The Zero100 Podcast: Digitally Reinventing Supply Chain

From tariff threats and inflation to labor disputes and genAI, it’s been a big year for supply chain. To close out 2024, Zero100 Advisory Board members Stephanie Pullings Hart (EVP, Global Head of Operations at Nestlé) and Karin Shanahan (EVP, Global Product Development and Supply at Bristol Myers Squibb), and VP Research Lauren Acoba, dive into the year’s top stories, the tech of tomorrow, and their supply chain priorities for the year ahead.

• Reminiscing about our beloved holiday traditions (0:49)
• Encapsulating 2024 in one word (2:33)
• Addressing the elephant in the room: sustainability (4:52)
• What it really means to be resilient amidst geopolitical tensions (9:30)
• The secrets to building a happy, future-ready workforce (14:18)
• The promise and struggle of implementing AI in supply chain (19:25)
• Some sage wisdom for C-level leaders (24:44)

We may not have a crystal ball, but Zero100's data analysis has identified 10 major shifts supply chain leaders need to watch out for in 2025. This week, the team reveals the rationale behind their predictions and breaks down what they mean for you. Featuring: VP Research Lauren Acoba, Head of Research Analytics Cody Stack, and Content Director Allyssia Alleyne.

Members, get the full rundown of our predictions on the Member’s Hub: https://members.zero100.com/10-for-25/ 

Non-members, check out a preview here: https://zero100.com/10-for-25/ 

• The Zero100 approach to predicting the future (0:49)
• What’s up next for AI adoption (3:10)
• Our wild card prediction for sustainability (4:29)
• Where we think supply chain roles will disappear – and where they'll grow (5:13)
• The org model that’ll separate winners from losers (9:14)
• Our forecast for the growing AI vendor landscape (13:22)
• The secret ingredient for Scope 3 progress (16:22)

Sourcing has been last in line for tech investment and innovation for quite some time. But AI and a wave of new digital technology have the potential to turbocharge the function – if leaders seize the moment now. On this week's podcast, the Zero100 team discuss frameworks and use cases to inspire leaders ready to take the leap. Featuring: VP Research Lauren Acoba, and VP Research Geraint John.

• Why sourcing has lagged in tech innovation (2:10)
• Inside Zero100’s latest report, “Reinventing the First Mile: AI Powers a New Generation of Digital Sourcing” (4:45)
• How Tesco, Siemens Energy, Unilever, and Maersk are using AI in sourcing (6:00)
• The key sourcing “job to be done” during Trump’s second term (9:05)
• Using data mining, process mining, and AI to strengthen your data foundation (11:17)
• The three main approaches to tech stack building (13:59)
• From art to science: The new sourcing skill set (18:05)
• Key imperatives for sourcing leaders in 2025 (21:23)
• What sourcing leaders can learn from contemporary artists (23:13)

Zero100 Live 2024 didn’t just explore AI’s future impact. It delivered a bold blueprint for supply chain leaders ready to harness the AI revolution. This week on the podcast, the team unpacks the moments that made waves and the insights that left our audience buzzing (plus a few behind-the-scenes stories.) Featuring: VP Research Steve Hochman, Principal Research Jenna Fink, and Senior Account Director Jack Polikoff. 

• Unpacking the vibe at Zero100 Live (00:41)
• The topics that got people talking (2:37)
• What supply chain leaders really think about fusion teams and sustainability (7:23)
• Recapping the winner's formula for AI ROI (11:29)
• Our favorite moments beyond the mainstage (including an update on the swag shop) (14:51)

There’s more to omnichannel strategy than DTC shipping and BORIS policies. The Zero100 team discuss the next evolution of omnichannel supply chains, sharing success stories from across industries and new opportunities enabled by AI and other advanced tech. Featuring: Chief Content Officer Matt Davis, VP Research Lauren Acoba, and VP Research Steve Hochman.

• What does omnichannel mean in 2024? (1:13) 
• Why supply chain leaders struggle to get omnichannel right (2:33)
• How T-Mobile turns demand and attribute analysis into B2B success (4:46)
• Identifying product attributes – and how AI can help (6:40)
• How to convert customer needs into practical strategies (8:55)
• Omnichannel opportunities before the last mile (13:01)
• How chemical and pharma companies are embracing personalization and segmentation (15:38) 
• Using AI, machine learning, simulation, and automation to turbocharge omnichannel strategy (16:32)

Feeling lucky? On the latest episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team reveal where supply chain leaders are investing in AI to see the greatest business rewards across planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics, and identify areas with untapped potential. Featuring: Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah and VP Research Geraint John.

