Shawn Barker

Special Guest Blog Post written by Demostenes (Demo) Perez, Photo by Rikin Katyal   After more than 25 years in logistics and supply chain management and having led over 200 regional distribution projects, I’ve come to realize that the questions people don’t ask are often the most important. Throughout my career, I’ve worked with global multinationals, emerging brands, and family-run businesses. I’ve helped move everything from underground mining equipment to high-fashion goods, from pharmaceuticals and food to toys and chemicals. Some supply chain models I helped design are still thriving today; others were shut down after a few years. Many didn’t even make it past the drawing board. In that time, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with logistics professionals from nearly every corner of the world and making lifelong friends in the process. Yet no matter the company size or product type, I still wish more people would ask these five questions before launching or scaling their operations in Latin America: 1. How well do I understand the diversity within Latin America? “Latin America” is often treated as a single market. It’s not. Logistics conditions in Mexico are completely different from those in Brazil. Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Chile…

We continued this week on Supply Chain Now with more great interviews, conversations, livestreams, and episodes! Did you miss any episodes? On Monday, Scott and Karin Bursa introduced our newest Supply Chain Now program, TEKTOK, to our audience!   On Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed Dan Reeve with Esker back to Supply Chain Now for a conversation about increasing supply chain visibility and cash flow.   We published our Supply Chain Buzz on Wednesday, where Scott & Karin discussed the top news in supply chain for the week, and also welcomed featured guest, Lora Cecere with Supply Chain Insights to the podcast.   On Thursday, we continued with the second half of Greg’s interview with Sarah Barnes-Humphrey for TECHquila Sunrise.   And to wrap up the week, Scott and Greg welcomed Ashfaque Chowdhury, PhD with XPO Logistics to the podcast for a great conversation. Which was your favorite episode this week? Never miss an episode by subscribing to Supply Chain Now! Make sure you tune in next week for more great conversation, timely topics, and exceptional guests.