2 Babes Talk Supply Chain

Jason Murray of Shipium talks about AI: its impacts, now and in the future; common misconceptions; investment; developing new skills; & changing your mindset.    IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.04] An introduction to Jason, his career, and why he founded Shipium. "Lots of companies are going through an Amazon-ification. Amazon was really good at dealing with this complex multi-source, multi-destination supply chain, and everything is evolving towards that." [07.04] Jason's take on the factors that sit behind his success, and how he got to where he is today. "Focusing on being a builder, a lifelong-learner, continuing to evolve how I thought about things… really being curious." [10.12] How AI is making an immediate impact on supply chains. "People are trying to decode multi-factored issues. A carrier, a model, a rule – all of this culminates to make a decision. We've always been good at automating that, but the ability to use new information and diagnose it has been critical." [16.35] From automati

Mary Casillo & Aubrey Galbraith talk about how Pallet Alliance's onsite audits uncover inefficiencies & identify opportunities for cost-saving & sustainability.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.04] An introduction to Mary and Aubrey, their backgrounds, and roles at Pallet Alliance. [07.30] An overview of Pallet Alliance – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. [10.10] From cost to sustainability, the big challenges and opportunities for Pallet Alliance customers in the current landscape. "We see organizations trying to find opportunities for cost-saving… especially because of tariffs." [12.37] How pallet optimization can make an impact, in light of these challenges and opportunities. "When we're talking about optimization, we're not just talking about the pallets themselves. We're talking about taking a holistic approach to manufacturing." [17.14] Onsite audits – what they can look like for a customer, how they can be used to create cost-effective and fit-for-purpose

Angela Woody talks about her career journey; learning to let go of inherited beliefs; making IT investments; & the guiding principles that have shaped her life. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.09] Angela's coincidental career – how volunteering at an event led to an internship that led to a full-time role at Kimberly-Clark. "It was a happenstance!... Someone took a chance on me." [08.41] Angela's 13-year tenure at Kimberly-Clark: how her career progressed, what she learned, and her biggest achievements. "Working for a global manufacturing company, you just had a wealth of opportunities… There was an opportunity to work on a first-of-a-kind project… and on that project, I could be innovative, experimental – it was career-changing." [14.21] Why Angela made a move from large CPG to small healthcare business, and how she changed her assumptions around what a stable, long-term career should look like. [17.45] What Angela loves about supply chain. "Supply chain is not a flashy job! … It's dirty, and for

Emily Nicholls of Anaplan talks about how integrated business planning helps automotive OEMs navigate EV growth & build finance-forward future-ready businesses. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.38] An introduction to Emily, her background in physics, and how her boutique supply chain specialist consultancy was acquired by Anaplan. [05.44] An overview of Anaplan – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. "We provide a cloud-based platform that helps people truly connect their plans. We operate across all the major business functions of the business, and can connect data to people, processes and plans. It's a holistic approach." [07.07] The significant transformation happening in the automotive industry, and the geopolitical factors and supply chain volatility impacting that transition. "When you're doing a massive transformation, you're usually thinking three to five years out, but trying to predict where the world will be in three to five years is nigh on impossible. It's an inte

Noel Hacegaba of the Port of Long Beach talks about tariffs, sustainability, infrastructure investments & the creation of a Supply Chain Information Highway.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [02.02] An introduction to Noel, and his role at the Port. "Our tagline is 'the port of choice.' And one of the reasons we are the port of choice is because we have a team that's committed to excellence." [03.19] An introduction to the Port and what sets it apart, from sustainability to customer service. [04.51] The Port's record-breaking year – why they achieved the busiest year in their 114 year history and what made 2024 different. "What's even more remarkable about our record year is not the number of containers we processed, but the fact that we did so without any congestion, backlogs or delays... Last year set a new standard." [06.33] The Port's perspective on tariffs and why, despite the challenges, the Port is still thriving. "There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's what slows investments… In spite of tha

