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From Planning to Decision Making

Supply chains are more volatile and interconnected than ever, but many planning processes still rely on disconnected systems, manual analysis, and spreadsheet-based interventions. This white paper explores how network optimization, supported by advances in optimization technology, workflow design, cloud computing, and AI, can help planning teams evaluate cross-functional trade-offs, respond faster to change, and move from static plans to continuous, decision-driven supply chain planning.

Inside the White Paper:

– Why traditional planning systems and network optimization evolved separately, and why that separation limits decision quality in today’s supply chains.

– How network optimization helps evaluate cross-functional trade-offs across sourcing, production, inventory, transportation, fulfillment, service, cost, and capacity.

– Why continuous network optimization is different from one-time strategic modeling, and how it can support recurring tactical and operational planning decisions.

– How AI and configurable workflows can make optimization more usable for planners without requiring them to become modeling experts.

– How planning systems and network optimization can work together in a feedback loop that improves decisions over time.

 

Click here to download 

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May 8, 2020

This Week in Supply Chain Now: May 2nd – 8th

Another great week here at Supply Chain Now! Have you listened to all the episodes? If not, no worries! Check them all out here: We added a special Saturday episode on May 2nd and featured the first of three speakers from the 2020 AIAG CR Summit and their insights from the conference. First up was Michael Wurzman…     …Then on Monday we featured Tolga Yaprak with iPoint…     …And then on Tuesday, we featured Bruno Sarda.     On Wednesday, we published another episode in the fantastic Logistics with Purpose series sponsored by Vector Global Logistics. Our special guest was Lauren Noce with Hungry.     Then we published the new and improved Supply Chain Buzz, with Scott and Greg sharing and discussing the latest news and events in Supply Chain and beyond.     And to wrap up the week, Scott chatted with the Resilience360 team about their upcoming webinar about the 2020 Hurrican Season.     Which was your favorite episode? Make sure you tune in next week for more great conversation, timely topics, and exceptional guests on Supply Chain Now!
supply chain war room strategy
February 26, 2026

Inside the Supply Chain War Room: Max Garland on Backup Plans, Delivery Costs & the Human Side of Innovation

At Manifest 2026, Scott Luton shared a cup of coffee with Max Garland, Senior Reporter at Supply Chain Dive, an Informa TechTarget publication, for a boots-on-the-ground perspective from one of the industry’s most plugged-in observers. Garland covers freight, logistics, retail fulfillment, and parcel delivery: the parts of the supply chain where strategy meets reality. And after a bruising 2025, he sees an industry that’s not just reacting anymore. It’s recalibrating.   From Plan B to Plan D If 2025 had a theme, Garland says it was contingency planning. “Last year was when a lot of companies were putting together those Plan B’s, Plan C’s, and Plan D’s,” he explained, pointing to tariff upheaval and shifting trade policy that forced leaders into constant reaction mode. Companies prioritized flexibility: diversifying sourcing, adjusting procurement strategies, and preparing for fires wherever they might spark. In 2026, that flexibility remains. But the tone has shifted. Now companies are “firming up their plans, fine-tuning, making sure those back-up plans are cost-effective as well.” It’s no longer just about avoiding disruption; it’s about operating efficiently within it. In other words, supply chain leaders aren’t just jumping over candlesticks anymore (like Jack from the old nursery rhyme). They’re…