As strategic forces push manufacturing back to America, one obstacle threatens progress: finding the right people with the right skills. Before new factories can produce anything, they must be built—requiring a new generation of skilled tradespeople such as electricians, welders, and technicians. And once these modern facilities are operational, companies report an unexpected challenge: the biggest talent gaps aren’t just technical, but also in core soft skills like leadership, critical thinking, and communication. Join Supply Chain Now hosts Scott Luton and Allison Giddens as they welcome Alan Amling and Darrell Edwards from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville to explore a practical approach to developing a comprehensive workforce from the ground up. Learn what it truly takes to build, staff, and sustain the next generation of American manufacturing.

Digitized inventory management can make your supply chain more efficient and resilient to disruptions, develop higher visibility into your part consumption, improve forecasting, and help you reallocate resources to more productive responsibilities. But what does the transition into a new system actually entail for your business? What can you expect regarding timeline, cost, infrastructure, and strategies? Making better decisions requires insight from experts in their field. Join us to learn what Optimas Director of IT Business Systems, Jerry Segall, and Juan Jimenez, Global Business Development Director, recommend manufacturers do to optimize their inventory management in order to be more proactive and profitable. Walk away with practical and actionable insights into what transitioning or building a new inventory management system would look like for your business. Attendees will also have the opportunity to download Optimas’ Inventory Management Workbook for free. This workbook guides you through the decision-making/selection process for a vendor-managed system. You could use this guide to: -Determine your inventory management needs before you get started -Vet inventory management solutions providers -Set up KPIs to measure success