The Gartner Supply Chain Podcast

Host Thomas O’Connor and Gartner VP Analyst Dwight Klappich dive into Dwight’s Predicts 2024: Supply Chain Technology, a set of five predictions for growth and change in supply chain technology between 2026 and 2028.

Thomas and Dwight explore the value these predictions hold, the research that drives them and the broad challenges they address, particularly in regards to workforce and talent management. They take close looks at two key predictions surrounding smart robots and employee engagement tools, respectively, then close the show with a review of past predictions in supply chain technology.

This episode explores:

• The value of Predicts 2024: Supply Chain Technology. (1:13)
• How Predicts 2024: Supply Chain Technology addresses broad challenges like geopolitical uncertainty, talent strain and improved customer outcomes. (2:39)
• A deep dive into the prediction that smart robots will outnumber frontline workers in manufacturing, retail and logistics by 2028. (9:04)
• Why 40% of large warehouse operations will deploy employee engagement tools by 2028. (13:09)
• A review of both accurate and inaccurate past predictions. (19:23)

In this episode, host Thomas O’Connor and guest Ewan Andrew, President & Chief Sustainability Officer at Diageo, explore Diageo’s approach to sustainability initiatives and the related strategies and trade-offs. They explore Diageo’s simultaneous commitments to stakeholder expectations and driving business growth through real-world examples of successful circular supply chain initiatives, as well as strategic pivots when difficulties arise.

Thomas and Ewan close the show with recommendations to help supply chain leaders drive relevant productivity increases that support sustainability initiatives aligned to their organization’s wider goals.

• Drivers for Diageo’s sustainability initiatives. (2:09)
• Diageo’s approach to strategic investments that balance sustainability trade-offs. (5:35)
• Real-world examples of Diageo’s sustainability strategies in action. (8:45)
• Real-world examples of Diageo’s strategic pivots when plans didn’t go as expected. (18:44)
• Recommendations for supply chain leaders tackling sustainability through their supply chains. (21:02)

Ewan Andrew’s career with Diageo spans over 25 years, but he has been President of its Global Supply Chain & Procurement since September 2019. Within this role, he leads a team that ensures Diageo’s complex and modern supply chain operations work to the highest standards delivering a range of premium drinks for consumers.

Ewan also is Chief Sustainability Officer. Diageo has ambitious commitments through its 10-year environmental, social and governance (ESG) action plan, which will help create a more inclusive and sustainable world. An integral part of this plan is pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability focused on three areas: preserving water for life, accelerating to a low-carbon world and becoming sustainable by design.

In this podcast, guest Ken Chadwick joins host Caroline Chumakov to discuss two highlights from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium keynote address, which was presented 6 June 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

The key theme: using an offset strategy to manage disruption. An offset strategy involves a three-step process: sense, shift and steer. Supply chain leaders must sense the issue or opportunity, shift their thinking to get ahead, then steer resources to the biggest priorities.

The podcast touches on two offset areas.

• Cognitive overload: Employees feel the need to do too many things. Use automation to reduce cognitive burden and focus employee energy on decisions that matter most. Use decision modeling to clarify what good decisions look like.

Energy instability: The demand for energy is growing, but energy resources and power grids are becoming less dependable, leaving supply chains vulnerable. Evaluate energy vulnerabilities within your supply chain ecosystem, and seek to diversify your energy portfolio with renewable energy.

Ken Chadwick is a research vice president covering global supply chain organization design, governance, talent development, change management and organization behavior. Using in-depth cross-industry research and insight into trends, he provides advice to supply chain leaders on how best to engage people and organizations to address the growing complexity of 21st century supply chains.

In this podcast, guest Liz O’Neill, the Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of apparel leader Levi Strauss & Co. joins host Thomas O’Connor to discuss the current disrupted supply chain operating environment.

The podcast explores three key areas:

• Why during periods of rapid change supply chain leaders need to prioritize hiring head office staff based on personality profile, not just subject matter expertise.
• How progress is often slow and nonlinear, and why this makes communication of wins and progress so critical to the success of change management initiatives.
• The reality that there is often a tug of war between the needs of innovation and governance within organizations broadly and supply chains specifically.

As executive vice president and chief operations officer for Levi Strauss & Co., Liz O’Neill is responsible for all supply chain operations, including sourcing, end-to-end planning, distribution, logistics and sustainability. Liz also leads companywide innovation, managing LS&Co.’s internal startup capabilities and off-site design lab while simultaneously working closely with the company’s vendor partners to execute its latest product creations. Liz reports to the president and CEO, Chip Bergh, and is a member of the company’s executive leadership team, which guides the strategic direction for LS&Co.

Prior to joining LS&Co., Liz spent 13 years at Gap, where she held leadership roles with the Gap brand and Old Navy and oversaw sourcing and production management for Gap’s global brands. Liz was named one of the “Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company in 2019 and currently serves on the board of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. Originally from West Point, N.Y., she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Tulane.

Help shape Gartner’s research: Take part in the 2022 Gartner Future of Supply Chain Survey to get a first look at this year’s key trends and we’ll send you a high-level summary of the key findings as soon as it is available. The survey will be open until October 15th.

In this podcast, guest Alexander Bant joins host Thomas O’Connor to discuss how CFOs are responding to three key factors impacting their organizations and what this means for supply chain leaders.

The podcast explores how gaining approval for new investments has recently become more challenging, the latest costs that companies are cutting, and where businesses are continuing to invest despite the challenging conditions.

The episode then drills into nine specific actions related to resource allocation, securing talent and driving digital acceleration that supply chain leaders can take today as they position their organization for success during and after the current market headwinds.