvoline. So Greg, we’ve been working on this for quite some time. This is going to be a good one. Yeah, it is next generation in every way.

Greg White (01:16):

I mean, we’re getting to see the next generation of technology and the next generation of supply chain professionals who Scott are well more educated than we are. Aren’t you glad we’re already in supply chain because I feel like we couldn’t get in now. We weren’t already excellent point an excellent point. It’d be like trying to be an offensive tackle in the NFL. I just wouldn’t make the cut, but, um, but nevertheless, great conversation teed up and I think there’s gonna be plenty of takeaway regardless of what aspect of supply chain or business you’re in these two, these two organizations really reinvented how they work together and, and, and it’s really blown up for everybody in, in a, in a great, great way. So quick programming note. So Greg, if folks enjoy this conversation, where should they, what should they do? Well, you know, what they ought to do, Scott is they audit, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts from go to our website, supply chain now.com or YouTube.

Greg White (02:13):

I put that just for you right there. Thank you. I think YouTube is a great vehicle for this. I mean, I don’t know about you, but Peter Bola and I, the other day, he’s got a problem with his convertible top on his Mustang. This is a supply chain professional part of our community. So he and I were going back and forth on this exchange. A totally different topic going, Hey, try this video. I think this will help you. So yeah, it’s a great vehicle. And you can learn a lot about supply chain. Now, you sure can supply chain now and tequila, sunrise, which is also on YouTube in podcast stream. So check that out wherever spelled just like that. Yeah. All right. So speaking of our community, our R D and thanks so much for all the comments this week hit episode 600 yesterday, which, you know, look, we don’t measure ourselves podcasts episodes, but when you’re, when you create content, it makes you think of everything went into all of those episodes and all the relationships. So really appreciate all the comments that we got from folks say hello to let’s see here. So Amanda, of course, Amanda and clay are behind the scenes along with Allie and Natalie here shortly. So hello, Amanda Lee Hoff Weber

Greg White (03:19):

From Houston, no container ships sucky. I think he means stuck, but what a great topic. I mean, I think the last three posts I’ve put out on LinkedIn in have been about companies waiting at port of Los Angeles. I’m thinking, just go through the canal. That’s right.

Scott Luton (03:39):

Smith is with us from probably cold New York city as Lee Davis. I’ll tell you, you can’t do it the last room these days without Gary at NASA. Leah, for sure. So great to have her here, Susan via LinkedIn is tuned in with this. So great. Great to have you as Susan [inaudible] hello from India via LinkedIn. Great to have you here, Samuel from Panama. Hello,

Greg White (04:03):

Two days in a row. That’s right too. And we won’t tell the boss.

Scott Luton (04:09):

Of course, you got to have David great episode with him not too long ago, a 25 minute interview on YouTube, by the way, find that T squared is with it’s great to have you back T squared. Good Friday Eve looking forward to the nourishment we are

Greg White (04:22):

To Eve. I like that. Finally,

Scott Luton (04:25):

John Perry. So hello, John. We’re looking forward to your sense of humor as always. And Todd rains,

Greg White (04:31):

The rain man. He is here.

Scott Luton (04:33):

It was neat to have him part of last week’s laughs from Hannon. Hello, Steve BSN. Hopefully you’re not. Yeah,

Greg White (04:38):

I can get for that already, by the way. So hopefully

Scott Luton (04:42):

Steve’s not riding that bike while he’s dialed in and typing. We’ll see. He may be just that town. Hey,

Greg White (04:48):

Always looking where you want to go. That’s the most important lesson of mountain biking. Don’t look where you don’t want to go.

Scott Luton (04:55):

All right. So hello everybody and welcome everybody. And especially those that we couldn’t get to, but we look forward to hearing your input as we wind our way through this great conversation, we’ve got teed up. So let’s buckle up and let’s introduce and bring in our two guests here today. We’re going to be featuring Katlyn Davis operation and sales analyst with Valvoline and Logan inside Logan inside vice-president client solutions with Alloway we’ll have, Hey, Hey, Logan and Katlyn. Good afternoon.

Logan Ensign (05:29):

Good afternoon. How are you guys? Good. Good.

Greg White (05:32):

It feels like we’ve already had this conversation. So now we’re just having it for the rest of the world, right?

Logan Ensign (05:38):

Yeah,

Greg White (05:38):

Exactly. Logan, welcome back.

Logan Ensign (05:42):

Thank you. Thank you. Excited to be on this morning or I guess afternoon, depending on, depending on where you are

Greg White (05:49):

Or evening. I mean, we’ve got people watching from 10 and a half hours ahead, so right. And in certain parts of the world, uh, gray celebrating

Scott Luton (05:58):

Friday Eve earnestly already. So welcoming everybody wherever you are. And let’s see here. So, and I’m glad you referenced Greg Logan’s previous appearance, uh, on supply chain now. Great podcast. We’ll drop that link in the comments. So before we get into the heavy lifting, we’ve got so much to talk with both of y’all about here today. And then Greg and I really been looking forward to this art as, uh, as, uh, as has our team. But let’s get to know you a little bit better. Let’s get to know maybe things you haven’t shared with folks starting with it is international waffle day, which I didn’t know is a thing, but it is a thing. And folks, our parades are taking place as we speak right now, they are. So let’s start with

Greg White (06:38):

Six waffles between each person.

Scott Luton (06:41):

So Katlyn, Katlyn Davis, what is, what is your favorite waffle? Whether it’s something you put in it or on top of it, what is it? Where did you get it?

Katlyn Davis (06:49):

Oh, that’s tough. Okay. So I was thinking, I’m thinking about this because I did know today’s international waffle day, I guess I’m in the know. So I think it depends on if you’re going for a Hardy waffle, you know, just a good Hardy waffle or a fancy waffle. So I would say you can’t go wrong with a waffle house waffle, you can’t go wrong. That that’s where I go. I would say the most often for a waffle, but I was in Amsterdam about a year and a half ago and I had the best waffle I’ve ever had. So that was an Amsterdam with Nutella and strawberries and all of the stuff that they put on it. And it was amazing.

Scott Luton (07:19):

Wow, man, making me hungry. It’s still in our heart, Greg with waffle house.

Greg White (07:23):

Nutella is food art that is largely lost on North America. Right? I think, I think that it is, yeah, it’s hazelnut butter, like kind of like peanut butter, so,

Scott Luton (07:34):

Okay. So that Logan, we’re gonna get you to weigh in. Where is your favorite waffle? What? What’s in it. What’s on it. And where do you get it,

Logan Ensign (07:41):

Man? Well, Katlyn stole the restaurant option there waffle house, especially middle of the night, maybe on a business trip. When you see that waffle house next to your hotel and you think I, I pick the right one here and then I think I just like straight whipped cream. It’s sort of a, a family obsession where we’ll have the whipped cream shoot in people’s mouths. And uh, it’s uh, so just whipped cream waffles waffle house is a good option, I think.

Scott Luton (08:05):

Yeah. Those are some exciting times in the, uh, inside household. Love that. All right. So Greg, now we’re going to go from waffles to,

Greg White (08:14):

Well, wait a second, Scott, let’s hear what your favorite waffle is.

Scott Luton (08:19):

Waffle house all day. So consistent. Like Chick-fil-A you pop in any day of the week and it’s going to be very consistent, but fried chicken and waffles if you haven’t had it yet. Oh my gosh. Delicious. And Greg, how about you?

