Ken Sherman

Stay up to date on all the latest conversations, interviews, and episodes we released this week here at Supply Chain Now. We started our week off by publishing a Digital Transformers episode hosted by Kevin L. Jackson. This week he welcomes special guest Trina Limpert with RizeNext. On This Week in Business History, Scott shares a special story that is near and dear to his heart. This episode highlights Scott’s grandfather Dick Rutland. Scott highlights his grandfather’s experiences with Winn-Dixie and Kimberly Clark. On Tuesday, we released an episode of TEKTOK with hosts Scott Luton and Karin Bursa. These two had the amazing opportunity to interview Matthew Harding SVP of Data Science & Engineering, and Ben Cubitt, SVP of Consulting and Network Services at Transplace. For this episode of Supply Chain Now Scott and Greg had the opportunity to interview two important UPS figures: Daniel Gagnon, Vice President of Global UPS Healthcare Marketing and Strategy, and Tim Fosnough, Senior Director of UPS Global Freight Forwarding. During this conversation, UPS responses to the COVID-19 pandemic were discussed. On Thursday, we also released another episode of the Supply Chain Buzz featuring Aaron Meredith from Verusen. Scott, Greg, and Aaron covered all the…

Customers blame retailers less when the delay notification comes from someone else   When something goes wrong, most companies reach for the same playbook: communicate early, communicate often, and keep customers informed. It is difficult to argue with that logic. Customers hate surprises, and transparency has become a cornerstone of good service. Whether the issue is a delayed shipment, a production disruption, or a missed commitment, managers generally assume that more communication demonstrates accountability and builds trust. New research published in the Journal of Business Logistics suggests the real lesson is narrower and more useful than “communicate more.” The study shows that communication does more than transfer information. It also shapes how customers assign responsibility. The volume of communication was not what mattered. The identity of the messenger was. Researchers presented consumers with identical delivery delays following an online purchase. In the study, the same standard emails were sent to every participant: an order confirmation, a shipment notice, and a delivery confirmation. What varied was only how customers learned about the delay itself. Some received a delay notification from the retailer, some from the carrier, and others discovered the delay on their own through package tracking. The delivery outcome was…