Global supply chains are being reshaped by nonstop disruption, accelerating geopolitical tension, and an unprecedented wave of digital innovation. Organizations are under mounting pressure to build operations that can withstand volatility, scale intelligently, and respond to customers with real-time precision.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton is joined by Mourad Tamoud, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Schneider Electric from the Schneider Electric Innovation Summit North America 2025, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it takes to build a modern, future-ready supply chain. Drawing on nearly three decades with Schneider Electric across seven countries, Mourad shares how the company has evolved into one of the industry’s most advanced, human-centric global supply chains.

Scott and Mourad explore the strategies behind Schneider Electric’s “glocal” operating model, the design principles that enable resilient multi-hub networks, and why end-to-end visibility is essential in today’s environment. They also discuss Schneider Electric’s smart factory journey, the real impact of AI on planning and productivity, and why people remain the foundation of every successful transformation.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(00:58) Mourad’s hobbies and creative outlets

(02:04) Mourad’s 30-year journey at Schneider

(03:23) How modern supply chains are evolving

(04:56) Designing resilient and anti-fragile networks

(07:10) Regionalization, sovereignty, and shorter chains

(10:02) Smart factories and digital transformation

(12:43) AI innovation and end-to-end visibility

(21:32) How to connect and keep learning

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Mourad Tamoud: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mourad-tamoud-a06b40
• Learn more about Schneider Electric: https://www.se.com/ww/en/
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
• WEBINAR- 2026 Procurement Priorities: What’s Changing (and What You Need to Do First): https://bit.ly/3Yodf0Z
• WEBINAR- Building the New Manufacturing Workforce: https://bit.ly/4iVb4vl

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at:

Today we're breaking down the biggest forces reshaping global supply chains and the future of manufacturing, and exploring why companies are shifting from global collaboration to regional, domestic-first strategies—especially across the U.S. manufacturing ecosystem. Welcome to The Buzz!

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Richard Donaldson welcome special guest Gary Bennett, Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer at Array Technologies. Together they discuss:

• The technologies transforming operations today, including AI, automation, and digital tools redefining logistics and demand planning
• How the solar energy sector is rapidly scaling to meet skyrocketing demand
• The rising importance of utility-grade solar solutions as electricity demand surges from AI and data centers
• America’s manufacturing resurgence—powered by reshoring, new incentives for domestic content, and breakthrough energy technologies
• The potential future of space-based data centers and continual innovation in solar energy

If you’re tracking the future of energy, manufacturing, and supply chain innovation, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Additional Links & Resources:

• Pegasus Logistics Group: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/
• With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-7Dec25
• Join SCN at Manifest: https://partner.manife.st/partner/supplychainnow
• Unboxing Logistics Podcast: https://www.easypost.com/podcast/
• Tariffs remain heart of uncertainty: PMI: https://bit.ly/PMI-Nov2025
• 5 Trends to Reshape Manufacturing Industry in 2026: Deloitte: https://bit.ly/6-Mfg-Trends
• Regional cooperation in better state than global cooperation, experts say: https://bit.ly/WEF-cooperation
• Connect with Pegasus Logistics Group: https://www.pegasuslogistics.com/contract-logistics/
• ARRAY Technologies: https://arraytechinc.com/
• Connect with Gary on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-bennett-38426ab
• Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richarddonaldson/
• Follow Scott on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us!...

Tariffs, trade uncertainty, and shifting energy demands are colliding with rapid advances in AI, medtech, and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, companies are racing to fill hundreds of thousands of open roles, rethink how they attract talent, and modernize permitting and policy frameworks that haven’t kept pace with innovation. The result is a U.S. manufacturing sector on the verge of a new chapter, but only if leaders can unlock the right mix of policy, people, and technology.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton sits down with Jay Timmons, President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and Kathy Wengel, Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Operations and Risk Officer at Johnson & Johnson, live from the Innovation Summit North America 2025, powered by Schneider Electric. Together, they unpack NAM’s comprehensive manufacturing strategy and the conditions needed for American industry to thrive.

Scott, Jay, and Kathy explore how permitting reform, energy leadership (including nuclear), and trade certainty impact investment decisions on the factory floor, from small manufacturers to multinational enterprises. They discuss the urgent need to expand the workforce pipeline, especially for veterans and non-traditional talent, and why modern manufacturing careers offer both purpose and prosperity. The conversation also highlights breakthrough innovations in healthcare, sensors, and AI, and connects them back to the policy environment that either accelerates or slows progress for manufacturers everywhere.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(00:47) Introducing Jay Timmons and Kathy Wengel

(01:25) NAM and Johnson & Johnson at a glance

(03:47) Why manufacturing needs a new strategy

(07:30) Permitting reform, energy, and nuclear

(10:53) Workforce pathways and veterans in manufacturing

(15:56) Tariffs, trade policy, and certainty

(19:13) AI, medtech, and next-gen manufacturing

(25:23) Policy, innovation, and what’s ahead

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Jay Timmons: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaytimmons/
• Connect with Kathy Wengel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-wengel/
• Learn more about the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM): https://nam.org/
• Learn more about Johnson & Johnson: https://www.jnj.com
• Learn more about Schneider Electric: https://www.se.com/ww/en/
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here:

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton sits down with Todd Heimes, Vice President of Amazon Business, live from Amazon Reshape 2025 in Seattle. Todd—an Amazon veteran of 26 years and a Seattle resident for over 30 years—shares rare, behind-the-scenes insights on scaling Amazon Business across Europe, Japan, and India, and leading multiple global teams including small business, global marketing, Business Prime, and international expansion.