Greg White (08:31):

That’s it for chicken and waffles is that is my favorite waffle and I actually have my own semi secret recipes. So I stole a recipe off of where everyone gets recipes, Pinterest, and then added my own secret ingredients. And back in the day, when I would still make them for my young, formerly young daughters, they really enjoyed it. It made a secret forever because I think

Scott Luton (08:56):

I’ve lost the original.

Katlyn Davis (08:58):

I’m going to say this recipe needs to be released to the masses.

Scott Luton (09:01):

Yeah. Yeah. I’ll have to dig it out last deep

Logan Ensign (09:05):

Fryer, Greg, or do you use cast iron

Scott Luton (09:07):

Or one of the ancient, one of the ancient waffle makers where you can’t tell? I have to remind myself every single time, is it light on or light off? That means it’s done. I can’t there’s this pesky machines and their indicators playing better. I would have brought it up here. So, um, all right, so let’s move from waffle day international waffle day. Let me get it right. We’ll make anybody mad. Uh, two recent reads. One of my favorite questions asked folks is what’s been a recent read that they’ve really enjoyed and, and we’ll go in reverse order. Logan. Let’s start with you. What’s a good recent read of yours.

Logan Ensign (09:43):

No, it’s, it’s, it’s a great question. Um, I’m very much into fiction. I don’t know if folks have read the Goldfinch. Um, but, uh, that was a fun one to read. My wife goes through about 10 books to my one book. Um, and it took me probably four or five months. And I don’t know if you consider it reading if it’s all through audio books, but, uh, that was, uh, that was a fun one to get spoon. Okay. All right. Yeah. So I highly recommend, uh, people are into fiction.

Scott Luton (10:08):

Awesome. Love that. And heard about that book. I don’t know. I’ve heard a lot about it. I’m going to have to write that down. Yeah. Write that down, Greg, which I’m doing nowadays. Yeah. Greg takes writing these days, so yes. So, all right. So Caitlin, we’re going to, of course, we want you to answer the question, but we’re going to let the cat out of the bag here a little bit, because you’ve got a book that is publishing next month called fierce conquering the battleground between who you are and who you’re destined to be. So tell us a little bit about the book. Yeah,

Katlyn Davis (10:43):

Of course. So I actually have it because the pre-orders just came in the mail this week. I’m so excited. So I can show you guys, this is a sneak peek. Not many people have seen it yet. So here’s the front. Here’s the back. Yeah. So I’m super excited. This book is two years in the making, so it’s hard to juggle grad school working. Full-time a puppy and writing a book. So it took me a little longer than expected, but I’m super excited. It comes out, like you said, April 26th is the release date. And yeah, it’s about self discovery. I do talk about my journey from growing up in a very poor town and moving to a bigger city, not a big city compared to where some of you guys are, but a bigger city. And then trying to tackle my dream of working for a big company and trying to navigate the waters of being a young 24 year old, trying to figure it out. So, yeah, I’m super excited.

Scott Luton (11:32):

Love that. Well, congratulations. What a huge feat. And we look forward to picking up a couple of copies as does, as Leah Davis. She needs that book. We’ll see if we can’t work on that as she needs her own book as Leah does. So maybe you guys can talk about that. Agreed. Todd says never settle by Marty Smith is one of his favorite reads and Gary says how to avoid a climate disaster by bill Gates is a good

Greg White (11:54):

One. So a lot of good stuff there. Okay. And Katelyn, do you want to add a different book other than of course careers has gotta be your favorite, but any other books?

Katlyn Davis (12:02):

Of course. Yeah. I actually just, I’m an avid reader. I feel like you kind of have to be if you’re going to write a book. Um, so I just finished an amazing read it’s by Victor Frankel. It’s called man’s search for meaning. So he’s a Holocaust survivor wrote an amazing book. I actually quote him a lot in my book. Like I said, the book has a few pillars that I think I need to mention that I think would be pretty good for this, for this group to talk about. I think you guys have some experience with this, but the four pillars I discuss are self-awareness growth, intentionality and confidence, which I guess have played a ton in my career journey. So once again, man’s search for meaning Viktor Frankl was an awesome read. It’s pretty old now. I think it’s sold tons of copies, but it’s a classic

Greg White (12:41):

Well, great segue, right, Greg? I think so. I mean, you know, one of the things we would love to know is a little bit about your search for meaning, well, we know we’ve already heard it, right, but we’d love for the community. Hear more about your sort of career journey. We’ve already heard about Logan N sign and his journey and in his episode, which we’ll drop in the comments, you’ll learn about what is in the background behind Logan. But since we’ve heard from Logan on, on a previous episode, we’re going to give you a little bit of extra time to tell us a little bit about your journey, your fierce journey and in through Valvoline can. So can you share with us a little bit about that?

Katlyn Davis (13:19):

Yeah, of course. So, like I said, I grew up in East Tennessee, so I feel like I should have backpedal a little just to provide some context of how it ended up at Valvoline. So I grew up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, which if anybody knows where that is on the East coast, it’s very touristy town. So I grew up Dollywood, Dolly Parton, we love Dolly Parton. So I grew up there and then I moved to Lexington, Kentucky to pursue a degree in economics. So I went to the university of Kentucky, graduated in may of 2019 with a bachelor’s of science and economics, a minor in international business and a minor in sculpture. So I guess I just wanted to be a Jack of all trades, but, um, so I actually started with Valvoline before I graduated. So I started with an internship with been in 2018, the summer of 2018.

Katlyn Davis (14:03):

Then when I wrapped up that internship in August, they actually asked me to stay on and continue working with Walmart’s e-commerce platform. So I worked with them a lot for the last eight months until I graduated. And then as soon as I graduated, they offered me a position as a supply chain analyst with my accounts being Amazon, Walmart dollar general farm, and a few new channel, but I will give the caveat, I’ll give the caveat that I started with only Walmart. So I started with Walmart and doing a little bit with Amazon and I kind of picked up some other accounts along the way, the last two years. So, yeah. And then after actually more recently, I think in February, February 1st, I actually transitioned into a new role for operations in sales. So I’m an operations and sales analyst covering Canada and the United States with express care say, speaking

Greg White (14:52):

Of hitting that fourth pillar confidence, I love the way you say only Walmart.

Katlyn Davis (14:57):

Right. And it was only Walmart. It is only Walmart. Yeah. Walmart, definitely a big machine to tackle. I will say that I would say most of my time was in Walmart, which I’m assuming people would, would make that guess.

Greg White (15:10):

Yeah. But impressive that you, I mean, even in a single job, you can handle both Walmart and Amazon, even for a single product line. I mean, that is a lot of pressure. So we talked a little bit about, I actually come from the automotive industry. Valvoline is, is my favorite type of oil, which Caitlin already knows

Katlyn Davis (15:29):

Be so happy to meet, uh, a member of the family as we call it.

Greg White (15:33):

I was actually a buyer back in the day of oil. So I had a lot of interactions and it’s interesting. We got to share a little bit about the growth that they’ve had in their supply chain. And they’ve always been a really, really strong performer. So, so let’s talk about that. So historically Valvoline has had a really strong commitment to supply chain and, um, and now you’ve taken on a lot of digital transformation, growth, a lot of technology initiatives and things like that. And that’s how you came, I think, to get associated with alloy and Logan in particular. So tell us a little bit about that. I mean, any thoughts, anything jump out at you when we talk about digital transformation? I think instantly people tense up and because it’s big, right. And it’s changed. And as we’ve talked about here, a lot change is, is difficult and scary, but any best practices or any kind of findings that you’ve had as, as you both have worked together about how to get people engaged, how to get people over the line to accept and embrace change like that.

