Jerry Stephens

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Did you catch all the episodes? If not, you can check them all out here: We kicked off the week with This Week in Business History, where Scott looks back at some of the biggest historical events in business history for the week ahead, including the birth of the Coca-Cola Company.   Supply Chain Now · “This Week in Business History for July 6th: The Birth of the Coca-Cola Company”     Then on Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed John Buglino with Optessa to the podcast to discuss simplifying and streamlining operations.   Supply Chain Now · “Simplifying & Streamlining Operations: John Buglino with Optessa”     On Wednesday we published the Supply Chain Buzz, where Greg and Scott discussed the top supply chain news of the week, and were joined by special guest Tevon Taylor, with FedEx Supply Chain.   Supply Chain Now · “Supply Chain Buzz for July 6th: Featuring Tevon Taylor with FedEx Supply Chain”   On Thursday, we continued our new series, TECHquila Sunrise with Greg White, where Greg shares the latest investments, acquisitions, innovations, and glorious implosions in Supply Chain Tech every week.   Supply Chain Now…

At the 2025 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, Scott Luton met with John Lash, who leads strategy and vision at e2open, a WiseTech Global Group company. E2open is a global platform powering the entire lifecycle of making, moving, and selling goods, with capabilities spanning planning, logistics, global trade, supply management, and procurement. The platform is designed not just for enterprise visibility but for true end-to-end coordination across extended supply chain ecosystems. Lash emphasized that disruptions rarely originate within a company’s four walls. “Your sub-tiers are where most of the risk lives,” he explained. “That’s where your day-to-day operations—and your long-term strategy—are truly shaped.” It’s a lesson sharply reinforced during the pandemic, which reminded leaders worldwide that no one does supply chain alone.   Old Challenges Intensified by New Realities When Luton asked about the biggest challenges facing planning teams today, Lash pointed immediately to constraints—supply constraints, manufacturing constraints, and now, the added layer of global trade volatility. Trade policies that once shifted every few years now change weekly, daily, or even hourly. Lash offered a striking example: Brazilian coffee duties jumped from 10% to 50% this summer—before returning to 0%. “How do you plan through that?” he asked.…