Joe Donnell

Special Guest Blog Post written by Bart A. De Muynck   The past few years have exposed just how fragile our supply chains can be. From tariff shocks to pandemic disruptions, from inflationary pressures to mounting parcel surcharges, the landscape has shifted beneath our feet. Companies that once managed logistics as a back-office function are now grappling with its role as a front-line business risk.   What’s often missed in this conversation is the role of freight audit and payment (FAP). Long considered a tactical necessity, FAP has quietly become a strategic imperative. And as I explored in the Better Supply Chains Market Radar: Freight Audit & Payment, the companies that treat it that way are the ones best equipped to weather today’s volatility.   Why FAP Has Become Mission-Critical   When tariffs can add 15–20% to input costs almost overnight, or when the elimination of the U.S. de minimis exemption threatens to reshape cross-border e-commerce, companies need more than visibility. They need real-time intelligence and agility.   Traditional FAP approaches—manual audits, siloed spreadsheets, reactive error correction—are no longer sufficient. Modern FAP platforms, powered by AI and advanced analytics, enable shippers to:   Audit with precision at scale, uncovering hidden…

ATLANTA, GA — January 6, 2026 — Supply Chain Now, the award-winning global digital media platform recognized as the #1 Voice of Supply Chain, today announced the promotion of Mary Kate Love to President, effective January 1, 2026, alongside the continued engagement of a distinguished Advisory Board composed of proven leaders across supply chain, technology, strategy, and media. Together, these leadership updates signal Supply Chain Now’s next chapter of growth as the company prepares for significant expansion in 2026: scaling programming, partnerships, and demand-generation capabilities while staying rooted in authentic, practitioner-led content serving a global audience of more than 1 million listeners. In her new role, Love will lead Supply Chain Now’s strategic growth across programming, partnerships, operations, and long-term platform strategy, further strengthening its mission to inform, connect, and elevate the global supply chain industry. “Mary Kate is a trusted, decisive leader with a rare combination of delivering both strategic vision and operational excellence,” said Scott W. Luton, Founder and CEO of Supply Chain Now. “In 2025, she played a pivotal role in accelerating our revenue growth, expanding our audience to more than one million supply chain professionals, and sharpening our focus on delivering measurable value for both practitioners…