Katlyn Davis (16:39):

I was going to say, let’s let Logan go first because I think he has some good background on this.

Logan Ensign (16:43):

Yeah. You know, it’s, it’s interesting. We’ve been working with Valvoline for the last year and a half and we’d actually started, uh, pretty exclusively with the Walmart side of the business. And I think Valvoline has been a great example of, of all the components of change management and digital transformation that, that work. Uh, I think one it’s really critical to make sure if there is a technology partner involved that you’ve got really aligned business objectives. And so can we all be on the same page on what are we trying to accomplish collectively? And so that I think was really critical to, to kind of usually understand what alloys bringing to the table, but have that really open conversation about here are the pain points that are specific to Valvoline. And let’s go ahead and, and work on that together. I think technology is only a piece of this, right? And an organization bringing in big technology investments or really investing in, in digital transformation. It’s, it’s important to also acknowledge that you’re going to have to be flexible in your, in

Katlyn Davis (17:50):

How you collaborate to best take advantage of the technology. And I think that Valvoline was a great example of, of having that mindset of now that we’ve got new tools, new insights to go to attack our problems. Uh, what, what changes could we make internally to make sure we’re taking advantage of that? How do we evaluate our current processes and structures to go in and be most effective in this? So it’s not just bringing on a technology partner, but it’s acknowledging you need that aligned vision on what we’re trying to accomplish. And you have a willingness to talk through process and sort of revisit old paradigms to make sure you’re getting the most value out of that, the investment.

Greg White (18:29):

So Caitlin, tell us a little bit about how you did that because it’s really, I mean, it’s really on the organization to promote that you have to embrace a new business partner as almost one of your own, to be able to accomplish that at what Logan’s talking about. So share with us how you guys tackle that.

Katlyn Davis (18:47):

Right. Well, I think just to, to bounce off what he said, I think people are fearful of things that they don’t understand. So I think it’s a big part of this is trust. So I think we had to learn when you bring in a new data analytics platform. It’s not just because I think people think that everyone is just stuck and they don’t want to move on. I think people do want to move forward. They’re just afraid to trust this new. It’s a huge thing. I mean, putting in a new data analytics software and trying to navigate those waters when we already have a system. And like you mentioned, BeltLine is a very old, I mean we’re 150 year old company and we’re successful and I know I’m biased, but, um, but, um, we’re very successful and we’re good at what we do. And so I think it was intimidating, but knowing how the times are moving forward, we didn’t want to get left behind in that.

Katlyn Davis (19:28):

And so I think the best thing that Logan did and why relationship is, has been so incredible with alloys because they came in and they said, we’re going to show you how to do this. And like you said, we’re going to show you what our mission statement is while we’re trying to do this, here’s our objectives. And then not just show us how he does it, but show us how we can do it ourselves. So for example, I remember one of my favorite moments was I just started working as a supply chain analyst. Of course I was so intimidated and I came in and my big project was with Apple. And my first project was trying to onboard this new data analytics platform for Walmart to start. And now I think Logan can, can attest to so many different business units at Valvoline use LOE now.

Katlyn Davis (20:07):

And we’re trying to bring more on, we’re trying to bring everyone on. So it was very intimidating, but the best thing was when you guys came in and you did a training with us, like a hands-on training session with us. And I remember you saying Katelyn, okay, you’re going to drive now. And we’re going to show you how to build these dashboards. And we’re going to show you how to build this stuff out. And I think that broke the barrier of that fear I had because you showed me that I can do this, you know, and you showed the whole, everyone who was there with us that day was like this isn’t something that we’re trusting someone else to do. They’re just giving us the tools to be able to do it ourself. And I think that really built up the camaraderie that we have without Willie. Now

Greg White (20:42):

It does. And I think it, it also introduces learning logon to your, because you don’t know what they face on a day-to-day basis until Katelyn gets behind the keyboard in front of the keyboard. Where

Scott Luton (20:54):

Are you? Are you in front of,

Greg White (20:57):

In front of the keyboard and actually attempts to do it and go, here’s a hurdle that I’ve hit and helped me through it. And that helps you learn a lot about their business as well.

Scott Luton (21:05):

Great. Hey, really quick, before we move on quick programming, it looks like LinkedIn is, it’s been a little bit shaky for the last three or four weeks. So if you’re not able to tune in and engage on LinkedIn, of course you can check out us, same feed on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitter, wherever Twitch’s. Yes, that’s right. Logan, you were about to say something there.

Logan Ensign (21:26):

I was going to say at Greg you’re spot on, right? We bring some context with other customers we work with as well as kind of a deep understanding of what alloy is capable of doing, but it’s that partnership that has to happen. And I think Valvoline has been great at that Katelyn, especially in recognizing, all right, we are now partners, how do we collectively problem solve? And so it’s that conversation of, Oh, that’s, that’s a unique flavor of a business problem or a piece of your business that maybe we’re less familiar with. Let’s collaborate collectively. Um, and, uh, so, so no, I think, I think that’s spot on Greg.

Greg White (22:04):

Yeah. And you know, it’s, it’s funny. I I’ve been on both sides of those implementations, right? About a thousand technology implementations I’ve conducted or been some part of

Scott Luton (22:14):

Gosh, that seems like a lot, but

Greg White (22:17):

That is one of the most important learnings is don’t show people how to do it, get people to do it right. Go through what, one of the things we did so effectively I’ve seen done so effectively in trainings is show them once and then pull somebody out of the class if that’s how you conduct your training and have them do it. And man, the growth that everyone sees in that moment is really, really spectacular. So that’s great.

Logan Ensign (22:42):

Well, I’ll say one of our big core tenants of our product is we want to be consumer grade. Um, and I think sometimes organizations undervalue that when looking at technology, we want the actual operators business owners, uh, to be able to drive the analysis and get insights. So that’s a big piece of, of really what we’re about. And I think Caitlin’s found that and, and really become one of our great power users of the platform.

Scott Luton (23:08):

Well, Alex user love that. Yeah. I love that title. Yeah. Yeah.

Greg White (23:12):

So maybe you can lobby for that, to be your actual title at babbling Caitlin or amend or amend it yourself, at least on LinkedIn, you can give yourself,

Scott Luton (23:22):

I was gonna say, I think I would get some more connections on LinkedIn. If, if that was my title, you can a sword with something, a title like that, this sort, or a staff or something. So

Greg White (23:35):

Let’s shift to, so you, so you’ve kind of got everybody bought in right at this stage. And then the next stage is to grow is to grow in knowledge, to grow in awareness and to grow in performance. You know, one of the things that we talked about previously and I think is really interesting to see that come to life here is how, how do you move a company from being in constant reaction mode to a preemptive mode and utilizing the technology to help them discover those things that before they discovered after the fact, I think Katelyn, we talked about this a little bit in your role. Sometimes it can be how have you heard the company lately? And that’s how you report it. And it probably has felt like that in the past. But when you move into that preemptive mode, you can talk about those things that you’ve done that have made the company better before a crisis hit. So I’ll have you guys work together to make that happen.

