Federico Gomez

At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton shared a cup of coffee with Max Garland, Senior Reporter at Supply Chain Dive, an Informa TechTarget publication, for a boots-on-the-ground perspective from one of the industry’s most plugged-in observers. Garland covers freight, logistics, retail fulfillment, and parcel delivery: the parts of the supply chain where strategy meets reality. And after a bruising 2025, he sees an industry that’s not just reacting anymore. It’s recalibrating.   From Plan B to Plan D If 2025 had a theme, Garland says it was contingency planning. “Last year was when a lot of companies were putting together those Plan B’s, Plan C’s, and Plan D’s,” he explained, pointing to tariff upheaval and shifting trade policy that forced leaders into constant reaction mode. Companies prioritized flexibility: diversifying sourcing, adjusting procurement strategies, and preparing for fires wherever they might spark. In 2026, that flexibility remains. But the tone has shifted. Now companies are “firming up their plans, fine-tuning, making sure those back-up plans are cost-effective as well.” It’s no longer just about avoiding disruption; it’s about operating efficiently within it. In other words, supply chain leaders aren’t just jumping over candlesticks anymore (like Jack from the old nursery rhyme). They’re…

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now. On Monday’s episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton leads the conversation on reverse logistics and welcomes Tony Sciarrotta with RLA and Rich Bulger with Cisco to the show. On This Week in Business History, Scott tells the rags to riches story of Airbnb and more. On Tuesday we released a classic episode of TEKTOK in which Karin Bursa shares the 3 Things C-Level Execs Need to Know About Sales & Operations Planning and Inventory Optimization. On Tuesday we also released a new episode of TECHquila Sunrise. Greg White welcomed Kubera Venture Capital’s Balaji Gopinath and special guest Robin Gregg, CEO of RoadSync. On Wednesday, Scott had the opportunity to talk with some of the University of Georgia’s up-and-coming Supply Chain Rising stars, Jessie Bailey and Elena Griggs. We also released another episode of the Supply Chain Buzz featuring Mike Griswold, and presented by OMNIA Partners. Scott, Greg, and Mike discussed everything from rising COVID-19 infections impact of the supply chain to the United Nations response to climate change. On Friday, host Page Siplon sat down with Griff Lynch…