In this episode of Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton and special guest co-host Maria Villablanca welcome Dr. Dinesh Davè, Professor & Director of Supply Chain Management at Appalachian State University, and Evan Junker, Chief Growth Officer at SPARQ360, to unpack insights from the 2025 Supply Chain Trends and Attitudes Report. The annual study, conducted by Appalachian State and SPARQ360, surveys hundreds of supply chain managers across the U.S. to reveal where leaders are investing, from AI and visibility platforms to sustainability and risk management. Together, the panel discusses how familiarity and adoption of AI are rising, why the “ambition-action gap” still challenges sustainability progress, and what’s driving executives to balance cost efficiency, resilience, and environmental responsibility. They also explore how partnerships, collaboration, and customer-centered priorities are emerging as the new competitive advantage. Packed with practical insights and forward-looking data, this conversation offers a clear snapshot of where supply chain strategy is heading in 2025 and beyond. This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and Maria Villablanca, and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton.   Additional Links & Resources Check out all the great resources and information mentioned during the show: Connect with Dr. Dinesh Davè Learn…

Operating conditions in advanced manufacturing are changing fast as organizations push to modernize operations while navigating quality requirements, long lead times, and increasingly complex supply chains. As leaders look to apply AI across the physical world, many discover that technology alone is not enough. Success depends on strong operating fundamentals, clean master data, and a culture that aligns teams around execution, accountability, and continuous improvement. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton is joined by special guest host Wiley Jones to kick off a new 2026 series, Enterprise Unleashed, powered by the DOSS team. Together, they sit down with Garuth Acharya, investor at 8090 Industries and former operator with experience across GE, SpaceX, and Blue Origin, to explore what it really takes to build AI ready operations in advanced manufacturing. The conversation examines why AI initiatives often fail in industrial environments when data hygiene is weak, and why clean, correct, actionable data and disciplined master data practices are foundational to any successful transformation. The discussion also emphasizes practical ways AI can unlock value, from accelerating work instructions to improving shortage detection, surfacing procurement anomalies, and strengthening quality feedback loops. The panel returns to the human side of transformation:…