Dr. Yossi Sheffi

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…

In today’s supply chain landscape, digital transformation is no longer optional—but as the panelists in the latest Supply Chain Now webinar revealed, it’s also not just about technology. Hosted by Scott Luton and Jake Barr, this conversation brought together two powerhouse leaders: Eliza Simeonova, Quality Supply Chain Operations Officer at Haleon, and Philip Vervloesem, Chief Commercial & Markets Officer at OMP. Together, they tackled one of the most pressing challenges of our time—how to lead meaningful, people-centered transformation in an age increasingly defined by AI. A few insights stood out: Technology isn’t the hero—people are. True digital transformation begins with clarity of purpose, disciplined simplification, and leaders who stay close to the work. AI amplifies human intelligence, it doesn’t replace it. The most successful organizations empower their teams to collaborate with technology, not compete against it. Waiting for perfection is the biggest risk. Progress comes from experimentation, agility, and the courage to act before every variable is known. From redefining leadership mindsets to practical strategies for upskilling teams, this discussion offered an inspiring roadmap for supply chain leaders ready to embrace what’s next. Watch the full webinar on demand: Register to view the replay »Download the companion resource: 5 Must-Know…