Jenny Patzlaff

Supply chain management is constantly evolving. Whether you see the glass as half full or half empty, this dynamic environment brings both challenges and opportunities to the fore. The good news is that, while challenges continue to emerge, experts and thought leaders who offer insights and strategies are changing the industry, too. This article highlights three such visionaries — Searoutes Co-Founder & CEO Pierre Garreau, Noodle.ai Chief Operating Officer Michael Ciatto, and Owlery Co-Founder Travis Downs — who not only offer fresh perspectives but are also driving change through their innovative approaches. Three Voices Transforming the Supply Chain These experts have emerged with pragmatic solutions to many of today’s logistical problems, ushering in the potential for a more effective supply chain operation. True, many might consider them “new kids on the block,” but their thought leadership already resonates well across the entire industry. Pierre Garreau, Searoutes “Today’s businesses are under pressure to improve visibility over carbon emissions, as regulators and consumers alike place greater emphasis on emissions reduction. However, businesses struggle to build accurate visibility over emissions, instead turning to greenwashing and estimation as a means of signaling decarbonization efforts. Searoutes uses the physical characteristics of vessels, planes, and trucks,…

Special Guest Blog Post written by Bernadine Henderson Ms. Henderson, senior director of procurement at Protolabs, lifts the lid on buying in manufacturing and why relationships are central to it.   Simply put, the job of a buyer is really about buying the right thing at the right time for the right price. It sounds simple, but it really is very complicated because everything that’s going on in the world impacts the timing, the availability, and the price of the product. This means that buying has recently got a lot more complicated. World events have very real consequences on global supply chains. Just one example is the way in which buyers have responded to tariffs in the U.S. by re-routing sourcing locations. It takes a certain amount of agility to be a buyer in 2025, and this quick responsiveness is helped along by one key ingredient, and that is strong relationships with suppliers. Relationships Built on Trust A widely held misconception is that buyers are only interested in getting to the lowest price possible. In fact, the most important thing to a buyer is for suppliers to bring solutions that deliver overall value. In my experience, a really strong supplier…