Donna Mullins

It’s been a great week on Supply Chain Now! Make sure you’re up to date on all the latest episodes, interviews, conversations, and livestreams right here. On Saturday, Kelly Barner with Buyers Meeting Point joined Scott and Greg on the podcast to share her thoughts on the priorities & challenges within procurement as well as key takeaways involving GPO & Mastermind Live 2020.   On Monday, Scott and Greg welcome Diego Martinez with Coca-Cola and Mike Lackey with SAP to dive into the critical role supply chain plays in Atlanta, full of key takeaways that relate back to business regardless of where you live.   On Tuesday, Phil Rich, SVP & CSCO with Sweetwater, shares his perspective with Supply Chain Now Co-hosts Greg White and Scott Luton on how to guarantee quality customer experiences.   On Wednesday, Scott and Greg hosted the Supply Chain Buzz where they welcomed HR Expert & Consultant John Holly, who shared everything you need to know when it comes to supply chain talent right now.   On TECHquila Sunrise this Thursday, Greg White reflected on the best moments from the podcast since August with featured technology founders, investors, and visionaries.   We ended the week…

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…