Katlyn Davis (24:26):

Yeah. I think going back this, a perfect transition from the tools and having that customer buy in, as someone in the comments just said how important that is because before I don’t think we trusted the system enough, not babbling, but just in general, I don’t think supply chain trust the system enough to say let’s forecast in the future. And let’s, you know, put these stakes in the ground of what we think is going to happen because I think it’s so volatile, especially in today’s world, just demand is so volatile right now. So it’s difficult to be able to do that. But when you have these tools where as Logan said, I don’t have to reach out to someone else to get some, to get the insight that I’m needing. I can go pull that data back and reach out for support if I need support.

Katlyn Davis (25:03):

And I think having that connection to where I have, I know I’m supported, but at the same time, I’m the one who’s driving the data analysis. I can get these metrics, pull them in and send them to Logan or someone and say, I’m not looking at this correctly. Can we really be proactive and know that POS is trending down. So, you know, we need to burn through some inventory or POS is turning up. We need to, you know, have some raw materials delivered a little sooner than we thought. So I think that’s a huge win, especially for Valvoline, because I think we all know supply chain, nothing happens instantaneously. If there’s something, an issue in supply chain, it takes a little while to get it fixed. You know, it’s a long system and very complex system. So I think being able to see in the future and to say, Hey, I trust this. I trust my data analysis skills. And I trust this tool that I’m using enough to be able to say, I’m going to go to my buyer now and say, Hey, I think, I think there’s some issues that we need to be looking for down the pipe. So I think that’s huge.

Greg White (25:54):

That is that’s powerful. Logan. I’m curious. Cause like I said, I’ve done this before, but it’s been awhile. I’m not going to say how long it’s been, but I’m always curious how you get people over the line, the word trust, right trust in their own skills, but trust in, in the technology and the data that is being revealed to these power users, it’s critical. How do you get them over the line to that level of trust?

Logan Ensign (26:19):

Yeah, no, I think it comes back to, you know, our team is very much focused on, on value and how do we help deliver business value for our customers? So it’s that alignment that I think goes a long way and that if we start, I know very little about motor oil antifreeze and the vertical, but as we get acquainted with our customers, it’s just so important because each industry is going to have different wrinkles and nuances.

Logan Ensign (26:44):

And if, as a vendor we’re sitting, looking at implementation timelines and weekly active users, we’re really just missing the Mark. And really what we need to understand is all right, Caitlin, this is a dashboard as a starting place, but I want to sit next to you and understand how this gets to the action. Right? What, what, what does, what are you looking for? Uh, what decision are you making? What are the considerations in your head? Because the more I can understand that the more I can help you. And I think as that conversation reaches sort of that next layer of, of interest, curiosity, and alignment, that’s where we really, I think see big change. Um, and, and, and I think get the most out of the solution. You know, I, I remember, and I don’t know Noah, Kayla, if you remember when we were in Lexington, it was one of our last trips before the pandemic hit. I had never been to Lexington before we started working with Valvoline. Um, it is a hidden gem, especially for fried chicken fans, but it’s just beautiful you land and the rolling Hills and the, the horses and the white picket fence. I mean, it’s just, it’s just a beautiful place, but I remember being on site and actually there was a massive order. I think it was from Walmart for the high, high mileage. You know, I think that was a fun sort of dynamic to see. I don’t, do you remember that much Caitlin or

Katlyn Davis (28:01):

Yeah, I do. I do remember. I remember thinking this is perfect timing because I’ll always hear and they can help us, but no, it happens a lot. Those things that I have, I have that memory in my brain right now, thinking back to certain times, and even when we’ve come to visit you all and we’ve gotten to sit down together and we’ve had something and I’ve, I’ve been able to, I feel like there’s other platforms that we use that are great, that, that we utilize a lot, but it’s not that personal connection to where I can say, here’s exactly what I’m struggling with and here’s the dilemma. Can you help? Like what kind of metric do I need? I don’t even know what metric I’m looking for to solve this. And you can come to me and say, Hey, we’ve actually done this with another customer before and it’s really worked.

Katlyn Davis (28:38):

So I think about, you know, Phantom inventory, that’s been something we’ve wrestled with a lot and just trying to understand it better. I feel like it’s kind of aloof in a lot of in supply chain. At least it’s something that not many people really dug too much into. And as soon as we brought it to y’all’s attention and said, Hey, we just want to know more about this. Um, can you help us dig into this? Your response was, of course we ha we don’t have something yet, but we’re going to build it. And so the last year and a half, it’s just been so awesome. And I think the reason we built that trust with you all is because you’ve done what you said you would do. And you have helped us with that. You have said, Hey, by the way, circling back, Caitlin, we’ve been working on this dashboard for you. Let me walk you through it. And so I think little things like that, and like you said, the in-person meetings where we’ve needed help and we’ve sat down together almost like you were a part of our team and really walks through those things together, I think is a lot better than just giving someone a tool and saying here, learn how to use this. Hmm.

Scott Luton (29:28):

All right. So I want to, I want to share a couple of comments and then I want to kind of move the conversation kind of upstream and downstream the whole ecosystem. So we’ll touch on that in just a second. As Gary said, getting customer buy-in is key also in that partnership, Cindy, Cindy references here, that partnership clearly y’all are talking about your, your relationship, your partnership in a, in a very forward-looking progressive manner, which is kind of like next generation supply chain, which I love as Leah broadcasting needs of the consumer through our data that creates perceivable goals and trust. Gotcha. Caitlin. I love that a lot of good stuff. Uh, Jeff Miller, I have seen the most successful solutions become those which promote creativity and enable innovation, helping users, cultivate new ideas for business capability, going beyond simply improving, operating efficiencies by connecting data. Jeff is about five pay grades above me. And you can tell by how you wrote with that comment, Greg, you’re going to say something

Greg White (30:25):

Well, I’m just thinking that the human connection is critical to that happening. What Jeff is talking about because a technology can’t convince you that it’s the right technology for you, but someone empathizing like Logan has done with Katelyn, someone empathizing with the needs of someone who’s really wants to improve as we’ve talked about, but doesn’t really know how to get there. That’s a critical connection. And, but you’re going to talk about this probably here in a little bit, but that connection between companies is absolutely pivotal in terms of creating a success, a successful technology implementation ran out of air. There

Scott Luton (31:04):

Blessed be the ties that bind all my favorite sayings all the time. And that really speaks to strong supply chains, upstream and downstream. I want to pop in this as Lee has got a great thought here. So we’ve published a great podcast with crystal Davis, which is just a dynamo, much like Kaitlyn and Logan here. And she really urge folks. Don’t just focus on the tools, which is a lot of the intangibles you’re hearing here between Logan and Kaitlin. So I’m gonna go back to this question she posed earlier, cause Logan I’d love for you to weigh in here. So as Leah’s talks about these long runners, right, folks that have been part serving the business supply in the business for 30 or 40 years, she says changes, KPIs, standards are one thing, but data and technology does really scare people out there. The attitude toward it on our front line varies. When we talk about, you know, long-term suppliers and the type of transformational change at your partnering within the lead, any thoughts for how you make sure no one’s left behind so to speak?