Tim Robinson of Blue Yonder talks about returns: the challenges & potential, role of AI, inventory management, tariffs, & the importance of customer experience.    IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.42] Tim’s career; how he founded his business, Doddle, and the story behind the name; and how that journey led him to Blue Yonder. “It’s quite rare that you isolate and identify supply chain as your chosen goal in life, but I fell into it and have loved it ever since.” [06.34] The current returns landscape, and what Blue Yonder’s recent survey revealed about consumer-brand relationships, and how retailers approach returns. “Free and easy access returns, or buy as many as you like and return as many as you like – that philosophy has been one of the major drivers behind the success of ecommerce. How do you create the convenience and the relevance of physical shopping, where I can see a product, touch it, try it on?” [12.10] How tariffs and market turbulence are putting pressure on businesses, squeezing ma

Bill Catania of OneRail & Adam Isenberg of National Association of Wholesale Distributors discuss routing - the challenges, the tech & why unification is key.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.02] An introduction to Adam and the National Association of Wholesale Distributors (NAW). “We’re the leading advocacy and government affairs voice for the distributors, whether you’re moving computer chips, potato chips, or anything in between!” [04.34] How listeners can catch up on OneRail content, and why Bill believes in collaboration and connection. [06.03] An overview of OneRail – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “We’re really focused on exercising our horsepower around data science and AI to help internal fleets optimize. When you take that internal optimization, and bolt on third-party, you have something really unique. And over the top of all of that is the human component.” [08.12] Traditional routing engines, and their biggest weaknesses. “The problem with routing s

Akash Gupta of GreyOrange talks about warehousing and inventory challenges; taking a vendor-agnostic approach to tech; and hyper-intelligent orchestration. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.43] Akash’s background and how and why he co-founded GreyOrange. “When we were in college, we were building humanoids… But the technology wasn’t mature enough, so we explored industries that could really benefit from a combination of AI and robotics – and supply chain came to light!” [06.33] The story behind the name GreyOrange, and why culture is key to business success. [08.25] An overview of GreyOrange – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. [13.27] The ideal client for GreyOrange. [15.55] The current challenges and considerations in warehousing and inventory, and why optimizing inventory is crucial. “Optimizing inventory and working capital has been top of mind for the last few years, and balancing between warehouses and stores – how do you make sure you’re able to use every single node?” [

Anand Medepalli of Shippeo talks about why most supply chain transformations fail; good data; workflows focused on outcomes;  and why AI isn’t a quick fix.    IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.57] An introduction to Anand and Shippeo. “Our goal is to provide trustworthy data so you can make decisions. Your supply chains are constantly hit with disruptions – it’s no longer a disruption here, a disruption there. It’s actually tranquility here, tranquility there, and disruption the rest of the time!” [07.40] The latest Gartner data on the state of supply chain digitization, and why most transformations fail to deliver the promised value. “Businesses run out of energy – these are big projects. People think: ‘We must architect the whole thing before we can do anything,’ so perfect becomes the enemy of good, fast... Digitization doesn’t happen because someone has a grand vision, it’s the incremental steps you take towards it.” [14.09] Why AI isn’t a quick fix for all your digitization challenges. “It’s not a m

Natalie Walker talks about her career journey; the importance of mentors in creating space for women; the changing face of workplaces; & the future of robotics.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.06] Natalie’s education journey, how a family friend inspired an interest in supply chain, and why international business is a crucial, but sometimes overlooked, component of the industry. “I had this abstract idea of getting into international deal-making, international negotiations… So she encouraged me to check out supply chain.” [07.47] Why supply chain is often misunderstood, and why it’s a great career choice for women looking to drive meaningful change. “When people think about supply chain… especially in traditional manufacturing and operations, there’s more of a connotation of heavy, manual labor… For me, it’s about explaining what supply chain is and thinking about it more in a corporate sense – how to streamline and centralize operations.” [11.58] Natalie’s career journey, how her intentional deci