• Zooming in on digital as a competitive differentiator (00:25)
• Introducing Zero100’s AI Maturity Survey and investment categories (3:13) 
• Where companies like HP, Komatsu, and Henkel are investing and seeing returns in planning (5:36) 
• What’s stalling sourcing’s AI revolution? (8:16)
• The one safe bet for AI investment in sourcing (10:32) 
• Zero100’s four core data management principles (12:20) 
• What logistics leaders should be – but aren’t yet – doing with AI (15:24) 
• The biggest AI opportunities in manufacturing (17:21) 
• First steps for companies trying to decide where to place their AI bets (19:11) 
• What could the rise of AI mean for supply chain talent? (20:21)

Follow Zero100 on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zero100inc/

Members, read the full Supply Chain Rewired report here: https://members.zero100.com/supply-chain-rewired/

Non-members, check out a preview: https://zero100.com/supply-chain-rewired/

This year has seen a slew of high-profile elections worldwide. And now, all eyes are on the US as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump vie for the presidency. On the podcast, the Zero100 team breaks down what a victory for either candidate could mean for supply chain, translating policy into priorities for global operations. Featuring: Chief Content Officer Matt Davis, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah, and VP Research Lauren Acoba.

• How a Trump or Harris presidency could influence global trade flows (especially with China) (3:21)       
• What a Harris win could mean for trade unions, wages, and the nature of work (7:27) 
• Green light, red tape, and supply chain’s sustainability goals (11:53) 
• Why the US election is a global concern – in supply chain and beyond (14:51)  
• Separating feasible campaign promises from political theater (16:40) 
• Key priorities for supply chain leaders in the lead-up to November 5 (21:04)

From autonomous agents to specialized robotics, AI is transforming supply chain. But next-gen tech requires a next-gen workforce to maximize its potential. In the latest episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team discuss the mechanics of building human-machine teams and a skills profile for the supply chain worker of tomorrow. Featuring: Chief Content Officer Matt Davis and VP Research Lauren Acoba.

• Reflecting on one year of ChatGPT Enterprise (1:51)
• AI’s swift transition from tool to teammate (3:35)
• The logic of divvying up tasks on hybrid human-machine teams (5:17)
• How AI is changing roles and helping employees at Unilever, BMW, and Walgreens (7:16)
• The risks of letting an AI agent do a supply chain novice’s work (9:19)
• Introducing Andi: the “new-collar” supply chain worker of the future (11:00)
• Supply chain’s most in-demand skills (11:54)
• How the APAC region and the West stack up on digital skill (14:47)
• The rise of the product manager and data manager in supply chain (15:43)
• How to integrate AI into your team and grow AI literacy (19:48)

Olympic medalists and supply chain leaders have something in common: an obsession with resilience. But is it time for us to rethink our approach? In the latest episode of the podcast, the Zero100 team discusses how resilience strategies – from dual sourcing supply to predictive analytics – can help companies turn threats into opportunities. Featuring: Chief Content Officer Matt Davis, VP Research Geraint John, and VP Research Lauren Acoba.

• What leaders get wrong when it comes to resilience (3:49)
• Why companies are diversifying their supply bases beyond China (8:53)
• The challenge of balancing short-term costs with potential long-term benefits (12:36)
• How “frugal resilience” can deliver value for cash-conscious companies (14:04)
• Who should really “own” resilience? (16:53)
• The most impressive AI uses cases in resilience strategy  (18:20)
• Why Walmart, Schneider Electric, and VF Corporation deserve gold medals in this arena (21:13)

New Zero100 research reveals that the APAC region is the sleeping giant of supply chain digitization. Now, it’s time for the West to wake up. In this episode, the team explores the growing divide between East and West when it comes to digital skills, tools, and processes, and provides guidance for leaders looking to level up their own global teams. Featuring: Zero100 VP, Research Geraint John, and Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer, Kevin O’Marah.

• The markers of APAC's digital supply chain dominance (1:59)
• Four reasons the East is leapfrogging the West on digital (4:06)
• How India became the rising star of the APAC region (7:52)
• Digital success stories from LG, Toyota, Flipkart, and Huawei (9:30)
• The secrets behind Temu’s low prices (15:27)
• Strategies for connecting global teams that span the East and West (17:14)
• Lessons from APAC supply chains to tap into now (20:24)

For those of us raised on Star Wars, our expectations of robots have often outstripped reality. But as genAI infiltrates factories and warehouses, operations leaders have been given new hope. In this episode, the Zero100 team unpacks supply chain’s robotics revolution and the tech, talent, and mindset needed to capitalize on this moment. Featuring: Zero100's VP, Research, Geraint John; Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah; and VP, Research, Lauren Acoba. 

