Dr. Luke McClees

At the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton sat down with Fred Baumann, Senior Industry Principal at Kinaxis, one of the world’s most recognized leaders in supply chain planning and orchestration. Kinaxis has spent over four decades shaping the planning landscape and has been named to the Gartner Leaders Quadrant an extraordinary 11 consecutive times—a testament to its execution strength and long-term vision. Baumann’s role at Kinaxis centers on helping chief supply chain officers and senior leaders shape their strategic transformation roadmaps, quantify value, and build the business cases necessary to achieve breakthrough outcomes.   From Episodic Disruptions to Continuous Turbulence When asked about old and new challenges facing supply chain planning teams, Baumann observed a major shift: disruption is no longer episodic—it’s continuous. Historically, companies faced major disruptions every few years. Today, volatility and constraint-related challenges—whether driven by tariffs, sourcing changes, geopolitical shifts, or supply shortages—are unfolding weekly or even daily. This environment demands a new way of working. The speed of global business is accelerating, and uncertainty is at historic highs. As Baumann noted, organizations must now adjust their supply chains “much faster than they had to even last year.” The shift isn’t only…

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