Todd explains how AI and innovation are reshaping procurement, with Amazon working to eliminate inefficiencies, reduce manual drudgery, and empower organizations to make smarter, faster purchasing decisions. He underscores the enduring influence of Jeff Bezos’ principle: start with the customer and work backwards.

Todd shares a fascinating look at how Amazon Business streamlines procurement for large-scale, high-stakes operations, and also breaks down Amazon’s newest AI-driven capabilities—like the Amazon Business Assistant and Spend Anomaly detection—designed to elevate customer experience and bring intelligence to purchasing workflows.

Todd closes with advice for today’s supply chain leaders: master your data to navigate uncertainty and drive smarter decisions. Tune into this episode to hear how Amazon Business is using AI, innovation, and customer-obsessed strategies to transform procurement and empower organizations to work smarter and faster.

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Todd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-heimes-854666/
• Learn more about Amazon Business: https://business.amazon.com/
• See more interviews from Amazon Business Reshape 2025: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlLoUG3n7TmW4c7RknasnchSaxRDauGyy
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
• WEBINAR- Inside Outdoor Cap’s Warehouse: How Voice Picking Elevated Daily Operations: https://bit.ly/49m4D1z
• WEBINAR- Supply Chain Strength: Strategies that Deliver in any Economy: https://bit.ly/4hqTnTH
• WEBINAR- Owens Corning's Roadmap to Fuel Cost Visibility and Savings: https://bit.ly/4pfn5hg

This episode is hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/how-ai-innovation-reshaping-procurement-amazon-business-1516

The future of energy is changing fast — and Schneider Electric is leading the way.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton reflects on the recent Schneider Electric Innovation Summit North America 2025 in Las Vegas, where 2,500+ leaders gathered to tackle skyrocketing energy demand, AI-driven power consumption, and the urgent need to modernize our grid.

Listen in as Scott shares his top takeaways — the why, the what, and the so what — including:

• How AI is driving massive new energy needs
• Schneider Electric’s breakthroughs in electrification, automation & digital intelligence
• Why energy efficiency is quickly becoming much more than a competitive advantage

Discover why Schneider Electric is the trusted energy technology partner shaping the future.

Additional Links & Resources:

• Leran more about Schneider Electric: https://www.se.com/us/en/
• Connect with Scott Luton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
• WEBINAR- Inside the Cargo Theft Surge: Insights & Predictions for 2026: https://bit.ly/4oVAsms
• WEBINAR- Inside Outdoor Cap’s Warehouse: How Voice Picking Elevated Daily Operations: https://bit.ly/49m4D1z
• WEBINAR- Supply Chain Strength: Strategies that Deliver in any Economy: https://bit.ly/4hqTnTH
• WEBINAR- Owens Corning's Roadmap to Fuel Cost Visibility and Savings: https://bit.ly/4pfn5hg

This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/unlocking-future-energy-technology-schneider-electric-1515

Supply chain planning is undergoing a profound shift in a landscape shaped by rising geopolitical pressure, accelerating disruption cycles, and unprecedented investment in AI. Organizations are being pushed to deliver growth while navigating higher volatility, tighter margins, and increased expectations for speed and adaptability.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton is joined by special guest host Mike Griswold, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, and Noha Samara, Senior Director, Global Supply Chain at Gartner. Noha draws on her cross-industry experience from manufacturing and consumer goods to high tech to explore how planners can better connect strategy, ecosystems, and technology to meet the demands of 2025 and beyond.

Scott, Mike, and Noha unpack the four essentials for elevating planning performance: aligning planning strategy with business priorities, collaborating across extended supply networks, defining a precise and targeted role for AI, and equipping people with the skills and confidence to lead through change. They also spotlight insights from the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit, including the skills planners need, the expanding relevance of CPFR, and why the future of planning depends as much on talent and culture as it does on data and technology.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(02:43) Guest introduction: Noha Samara

(04:20) Celebrating teachers and their impact

(08:45) Noha's professional journey

(13:23) Challenges and trends in supply chain planning

(18:03) Best practices for 2026 supply chain planning

(26:55) The evolution of CPFR and ecosystem collaboration

(27:43) The impact of COVID-19 on supply chain visibility

(30:39) Defining a deliberate role for AI in supply chain

(37:17) The importance of people in supply chain transformation

(43:08) Insights from the Supply Chain Planning Summit

(48:37) Final thoughts and takeaways

Resources:

• Connect with Noha Samara: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noha-samara-4864863/
• Connect with Mike Griswold: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-griswold-6a68922/
• Learn more about Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/en
• Connect with Scott Luton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://bit.ly/3XH6OVk
• WEBINAR- Inside the Cargo Theft Surge: Insights...