• Why are we talking about robotics in supply chain now? (1:53)
• The data implications when it comes to using AI in robotics. (3:14)
• GenAI: net job creator or job destroyer? (7:33)
• The new skills that factory and warehouse employees will need. (09:53)
• How the fast food, hi-tech, and pharma industries are experimenting with robotics. (13:30)
• The geographical impact of automation on nearshoring and reshoring. (15:15)
• How can CSCOs and COOs build the business case for investment in new-age robotics? (17:53)
• Our predictions on what the automation of operations looks like in 10-20 years. (21:07)

Looking to shift to an AI-powered supply chain? Easier said than done. Leaders everywhere are struggling to move AI past the pilot phase or are suffering embarrassing public blunders. In this conversation, the Zero100 team breaks down the challenges stalling supply chain’s AI revolution, and shares tips for success from the companies doing it right. Featuring: Chief Content Officer Matt Davis, VP Research Lauren Acoba, and VP Research Steve Hochman. 

• How operations leaders are doing when it comes to AI. (2:02)
• The leadership skills needed to bridge the AI say-do gap. (6:23)
• Supply chain’s data readiness conundrum. (7:40)
• How Amazon and Procter & Gamble develop successful AI solutions. (10:47)
• The recipe for workforce success in the age of AI. (13:58)
• How to win board buy-in. (16:14)
• The coolest AI use cases in operations today. (19:18)

Is SHEIN a supply chain role model or a cautionary tale? In the latest episode of the Zero100 Podcast, Chief Research Officer Kevin O’Marah, VP Research Geraint John, and VP Research Steve Hochman dissect the AI breakthroughs and red flags embedded in the fast-fashion brand’s operating model, offering both lessons and warnings for leaders across industries.

• SHEIN’s impact on the retail industry. (00:40)
• What supply chain leaders across industries can learn from SHEIN. (04:02)
• The secrets of SHEIN’s revolutionary operating model. (07:47)
• The red flags in SHEIN’s supply chain and the fast-fashion industry at large. (11:12)
• How APAC companies got the leg-up on supply chain resilience. (16:33)
• What the future holds for SHEIN. (19:06)

At Zero100 we’re obsessed not just with the technology to reinvent supply chains, but also the talent that will power the reinvention. So, we sat down with four leaders at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. to get into the nuts and bolts of their supply chain talent strategy and find out how they’re future-proofing their workforce.

In this episode, we speak to Magne Setnes, Chief Supply Chain Officer at HEINEKEN. He shares how HEINEKEN is deploying genAI at scale, the importance of diversity of thought alongside functional expertise within teams, and his belief in the fact that supply chain and IT are intertwined, depending on each other to meet the demands of customers today.

In this episode, we delve into the details of Cummins’ supply chain transformation journey.

Mario Guerendo, Executive Director – Head of Global Supply Chain IT at Cummins sits down with Zero100 to share his experience of digitally integrating a historically decentralized supply chain.

We hear about the processes powering this transformation, and the challenges and successes they’re facing on their journey. Mario also gives  his view on the emerging technology that could change supply chains in the years to come.

Today’s episode welcomes Paula Natoli, Director of Strategic Industries, Supply Chain, and Logistics at Google Cloud. Paula shares her insights on a data-driven approach to solving supply chain challenges, using digital customer insights to enhance demand forecasting, and applying AI in the context of manufacturing defects. She also talks about supply chain as her “family business” and how her career path has always been intertwined with digital technology.

In our last episode of the year, Zero100’s own Kevin O’Marah, Co-Founder and Chief Research Officer, and Lauren Acoba, Principal Research, share their top predictions for supply chain and operations in 2024. 

From the untapped potential of generative AI to resiliency in the context of globalization, Kevin and Lauren go deep on the developments they believe will impact strategy in the boardroom next year.

Bold, action-oriented, and grounded in Zero100 proprietary data, listen now for the specifics of their predictions and to consider how you can use them as part of your 2024 strategy.

Today's episode welcomes Jennifer Han, Chief Product Supply Officer of Nutrition at Unilever. In the interview with host Mike Silverman, Jennifer shares her experience managing their supply network in China during COVID, her achievements including getting WEF Lighthouse certification for three factories, and her work applying AI technology and regenerative agriculture practices to Unilever's global nutrition business.

We’re diving into Walmart’s supply chain, speaking to their Executive Vice President of Sourcing, Andrea Albright. Lauren Acoba, Principal Research at Zero100, interviews Andrea about her experience overseeing Walmart's private brand labels. They discuss everything from rethinking sourcing's impact across the value chain to bringing in outside perspectives to fuel innovation.