Logan Ensign (31:57):

Yeah, no, it’s, it’s a great question. And, and we run into that fairly frequently, right? And, and I think that the key here is I know I sound like a broken record, but if we can understand, how can we help you, whether it’s saving time or helping find insights that historically have been difficult to find as a piece of that. I think also just the comment that it’s not all about the tools, which is, which is totally spot on being able to, from the top of an organization, articulate and convey, here’s where we want to go. And these are the reasons why are just really, really important as we try and help people move from an old way of doing business to a new way of doing business. And then I think incentives matter, right? And so as you think about how organizations are incentivized design, their current processes, you can’t just scrap that, right?

Logan Ensign (32:50):

You got to work with that and make sure that you’re acknowledging here’s where we’re are. Here’s where we are. So, I mean, we use the mantra really, really frequently crawl walk, run, and that’s the journey we go on with our customers in aggregate, but also individual users on, okay, how can we help you crawl and get early familiarity? Maybe we just help you with time savings in the short term, we can be patient as we help people start to get comfortable with technology and then making sure we acknowledge that, Hey, their existing processes that are there for a reason. I mean, we’ve got best in class supply chains that we introduce ourselves to, that we need to make sure we are working within those, those confines, at least initially, um, as, as we kind of partner with customers,

Scott Luton (33:31):

Love that. And also love one of y’all’s. Other core values are our big part of your MOS iterate to excellence. I love that. And I’ve seen it play out, uh, just in our, in our conversations. Okay. A couple of comments here and we’re going to move right along Enrique Alvarez, host of logistics with purpose and with vector global logistics, it all comes back to human relationships, human transformation powers, digital transformation, great point. Gary says, amen. Absolutely true. Enrique culture eats strategy for breakfast. Okay. Yeah. One of the, one of the all time greats, right. I want to change the conversation a bit because most of our conversations at this point, it’s kind of focused mainly on Valvoline and alloys, but the really cool thing that got my attention as I sat in on a previous webinar with Valvoline and alloy is how the wonderful improvements that you are driving together has been moving downstream to Valvoline’s customers. Right. And it’s improving really the whole ecosystem. And that’s a beautiful thing when you get transformation, right? So Logan, if you could speak to that a little.

Logan Ensign (34:36):

Yeah. Well I think some of our early customers and some of the early users have this mentality of, Oh, Walmart is Walmart. And so they’re going to manage my inventory great. And that I can trust and defer to them. And, and ultimately they’ve got great systems, technology people, but their portfolio is massive. And as a brand manufacturer, you know, your business better than, than Walmart does. And so if you think about, as retailers start to give more and more data access to their trade partners, you can ask the question, why are they doing that? And ultimately what we find is as retailers provide more and more information to their, their, their suppliers, they’re expecting their suppliers to step up and take a more active role in downstream sort of store level replenishment in flagging potential issues from an inventory perspective in auditing the, the forecast.

Logan Ensign (35:36):

So the order plans, and that can be daunting for organizations maybe that don’t have a grip on their point of sale data, but customers who do get a grip of their point of sale data, earn a ton of trust with their trade partners. It’s the expectation. And that’s where it starts to get really mutually beneficial that now we’re, we’re, co-managing this inventory with our, with our partners, even if it’s not, you know, a vendor managed inventory environment, that expectation is becoming, you know, a higher and higher bar for how you manage your business, uh, with, with your major trade partners.

Scott Luton (36:09):

Love it. So not only is the work you are doing together again, benefiting babbling, but the school and right downstream. And it’s benefiting the work that you all, uh, the work you do with your retail, with all your customers, right. Caitlyn.

Katlyn Davis (36:22):

Yeah. Right. And I think it used to be, I think supply chain, from what I’ve heard in the past used to be definitely a segment of the business that was more background work. You know, you would do it internally with your business, but you wouldn’t venture outside of that. You had, you know, like Logan was saying you would support things, but you weren’t at the forefront. And now in the role that I was in with supply chain, it was a forefront role. You were a huge part of the team. We would travel. I would go to the headquarters of Walmart. I would go on all those meetings with the guys, from the team. And so it was huge to be a part of that when, from what I’ve heard historically, that wasn’t usually how it worked. And I think it all goes back to what Logan is saying about the trust and being able there’s so many times I’ve been able to show Walmart, Hey, I have some data that I don’t know if you might have it, but you’re not looking at it.

Katlyn Davis (37:04):

And so, and I’ve analyzed this and I can tell a story to you of what I think is going to happen in the future. That’s like, like you said, you know, we know our business and we can see trends and we can predict things that I don’t think Walmart has the bandwidth to do necessarily. And so, and like, like you said, they’re huge. So even if they do have the bandwidth, it’s very difficult. And so I think the fact that I’ve been able to come to Walmart or Amazon or dollar general, some of these big businesses and show them, Hey, here’s some data that I think you should look into. And I think we can, we can both win here because our out of stocks are kind of low. So let’s see what we can do to fix that. And so they went, we went and I think that’s a huge, a huge thing that I don’t think we used to be able to do in the past. I think that’s something that’s new and changing with the times of supply chain being a forefront place to be. And then when it comes to corporate business

Scott Luton (37:49):

Customers of their customers, of the customers, all everybody wins really. And it’s, there’s two big things here and what Katelyn just shared. And Greg I’d love you to weigh in. But first thing I heard is folks, if you’re trying to do anything in business, any of our listeners that may be in school, still trying to break in, learn to tell a story very effectively. That’s what we’re hearing from Logan and Kaitlin. And that’s, that’s important, no matter where you go. Secondly, it’s a lot easier to tell a story and change the nature of those conversations. If you’ve got really good data, and it’s not this spreadsheet over here and this spreadsheet over here, but it’s, it’s that powered, you know, when, when those battleships and world war II, when they would sidle up against the coast and direct all those guns on one target that the power of the force multiplier. And that’s, that’s what we’re here a good

Katlyn Davis (38:36):

Bit. Yeah. I think that’s when analysts fall short a little bit, sometimes something I’ve noticed, and this is not just supply chain analyst, but the whole analyst world is we’re great with data analysis, but we don’t know how to relay it to other people. And I think if you can’t tell the story and get other people to really understand what you’re saying, um, it’s kind of gets lost in translation and you don’t, you don’t really get the results that you want. So I think there’s a huge benefit to having these conversations with the customer, because we’re made to tell the story and we’re made to interpret the data the best that we can.

Scott Luton (39:03):

Excellent. And Greg, I know you’re dying. This is, this is like candy to our ears. When we hear conversations like this,

Greg White (39:08):

Greg, you know, this is what I did when I was Caitlin’s age. Right. Um, which was a little while ago. Uh, but what we had to do was teach the people that used our technology. I worked at a company, it was called [inaudible] now part of blue, something blue yonder. And we had to both convince management to listen to their analysts who had their finger on the pulse of the supply chain and also convince the analysts and teach the analysts how to tell that story because they were inherently often numbers people. And what we realized and what we consciously did over a number of years was to start to help companies identify a, a personality type and a skillset like Caitlin’s where they’re both analytical and very thorough, and yet able to tell a story, right? So that has become critical because that the role is so important to so many companies. And I’m sure Caitlin, you’ve seen this, the executives really value your opinion, but you have to be able to give it to them in bite sized chunks, because they’re going to spend 40 seconds listening to you and then make a multi-million or multi-billion dollar decision. So it’s, it’s important to be able to do that, but it’s good to see that we’ve come to this point in supply chain where both the analysts and management recognize and nurture that

Scott Luton (40:31):

Excellent point. And, and again, what we heard Caitlin say, there is no longer is it just supply chain? It’s just, uh, you know, something you gotta do. It turns into a huge competitive advantage, and you can, you can take it on the offense. So you’ve all of a sudden supply chain becomes Patrick in the homes and the chiefs and that, that dynamic offense, or you’re changing the conversations as you heard Kaitlin talk about in our conversations with Walmart. Right?

