This Week on Supply Chain Now: April 11-17

The first podcast available for download reportedly was Queen Elizabeth’s 2004 Christmas address. Apparently, people were hungry to download anything they could. Social media influencers, true crime aficionados, comedians, scholars, and business leaders all have stepped up to meet demand. There are now more than 4 million registered podcasts around the world – and more than 100 million listeners in the United States alone. And according to Edison Research, as of June 2024, podcasts occupied 9% of Americans’ total audio consumption time. “From podcast to podcast, thought leadership is everywhere, educating the masses in innovative ways,” Nancy Marshall – aka The PR Maven – wrote in a Forbes Council post. Supply chain-focused podcasts, in particular, have evolved into powerful platforms for building brand authority, sharing thought leadership, and achieving deeper audience engagement. The State of Supply Chain Podcasts in 2025 Podcasts today cover everything from the arts to zoology. In January, several of the top podcasts on Spotify were devoted to crime, self-help, and relationships. The Joe Rogan Experience, ranked No. 5, is categorized as a culture podcast. How I Built This, No. 9, is all about entrepreneurship. Notably, two-thirds of listeners say they hear news discussed on podcasts and…

Lean manufacturing is all about reducing waste and increasing efficiency. Manufacturers have been implementing lean practices for decades and have stood the test of time. Now, with technological advancements, lean methodologies can be more transformative than ever before. “Integrating automation into lean manufacturing is a powerful strategy. Unlike traditional automation, which often aims to increase production capacity without considering real needs, lean automation focuses on the smart and selective application of technologies to meet specific continuous improvement goals and eliminate inefficiencies,” the Kaizen Institute said. “Digital transformation provides an unprecedented opportunity for implementing lean,” it continued. “When applied within lean, tools like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics can revolutionize how organizations detect and eliminate waste.” What is Lean Manufacturing? In “The Machine That Changed The World,” published in 1990, lean production is hailed as “Toyota’s secret weapon in the global car wars.” The Toyota Production System was developed following World War II from “a series of simple innovations … to provide both continuity in process flow and a wide variety in product offerings,” according to the Lean Enterprise Institute. In “Lean Thinking,” a 1996 follow-up to “The Machine That Changed The World,” authors James…