Tim Nelson

In schools and childcare centers, every dollar counts. But there’s another resource that may be just as precious: time. In a recent conversation with Scott Luton, Ashley Hubka, SVP & GM of Walmart Business, explored the often-overlooked role procurement plays in education. From preparing for the back-to-school rush to managing staff shortages and embracing AI, Hubka’s message was consistent: Simplifying routine purchasing can give educators and administrators more time to focus on the people they serve. And that opportunity may be substantial: according to a recent survey of more than 500 decision-makers at businesses with 10–500 employees, 37% of business leaders spend 4–7 hours each week on routine purchasing. Different Organizations, Similar Challenges A school district serving 30,000 students and a childcare center supporting 500 children may operate at vastly different scales, but Hubka says their procurement challenges often look surprisingly similar. Both organizations must stretch budgets, stay stocked, support multiple users and locations, and respond quickly when needs change. When purchasing is fragmented across suppliers and systems, they face increased complexity and reduced visibility. The back-to-school season magnifies those challenges. “Back-to-school condenses months of planning and purchasing into a very short window,” Hubka explained. At the same time organizations…

Manufacturers across chemicals, life sciences, and consumer packaged goods lose more than $120 billion annually through inventory write-offs, but those losses are often the end result of material risks that began months earlier. Forecast changes, supplier delays, quality events, aging inventory, and shifting production priorities can quietly compound into shortages, excess inventory, scrap, and lost margin when they aren’t identified and addressed early enough. The State of Material Risk & Recovery explores how leading batch manufacturers are moving beyond traditional inventory management to identify risk earlier, coordinate decisions across functions, and protect the value of materials throughout their lifecycle. Discover the Prevent, Mitigate, Recover framework and how AI-enabled decision intelligence can help teams connect signals across systems, understand root causes, prioritize the highest-impact actions, and intervene before operational risk becomes financial loss. Download the report to learn how to: Spot material risk earlier, before it turns into excess and obsolete inventory, production disruption, or a write-off. Close the gap between ERP visibility and actionable decisions by understanding not just what happened, but why and what to do next. Apply the Prevent, Mitigate, Recover framework to improve material readiness and unlock more recovery opportunities. Use AI to turn scattered signals into…