Conrad Smith of Graphite Connect talks about building a network to create global efficiency, speeding up communication; and bringing you data you can trust.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.42] Conrad’s background and career journey. “I got to Intel and they were doing procurement with paper – white, pink, yellow triplicate requisitions… it blew my mind! Intel in the 90s was THE powerhouse tech company… I showed up, and they were doing paper. That started my career into: ‘Let’s figure out how to make it better.’” [06.15] How and why Conrad established Graphite Connect. “What’s the difference between a fax machine and email? It isn’t the same magnitude of improvement as snail mail to fax machine. It’s not a printed piece of paper, it shows up in an inbox electronic, but it’s kind of the same thing. And we’ve got to figure out how to move past that one-to-one sharing of information. We’re stuck.” [14.19] An overview of Graphite Connect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “Su

Jason Murray of Shipium talks about AI - its potential, what the future will look like, and why businesses need to commit to AI before they're left behind.    IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.42] Shipium’s origin story, how the business has evolved, and what’s changed in the industry since their last appearance on the show. “The pandemic is no longer front and center. The thing that’s dominating the narrative now is AI. With us being data-first, it’s a comfortable spot. But even we’ve had to re-think our approach, because the new form of AI acts as an accelerator for all of the data science and machine learning work we’ve done in the past.” [12.15] Shipium’s perspective on tariffs, the trends impacting the industry, and why AI is still dominating the narrative. “What we hear from our customers is that they don’t like the uncertainty… They’re having trouble planning, but that speaks to the need for autonomous processes that help you deal with it in a much faster fashion.” “There are going to be things happ

Colby Ward of Amazon Web Services talks about leveraging agentic AI for competitive advantage; navigating change management; data; & eliminating spreadsheets.  IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.04] An introduction to Colby, his background, and role at Amazon Web Services. [06.58] An overview of AWS – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “Everybody knows the expression: ‘Garbage in, garbage out!’ But no one seems to focus on that area enough. They seem to say: “Well, here’s our solution, whatever your data is, we’ll take it.” And nobody focuses on: “How can I connect your data in an easier way?” “Our goal is to eventually eliminate the spreadsheet on every supply chainers desktop!” [10.30] Where enterprise technology has focused over the last couple of decades, the positives and negatives, and how we’ve got to where we are today. [14.17] The problem with generic SaaS systems in supply chain, and how agentic AI can deliver improved orchestration and eliminate bias. “SaaS systems

Kimberly Rodriguez talks about her career journey; tackling the industry’s sustainability challenges; overcoming imposter syndrome; & finding her place.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.15] Kimberly’s experience growing up in the Philippines, her university education in Abu Dhabi, and how those experiences shaped her, introducing her to the complexity of supply chain and the importance of people. [06.45] How Kimberly’s education in political science and business sparked an intertest in human rights and began a career in supply chain. “It stemmed from understanding how workers are such a big part of a complex problem… understanding the complex relationships between contractors, sub-contractors, agencies – supply chain is not just products or processes, it’s people.” [09.49] After entering supply chain not knowing what to expect, what Kimberly thinks of the industry seven years later. “The more I’m in the space, the more I realize how much supply chain makes everything we do, it’s how everything works

Chris Haas of Blume Global talks about how IoT is reinventing rail freight visibility and building a more agile, optimized intermodal network for everyone.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.55] IoT and its role in intermodal. [05.15] The big, macro-level challenges Blume see across the intermodal freight ecosystem. “Intermodal logistics is inherently complex – there’s multiple modes, multiple stakeholders, and disconnected systems which makes visibility a real challenge.” [06.48] How big industry challenges translate to a business level, the day-to-day challenges Blume see their clients facing, and why visibility is critical to navigating those challenges. “Fragmentation, theft risks, equipment inefficiencies – all of that shows up in day-to-day operations. When you don’t have visibility, delays and missed hand-offs often go unnoticed, until it’s too late… And that reactive mode causes stress across the board.” [10.02] The lack of IoT adoption across North America and, despite that underdeveloped adopti

