Dr. Bing Xu

At the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton sat down with Sean Elliott, CEO of ToolsGroup, to discuss why uncertainty is no longer something supply chain leaders should fear—and how the right technology can turn volatility into advantage. Elliott brings decades of experience across supply chain execution and planning, a background that shapes his pragmatic leadership philosophy. As he noted, bad plans can cripple even the best execution environments, just as poor execution can undermine well-crafted plans. ToolsGroup’s mission sits squarely at that intersection.   What Makes ToolsGroup Different Elliott described ToolsGroup as one of the few truly probabilistic planning providers in the market. While many vendors claim probabilistic capabilities, most stop at probabilistic forecasting. ToolsGroup goes further by embedding probabilistic thinking across the full breadth of its planning technology. The company’s belief is simple but powerful: uncertainty is not the enemy—it’s an asset. Rather than chasing forecast accuracy for its own sake, ToolsGroup focuses on business outcomes. What planning organizations really care about, Elliott argued, is having the right inventory in the right place at the right time to satisfy customers. Customer satisfaction—driven by availability, pricing, and service—is the ultimate goal. Probabilistic planning enables organizations to…

Leveraging ERM to navigate emerging tariffs and supply chain risks With recent tariff hikes and geopolitical shifts, supply chain risks are more urgent than ever. 63% of businesses reported higher-than-expected supply chain losses despite increased risk management efforts in recent years. Leveraging ERM to navigate emerging tariffs and supply chain risks explores the distinct challenges of a stressed global market and shows how ERM can enhance efforts in identifying, escalating, and responding to emerging supply chain threats.   Key areas explored in the guide:   Supply chain risks affected by increased tariffs. Why engaging ERM to address supply chain risks is crucial. 8 proactive strategies for addressing emerging supply chain risks.   Ready to start engaging ERM to respond to emerging supply chain risks with agility and speed?   Download the free guide now