As modern supply chains grow more complex, shippers are under increasing pressure to move beyond spreadsheets, emails, and manual decision-making. For Trove Brands, rapid expansion across multiple product lines created new challenges in parcel, LTL, truckload, and international shipping. Keeping up with customer expectations and rising order volumes required better automation, cleaner data, and greater visibility across every mode.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, host Scott Luton speaks with Tanner Dastrup, Director of Logistics at Trove Brands, and Shannon Vaillancourt, CEO of RateLinx. They break down how Trove replaced outdated workflows with automated rate shopping, digital truckload auctions, integrated freight audit tools, and real-time container tracking. By connecting these capabilities directly to their ERP systems, Trove reduced manual work, improved accuracy, and provided teams and customers with more reliable information.

Together, Scott, Tanner, and Shannon explore the broader shifts shaping transportation today, from the value of unified data to the cost of inconsistent carrier selection and manual settlement. Their discussion shows how flexible technology can streamline warehouse and 3PL workflows, strengthen customer experience, and help growing shippers scale with confidence.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(00:34) Meet the panel

(02:34) Trove Brands overview

(06:29) Shipping operations and challenges

(12:17) Automation and integration

(17:48) Data and integration hurdles

(25:30) Streamlining sales with real-time quotes

(26:47) Challenges in B2B LTL shipments

(29:21) Operational inefficiencies in warehouse and 3PL workflows

(34:22) Improving international shipping visibility

(42:20) Choosing the right TMS solution

Additional Links & Resources:

• Learn more about RateLinx: https://www.ratelinx.com/
• Connect with Shannon Vaillancourt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-vaillancourt/
• Learn more about Trove Brands: https://trovebrands.com
• Connect with Tanner Dastrup: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanner-dastrup-1a4677165/
• Read why ShipLinx TMS was the best fit for A&A Global: https://www.ratelinx.com/use-cases/integrated-automated-in-control-shiplinx-tms-freight-audit-transforms-aa-global-shipping-operations/
• Check out our previous episode with RateLinx and A&A Global: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4d7dhNr8tQ
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now...

The future of supply chain is accelerating, and on today's episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott Luton and Allison Giddens are unpacking the global trends, disruptions, and economic shifts shaping what’s next for leaders everywhere. From declining imports to AI’s growing pains, this episode cuts through the noise to bring clarity to fast-moving industry headlines. Welcome to The Buzz, powered by OMP!

Scott and Allison dive into the biggest stories impacting supply chains today — and the ripple effects businesses need to prepare for.

Together, they discuss:

📉 Why U.S. imports from China are falling sharply across electronics, furniture, toys, and more — and how tariffs and cooling consumer demand are reshaping sourcing strategies

🤖 The retail AI reality check: Why 95% of organizations see little ROI from AI investments, and how brittle workflows and lack of contextual intelligence are slowing progress

🔮 Top supply chain trends for 2026, including workforce and talent shortages, AI-driven transformation, and mounting geopolitical challenges

🛒 Thanksgiving meal costs drop 5%, but some items — like sweet potatoes and veggie trays — are bucking the trend with noticeable price increases

🌏 What all these signals mean for manufacturers, retailers, logistics providers, and consumers heading into 2025–2026

Listen in as Scott and Allison break down the data, share industry insights, and invite you to join the conversation on the challenges and opportunities shaping tomorrow’s supply chains.

Additional Links & Resources:

• With That Said: https://bit.ly/WTS-23Nov2025
• OMP: https://omp.com/
• LinkedIn Post on Needless Meetings: https://bit.ly/NeedlessMeetings
• ‘This is a structural goods recession’: U.S. freight market is starting to roll over as Chinese trade plummets: https://cnb.cx/48f84oL
• Retail Supply Chains Need AI More Than Ever, But It’s Not Meeting Expectations: https://bit.ly/AI-RetailSC
• OMP eBook: Making AI Work for You: From Explainable to Agentic: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0pgvWp0
• MHI Announces Top Supply Chain Trends of 2026: https://bit.ly/SC-Trends-2026
• What Experts Will Watch as the Pentagon Implements Acquisition Reform: https://bit.ly/Pentagon-Sourcing-Reform
• Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Analysis: Moderate Decline: https://bit.ly/Turkey-Dinner-Prices
• Dave Krache Foundation: https://davekrache.com/
• Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisongiddens/
• Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottwindonluton/
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: