In honor of Labor Day 2021, host Scott W. Luton reflects back on his own related Eureka moment on the power of a good day’s work & the responsibility we all have when it comes to the global workforce. Scott also dives into the history of Labor Day, including a few historical notes that might just surprise you.
Our team at This Week in Business History & Supply Chain Now are very grateful to all of the wonderful & talented workers that keep us all moving forward.
More Podcast Episodes
generative AI
Podcast
April 12, 2024
The Buzz, Digital Transformers Edition, for April 12th: Mainframes turn 60 and AI Crashes the Party
The Buzz is Supply Chain Now’s regular Monday livestream, held at 12 noon ET each week. This show focuses on some of the leading stories from global supply chain and global business, always with special guests – the most important of which is the live audience! In this week’s Digital Transformers edition of The Buzz, hosts Scott Luton and Kevin L. Jackson welcome special guest Anton Karnaukhov, Co-founder, VP of Application Delivery with XpertMinds, to the show. Together they discuss: What generative AI means for supply chain work As mainframes turn 60, how skill gaps threaten the enterprise workforce How AI is disrupting the supply chain industry Anton’s expert perspective on the implementation of new technologies in supply chain And much more!
return management
Podcast
October 20, 2025
Ask Me Anything on Reverse Logistics & Returns
In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton and special guest host Claudia Freed, President & CEO of EALGreen, welcome Chuck Johnston, Chief Strategy Officer at ReturnPro, for a deep dive into the “dark side” of supply chain: reverse logistics and returns management. They unpack why returns are a nearly trillion-dollar challenge in the U.S., how BORIS (buy online, return in store) strains store operations, and why many retailers still under-invest: leaders often can’t see the full cost across functions or make the ROI case for what’s treated as a cost center. Chuck shares how the space has evolved from yellow notepads to data-driven decisioning, highlighting intelligent algorithms that route items at the customer’s first return click, fraud mitigation with imaging and behavior signals, and how third-party innovation is compressing software build times. Claudia adds a nonprofit and circularity lens: donation channels, extended tax credits, and AI pilots (computer vision + MCP agents) that identify item condition and slotting in real time. Together, they explore where to start, why cross-functional “ambassadors” matter, and how partnerships across retailers, manufacturers, nonprofits, and 3PLs can turn returns from margin erosion into measurable value and social impact. This episode is hosted by…