Ross Hickey of Shippeo talks about supply chain visibility - closing gaps, building future-proof tech stacks, change management, and driving business value.  IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.39] An introduction to Ross and his role at Shippeo, and a reminder of who Shippeo are and how they help their customers. [04.45] From in-transit uncertainty to the first and last miles, the typical blind spots Shippeo see with their customers, the problem of fragmentation, and why organizations often overlook key areas in their transportation networks. “Fragmentation really is the root cause behind so many problems.” [07.53] How businesses can start to evaluate their ecosystem to shine a light on blind spots and tackle fragmentation. “Organizations need to take a more diagnostic approach at the actual problem itself.” [10.24] Shippeo’s seven value drivers, and how closing visibility gaps leads to overall performance improvement. “What if your logistics team had immediate access to information at their fingertips, u

Saskia Van Gendt talks about her career journey; sustainability challenges & opportunities; the importance of knowledge-sharing; & her experience as a woman. IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.52] How Saskia discovered a passion for sustainability, and how that passion grew into a career. “From a young age, I’d always felt a connection to nature… But, it wasn’t until I was in high school and I did competitive debate. One of the debate topics was all about renewable energy, the environment and the impact of technology and innovation in reducing emissions from fossil fuels. And that’s when a light switch turned on. It was a translation from a passion for the environment to some of the practical things we can do.” [07.03] How the sustainability landscape has changed since Saskia’s first role at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2006. “It’s important to take a long view. There’s a lot of change that’s needed, but we’ve also made a lot of progress… Now there are carbon accounting standards that

Chad Dittberner of Werner talks about supply chain sustainability - challenges, alternative fuels, cost, partnerships, and why it's a strategic advantage.     IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.09] Chad’s 32-year career at Werner, and an introduction to their Innovation Council and what it does. [06.37] The biggest sustainability challenges for the industry, and for Werner clients. “It can be messy aligning goals and initiatives. The overall pressure to reduce greenhouse gases is immense. There’s progress in so many different things… But solutions aren’t widely available at scale, especially in long-haul operations… And most of those solutions come with a premium cost.” [10.13] Why sustainability is good business, not just the right thing to do, and why it’s a strategic advantage for Werner. [12.23] How Werner are helping organizations approach their sustainability efforts, a closer look at alternative fuels like bio and renewable, and what a future-ready fleet might look like. “What people often forget… is

Bill Catania of OneRail talks about fleet management - challenges & opportunities, change management & achieveing competitive advantage with a hyrbid model.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [03.31] OneRail’s rapid growth and ‘work hard, play hard’ culture. “It’s all about work hard, play hard. We take our role in serving our customers very seriously… But we’re not afraid to play too!” [04.22] The importance of partnerships, OneRail’s customer strategy, and why they don’t take serving big category leaders for granted. [05.52] An overview of OneRail – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “We help customers marry fulfillment and last mile delivery to create one seamless transaction… We’re the connective tissue of an omnichannel fulfilment journey.” [06.43] From fleet optimization to last yard, the evolving landscape of last mile delivery and some of the biggest challenges shaping that evolution. “We’re seeing the optimization of internal fleets being a big thing for wholesal

Mary Casillo talks about Pallet Alliance; taking a holistic view; putting a focus on cost management; and integrating tracking into your transportation.    IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [04.23] An overview of Pallet Alliance – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers. “We take a scientific approach to pallet and category management.” [06.35] The ideal client for Pallet Alliance. “So much money is spent on packaging. And a lot of times people don’t consider the pallet as part of the packaging.” [09.23] From consistency to the impact of differing weather conditions, the biggest packaging problems Pallet Alliance see most regularly from their customers. “The packaging responsibilities are left to local teams with a decentralized strategy. So having a national pallet program is something that really entices our customers to work with us. The value of a national approach, with control and visibility, is really important.” [15.40] The industry challenges impacting Pallet Alliance’s custom