Katlyn Davis (40:56):

Right. And I think a big part too. It’s like, I think it was Jeffrey who made the comment about creativity and people. When people think of supply chain analytics, you don’t think of creativity. That’s a huge part of it is being creative enough to say, how can we, or can we optimize efficiency here? You know, instead of just doing the day-to-day and trying to get product where it needs to go, where can we, you know, our, our forecast accuracy is 97%. How can we get it to that 99, you know, logistics, how can we cut shipping costs? How can we get it there quicker? All of these things become a lot more fun and a lot more about the innovation and the creativity and, you know, going that extra mile to get there. And I think we’re starting to realize in the supply chain world, that if you’re not doing that, you’re not being innovative and creative, you kind of get left behind excellent

Greg White (41:37):

Technology can do all that. The creative part is what we need humans. Right? We have a problem technology can’t solve, let’s get creative and figure out how to solve it. Right. We can rework some of that knowledge to technology for the future, but there will always be that layer of creativity where the best that the data or the technology can give you is the state of things right now. Right?

Scott Luton (42:01):

Yeah. Good point. All right. I got to reference what Simon said. Anytime someone says elixir and Perez. We can, we kind of share it. The single best thing Simon says about implementing is a Glint of excitement and the wow moments when the end user gets it and can see how their life, how their working life will be transformed elixir. He says, Simon, that’s, that is a wonderful

Greg White (42:23):

Somebody copy that because that’s something you ought to have up on your wall. Okay. One right there we are.

Scott Luton (42:30):

This is, this is what we, this is what we knew, uh, in, uh, in all the prep for this, this show was going to come out because this is how really, what we’re hearing here is how supply chain partners should work together. Right? So Logan we’ve, we’ve covered since last time you came into the conversation with, I know we’ve come a long way, but what’s one really important thing before we move forward, that folks should really keep front and center from you the last few minutes.

Katlyn Davis (42:53):

Well, I think the point made on great analysts, I think Caitlin is such a great example there of, okay. You’ve got to be quantitative and analytical to sift through numbers and understand data, but a key component of actually getting action and results is being able to tell the story, um, because ultimately the decision makers and the whole process is managed by people. And I think Caitlin has been a great example. You know, I remember, I don’t know, Katelyn, if you remember the, that antifreeze, um, you know, clear blue and red, as you worked with the Walmart team there, that you, you probably know more firsthand that, that story I just was able to kind of Marvel at, well, here’s a dashboard with some numbers, but this is a really sort of compelling story that needs to be told to get, uh, maybe a more, a more serious problem taken care of, um, more contents that Caitlin, I didn’t do it much justice.

Greg White (43:51):

She remembers all of this, right?

Katlyn Davis (43:55):

Walmart, you remember every detail because you can’t afford not to. So it’s a, it’s definitely a big thing in the arena. So you definitely want to be sure that, you know exactly what’s going on when it comes to Walmart. But, um, yeah, I remember exactly what you’re talking about. So we had three different antifreeze skews, and we were kind of doing some test runs and trying to see what would work, what wouldn’t work, what the buyer wanted, how they performed. And this is something that I truly don’t know if we would have had the opportunity to do, if they didn’t trust us. I don’t know if they would’ve let us, because at the end, what ended up happening was we were given a little bit more flexibility to say, okay, you let us, we were letting them know how we’re performing and how we’re and how, you know, we’re able to forecast demand for this pilot that we’re running right now, instead of letting Walmart, you know, take on the other burden.

Katlyn Davis (44:38):

We said, Hey, we’ll do it. We’ll take it on if you let us. And so I guess I was huge because I don’t think that would have been necessarily an opportunity if they didn’t trust their supply chain skills, which inevitably made us trust way a little bit more because we had those tools and we had that connection to where I could reach out to Logan or Manfred or anyone over there and say, Hey, here’s what we’re trying to do. I think I remember the first day I reached out to you guys and said, we have this huge project and I know what I want, and I know what I need, but I don’t know necessarily how to get it. And so that’s when you all came in and kind of showed me, and that was where the partnership, I think really sparked because that was a very successful pilot. It went great. I think it built some credibility with Valvoline and Walmart. So, and I can see us moving forward and doing the same kind of thing. So,

Scott Luton (45:18):

And, and, you know, we can only take it so far. Caitlin was critical and being able to communicate back to the buyer and replenishment analyst. And so I think it’s, it’s, it’s just a key component as you look at, you know, the really strong analysts, or if you’re in an analytics role, make sure that skillset exists and you can communicate all the way to the point of action, right? This is what it means, and this is what we should do. Um, and I think that’s where Valvoline has really shine and Katelyn in particular,

Katlyn Davis (45:44):

If you don’t have that confidence, that’s it just like what you’re saying? And I can only have confidence in, in what I know and understand, but I need confidence in the data before I can go tell that story. So I don’t feel comfortable telling that story if I’m not confident about, you know, the data. And so knowing that I have a partner to where I can get that information from and trust it. And that, that helps me to be more confident to go to the buyer and say, Hey, I think I have some information that you would like to know. And like, you all have said before, going to Walmart is pretty intimidating. So you want to be sure you’ve got it. You’ve got your stuff in order, but yeah, that’s, that’s great Logan.

Scott Luton (46:14):

So w what’s interesting, funny here, really, at least I find it funny is, as we’re talking about this glorious story where supply chains working, and then Enrique brings us back, crashing down back to earth, and then you have a pandemic or wind pushing evergreen vessel and blocking the Suez canal such as life in supply chain. Love that and Rico, but that’s fine.

Greg White (46:32):

You can, you can’t, even to an extent, consider that. I mean, remember the discussion that we’ve had so often supply chain is not a cost minimization exercise, and this is a massive shift that I think supply chain professionals need to undertake. It is a risk management exercise exercise, and you need to consider the likelihood that something like that will happen. I don’t think there’s a model on the planet that could predict the impact of a pandemic because it’s a rolling impact. First of all, there was one impact. Now there are more, it’s a rolling impact, but things like disruption, traditional disruptions in the supply chain, you can absolutely account for. There are models that can even address that really quick.

Scott Luton (47:14):

We’ve got one more topic we want to hit on, and we’re not going to get a chance to answer, but as a I’d love for Caitlin and maybe Logan y’all connect with AZA, Leah, maybe after the show, she, she really she’s on a path to become a data analyst. She’s already a brilliant mind, biomedical engineering, uh, love for y’all to compare notes and maybe, uh, shed some light on own that path, that journey. Yeah. Maybe she could take your role temporarily while you’re on your book tour. Nice, nice randomized data pool from disparate systems needs collaboration across functional stakeholders to ensure interpretation. The story is correct, and business users can improve decision and take action. That’s a great comment segue. Yes. Thanks Greg. We’re tracking together. My friend, because what we want to talk about is is that cross-functional collaboration, which is so critical across business, especially supply chain right here in the information age. So, uh, Caitlin, you know, given your journey and given what you’ve shared, you could probably be pretty uniquely positioned to address this, this critical component. Any thoughts on you’re in there?

