Corey Mabry

For another year, Supply Chain Now Founder, CEO, and Host Scott Luton has been named to the Thinkers360 Top Voices of 2025, a prestigious global recognition honoring influential experts shaping conversations across business and technology. Described as the “definitive list of leading experts,” the Thinkers360 Top Voices Awards celebrate thought leaders who consistently share valuable insights and help advance professional knowledge across industries. Honorees are selected based on demonstrated expertise, impact, and meaningful contributions to the broader thought leadership community. Luton’s inclusion once again highlights his ongoing impact on the global supply chain community – from hosting thousands of interviews with industry leaders to spotlighting innovation, leadership, and the real-world challenges facing operations today. Through Supply Chain Now’s podcasts, livestreams, event coverage, and collaborative content, his work continues to connect practitioners with practical ideas they can immediately apply. As supply chains grow more complex and interconnected, recognition like this reflects not just individual influence, but the strength of a community committed to learning and improvement. Scott’s voice, and the voices he amplifies, continue to help leaders navigate change, build resilience, and move the industry forward. Learn more about Thinkers360 and the Thinkers360 Top Voices award here.

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton sat down with Caglar Ozdag, a supply chain leader at ZS. Known for its deep analytics and technology expertise across industries such as life sciences, airlines, consumer goods, and agriculture, ZS has become a trusted partner for organizations looking to elevate their planning and manufacturing performance. Ozdag leads the firm’s supply chain practice with a focus on planning from detailed forecasting through detailed scheduling. As a former practitioner himself—having led planning operations at large global enterprises—he brings a grounded, real-world perspective to the challenges facing today’s supply chain leaders.   Old Problems Persist—and New Ones Are Emerging When asked about classic and emerging challenges in planning, Ozdag didn’t hesitate: firefighting isn’t going away. From supply planning disruptions to last-minute schedule changes, firefighting remains a daily reality. “Life happens,” Ozdag noted. Plans rarely match reality, and organizations must constantly adjust. But today, a new layer has been added: AI uncertainty. Everywhere he goes, leaders are asking the same questions: “Is AI the right investment?” “Will the ROI materialize?” “Are we adopting the right tools, or just chasing hype?” This blend of enduring complexity and emerging skepticism has become a defining…