Jeannine Rivas

When healthcare supply chains break down, the consequences are measured in more than missed delivery windows or higher procurement costs. They can show up as delayed procedures, frustrated clinical teams, wasted inventory, and, most importantly, compromised patient care. That urgency is at the center of a new Supply Chain Now conversation featuring Mark Holmes, Head of Global Supply Chain Market Strategy at InterSystems, and Michael LaRocca, Founder and CEO of Ready Computing. Together, they explore why healthcare organizations need a new level of supply chain intelligence—and how integrated data, automation, and AI can help hospitals move from reactive problem-solving to proactive orchestration. Why Healthcare Supply Chain Disruption Is Different In retail, a stockout may mean a customer chooses a different store. In healthcare, a missing item can mean a surgery is delayed or canceled. As Holmes puts it in the episode, not having the right product at the right time for the right procedure is a fundamentally different kind of failure—one that affects lives, outcomes, and hospital economics all at the same time. The business impact is significant. Holmes notes that globally, procedure cancellations related to supply availability can average around 10%, with some regions experiencing even higher rates. A…

At MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, Scott Luton caught up with Mike Harris, VP of OMRS at Ocado Intelligent Automation, to explore how robotics, software, and evolving customer expectations are reshaping modern warehouse operations. While robots may grab the spotlight, Harris makes it clear: the real value lies beneath the surface, as in the intelligence that powers them.   Rising Expectations and the Cost-to-Serve Challenge Warehouse operators are under increasing pressure from both ends of the supply chain. Costs continue to climb, while customer expectations are rising just as quickly. “Cost to serve is continuing to increase and customers expect things faster and completely accurate” Harris explains. This dynamic creates a constant balancing act. Organizations must improve speed and accuracy while controlling costs, a challenge that requires more than incremental improvements. It demands smarter, more adaptive systems.   Flexibility and Long-Term Thinking Take Center Stage In today’s volatile environment, Harris sees a clear shift in how companies approach automation investments. “We’re finding that customers are looking to invest in technologies and partners that they want to stay with for a while,” he notes. Rather than chasing one-off solutions, organizations are prioritizing long-term partnerships and scalable platforms that can evolve with their…