Katlyn Davis (48:23):

Yeah, I think it’s, I think something that Valvoline does really well and I can’t attest to how other companies do this, but it’s, like I said before supply chain, wasn’t something that we did in the background and I didn’t have communication. You know, I met with the directors every week for, for each of my accounts and just being really actively involved with, with the account, with every part of it, with the marketing side, with, like I said, the supply chain, the customer service, the, the sales guys, I think it’s huge being able to have all those cross-functional teams because every analyst has a little bit different information or is at least in a certain specific, uh, niche part of the data a little bit more. So I think having those connections, and I’ve really learned that with my new role, being an operations sales analyst now it’s, there’s things now that I, I wish I would have trusted people on, or I wish I would’ve reached out more when I was a supply chain analyst because the operations guys, they could have helped me a ton, but I think I didn’t really know that.

Katlyn Davis (49:12):

And so one thing that Valvoline is really great about is having those cross-functional teams meet on a very frequent cadence to say, I have some data that you might not have, or that you might not look at as frequently. So let me pull that in and we can all use this to make supply chain better, logistics, operations, even marketing. I feel like that’s something you would never think a marketing analyst would go with a supply chain analyst, but we worked and I think Logan can attest to this Jordan. And I worked together every day, um, just to make sure that we had, we had the right data together, the right data set together.

Scott Luton (49:42):

Well, you know, in Logan, I want you to want you to weigh in here as well, but you know, one of the cool things that I’m hearing here, and, and I think someone referenced earlier in the comments is it is a, it can be a headache at times right now in years like 2020. And I’m not supposed to mention that year, sorry, Greg, or 2021 to be leading or being, you know, a supply chain practitioner, right. It can be a it’s, it’s a, it can be a labor of love sometimes ton of headaches and surprises much like the Suez canal hoop who predicted that two weeks ago. But these changes, these transformations, these, these, uh, condition improvement projects, these where you’re changing the game, but also equally as important. You’re making jobs easier for these folks that have, uh, have a very complex and pressure filled position. So I love hearing that Logan w weigh in on this cross-functional aspect, I

Logan Ensign (50:28):

Mean, Katelyn you’re right. I think Valvoline does quite well at this. And, you know, we find that that organizations are on a spectrum, right? And if you’re further on one side of the spectrum, maybe it’s your SNOP process is once a month dual between sales and supply chain. And that’s when I have to talk to them, um, all the way to I’m collaborating daily with my supply chain or my sales partner. And I think that that, that is so critical because different stakeholders have different pieces of context. And you may have decision-makers that sit in different parts of the organization. And when a crisis comes up, a massive order comes in and you don’t know what to do. If you can collaborate and say, supply chain says, I can’t fill this order. And sales said, let me see if I can get the muscle arrived date moved back so that we can avoid that Otis fine.

Logan Ensign (51:21):

That’s where the magic starts to happen, right? It’s, it’s, it’s being transparent and open and, and collaborating. I think one of the reasons that’s particularly tough in, in organizations is supply chains, marketing sales all have a very different source of truth and a very different language, right? Supply chain. You’re looking at your own internal inventory units of measure and KPIs and metrics, and your sales teams may own your point of sale data and your retail relationships. And so it becomes hard just because you’re speaking different languages to come together. And so alloy plays a layer to try and break down those barriers, break down those silos, but then also organizations that recognize, Hey, we got to work more closely together and collaborate collectively on problems that span our organizations because rarely do we see big issues or opportunities. Sit just in one piece of your organization, you’re going to need buy-in support, influence decisions from, from other organizations and being able to facilitate that as we find super, super critic,

Scott Luton (52:23):

Excellent point, uh, two quick takeaways there. First off Logan, you make me feel at ease because I talk with my hands too. So I love that Logan. Secondly, secondly, you know, these days, if you’re operating in silos, unlike this, the integrated manner that Logan’s speaking to, you’re inviting disaster and you’re invited and Murphy’s law into your global supply chains. You’ve got to work in conjunction in alignment. We’ve talked a lot about on the front end. So love that if you don’t, your container ship runs a ground in a canal. Okay. So Greg or we make sure that’s really folks. That is a fascinating if you’ve seen some of the imagery from the Suez canal and what they’re trying to do it is absolutely fascinating. Just the scale. The scale is fascinating. All right. So Greg, before we make sure folks know how to connect, there’s a lot of comments here. I’m, I’m hoping we can connect them after the show with Kaitlyn and Logan, but what’s give us that, that, uh, that proverbial one key takeaway or a couple of key takeaways from what we’ve heard today here, Greg. So this makes me think of a episode I did some while ago. I think we can drop

Greg White (53:26):

It in, in the comments, but it is how to conduct a it’s around a digital transformation, right? But this is not dissimilar. This is any sort of transformation that you do. And I think there are a few things you have to think about number zero is that technology is not, is not the solution to your problem. It is that it is the powerful hammer you put into your people’s hands, right? And I think that’s a really, really critical aspect of it. The other is, and I think Valvoline has done this in order of magnitude higher than most companies do. And that’s recognized that supply chain is your main customer experience driver and vice versa, no product, no program, right? There’s only one thing that your customer wants when they have their experience with you. And that is the product that you have promised them. So that among other things, you’ve got to solve a user pain, something that the users care about, you can’t solve a strategic ivory tower pain.

Greg White (54:31):

If it doesn’t also solve a user pain, because where ROI is delivered is on the desktop. And you know, I think both you, Logan, both you and Kaitlyn talked about, you have to teach people to fish. Don’t, don’t give them a fish, teach them to fish and you get real. Buy-in Katelyn, you annunciated this really clearly you get real buy-in from the people, because everybody talks about buy-in during these things, when you demonstrate wins, right? Demonstrate wins will for your people who have a real problem, you will, you will get by in, and then the last, and this is not, not as fun to talk about, but I think it’s, it’s something we alluded to, and it would be imprudent for Logan to ID to identify this. But the truth is you have to expect attrition. There will always be that one person who chooses to retire rather than reform. And that’s not a bad thing, but you even have to nurture those people. I’ve experienced it. You really have to nurture those people as well, and try to bring them along. And some of them just realize they’re just at that point in their career when they don’t want to learn one more thing and they buy an RV and they’re out and you replace them with somebody like Kaitlin and everyone is better off.

Scott Luton (55:41):

Love it. I love it. I wish I could share my screen here. Uh, uh, the alloys team has been allowed to eating along with supply chain out here today. And they picked up on one thing that Greg just shared. Their supply chain is your main customer experience driver and Scott, Michael Scott, given you a little tip of the cup because it’s such a great and powerful point. You know, we talk a lot about how that CX is becoming as synonymous as UX or employee experience or you name it. So a lot of good stuff here today, these kinds of conversations energize us here. And this is, this is why supply chain is such a cool place to be despite the challenge in years, like what we’re living in, let’s make sure. So we’re kind of running out of time here. I want to make sure folks know how to connect with you both. So start with you. Not only the, all the supply chain nourishment you’ve dropped on a community, but your first book is getting released next month. So how can folks connect?

Katlyn Davis (56:32):

Yeah. So I’m on LinkedIn, Caitlin Davis. And of course, if it says Valvoline that’s me. So I’m on LinkedIn. You can find me there. Also my website for the book is Caitlin, a davis.com. Um, yep. And the book will be available on Barnes and Nobles website, uh, amazon.com. Booktopia wherever you get your books. So yeah, I’m excited. You think you can pre-order it. Now, if you want it to, if you want to go on Amazon, you can also pre-order it now as well.

Scott Luton (56:55):

Awesome. And Hey, support your local boats out again. Yes. Wealth. God’s doing that. Love it, love it. I love them books put their, the authors on the, on the front cover because you connect with, with them.

Katlyn Davis (57:11):

I was hesitant about it, but the man who wrote the forward of the book said that it was a, he, he described it as a personal thesis. And so I said, I think I should put myself on it. I guess if it’s in reference to a personal thesis. So

Scott Luton (57:23):

I love it. We’ll support all those, but also support your local bookstores. I bet it’s going to be everywhere. So a lot of good stuff there. All right, before we ask Logan, uh, I wanna, uh, drop, uh, Greg has preached again is Quintin says, first users are always the people we have to satisfy. Peter says supply chain has always been a challenge 2020, simply elevated it to the C-suite there. And Gary you’re you’re reading, uh, you must be reading from our, um, I run a show here because Kaitlin just shared that it’s gonna be everywhere. It’s taken over the, taken over the world, fierce fiercely. All right. So Logan really have enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed our conversations and, and, you know, Greg, I think it’s important to point out the Logan you see here is a same Logan you see between the, between the shows, he’s just a incredible resource and a great individual to collaborate with. So Logan, how can folks connect with you in the LOE team?

Logan Ensign (58:16):

Yeah. So LinkedIn is going to be the best way Logan and sign I’m active there. So feel free to connect with me. alloy.ai has some great resources to get more acquainted with the platform. And then on that website, you can find different ways of getting in touch with folks at alloy. If you want to learn any more about what it is we do and, and, and our offering.

Scott Luton (58:37):

Awesome. Well, one last thing, I’m not sure if we dropped it in the notes as well, but for a continuation of the story you’ve heard here between Valvoline and alloy, there there’s that great webinar, which is available on demand, which features want to Caitlyn’s colleagues. Uh, Eric, is it Rossi, Rossi, Rossi, Eric Rossi. Yep. And they’ve got that available. I think we can maybe find a link to drop in and y’all should check that out. Uh, lots of very Frank information Eric tells it like it is, and there’s not enough of that in global business. Okay. Well, Caitlin Davis with Valvoline Logan in Saigon with alloy, really, it’s been a pleasure to share your story with, with everyone here in our community, love the interactions. I love the comments. We’ve got plenty of t-shirt isms from you both. And we got plenty from the audience and the community as well. So we look forward to reconnecting really soon. And thanks for joining us here today. Thank you all so much. This is awesome. I hope you guys have great rest of your day and I can’t wait to go back and listen to some of these other webinars that you guys have had. We’re looking forward to it. Thanks so much, Kaitlyn and Logan. Thanks for joining.

Intro/Outro (59:40):

Thanks for being a part of our supply chain. Now, community check out all of our programming@supplychainnow.com and make sure you subscribe to supply chain. Now anywhere you listen to podcasts and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. See you next time on supply chain. Now.

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Featured Guests

Katlyn Davis graduated from the University of Kentucky in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and two minors in International Business and Sculpture. After a year of interning for Valvoline her senior year under DIY Marketing, she accepted a role as a Supply Chain Analyst in June of 2019. She oversaw the Walmart, Amazon, and Dollar General accounts during her year and a half in the supply chain role. In February of 2021, Katlyn stepped into a new Operations and Sales Analyst position with Valvoline’s Express Care team. Connect with Katlyn on LinkedIn.

Logan Ensign is an expert in predictive analytics. As VP Client Solutions at Alloy, Logan leads the team that works closely with customers to help them maximize value from the platform. They are focused on ensuring fast implementation, delivering trainings, sharing best practices and conducting regular business reviews. He joined Alloy from InsideSales.com, where he led the company’s highest end service, Momentum PRIME. For customers who wanted to use predictive analytics to transform their sales operations, his team formed long-term relationships focused on optimizing sales process and strategy and ultimately delivering and showcasing value. Logan’s early career was at RIC Insurance General Agency, where he worked in Corporate Strategy and Sales. He holds a degree in Biology and minor in Economics from Stanford University.

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Scott W. Luton

Founder, CEO, & Host

Greg White

Principal & Host

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Demo Perez

Host, Supply Chain Now en Espanol

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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Mary Kate Love

VP, Marketing

Mary Kate Love is currently the VP of marketing at Supply Chain Now focused on brand strategy and audience + revenue growth. Mary Kate’s career is a testament to her versatility and innovative spirit: she has experience in start-ups, venture capital, and building innovation initiatives from the ground up: she previously helped lead the build-out of the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific and before that, MxD (Manufacturing times Digital): the Department of Defense’s digital manufacturing innovation center. Mary Kate has a passion for taking complicated ideas and turning them into reality: she was one of the first team members at MxD and the first team member at the Supply Chain Innovation Center at Georgia-Pacific.

Mary Kate dedicates her extra time to education and mentorship: she was one of the founding Board Members for Women Influence Chicago and led an initiative for a city-wide job shadow day for young women across Chicago tech companies and was previously on the Board of Directors at St. Laurence High School in Chicago, Young Irish Fellowship Board and the UN Committee for Women. Mary Kate is the founder of National Supply Chain Day and enjoys co-hosting podcasts at Supply Chain Now. Mary Kate is from the south side of Chicago, a mom of two baby boys, and an avid 16-inch softball player. She holds a BS in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Joshua Miranda

Marketing Specialist

Joshua is a student from Institute of Technology and Higher Education of Monterrey Campus Guadalajara in Communication and Digital Media. His experience ranges from Plug and Play México, DearDoc, and Nissan México creating unique social media marketing campaigns and graphics design. Joshua helps to amplify the voice of supply chain here at Supply Chain Now by assisting in graphic design, content creation, asset logistics, and more.  In his free time he likes to read and write short stories as well as watch movies and television series.

Donna Krache

Director of Communications and Executive Producer

Donna Krache is a former CNN executive producer who has won several awards in journalism and communication, including three Peabodys.  She has 30 years’ experience in broadcast and digital journalism. She led the first production team at CNN to convert its show to a digital platform. She has authored many articles for CNN and other media outlets. She taught digital journalism at Georgia State University and Arizona State University. Krache holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. She is a serious sports fan who loves the Braves. She is president of the Dave Krache Foundation. Named in honor of her late husband, this non-profit pays fees for kids who want to play sports but whose parents are facing economic challenges.

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Vicki White

Controller

Vicki has a long history of rising to challenges and keeping things up and running. First, she supported her family’s multi-million dollar business as controller for 12 years, beginning at the age of 17. Then, she worked as an office manager and controller for a wholesale food broker. But her biggest feat? Serving as the chief executive officer of her household, while her entrepreneur husband travelled the world extensively. She fed, nurtured, chaperoned, and chauffeured three daughters all while running a newsletter publishing business and remaining active in her community as a Stephen’s Minister, Sunday school teacher, school volunteer, licensed realtor and POA Board president (a title she holds to this day). A force to be reckoned with in the office, you might think twice before you meet Vicki on the tennis court! When she’s not keeping the books balanced at Supply Chain Now or playing tennis matches, you can find Vicki spending time with her husband Greg, her 4 fur babies, gardening, cleaning (yes, she loves to clean!) and learning new things.

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Ben Harris

Host

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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