Post-signature contract management is where real value emerges in supply chain operations, yet many organisations overlook this critical phase entirely. For many teams, the signing of the contract marks the completion of a procurement cycle – but for Dominique Kindt, CEO and Founder, and Koen Vercauteren, Head of Product Management of WITH and its digital platform Birdseye, it is precisely where the real challenge of supply chain value realisation begins. WITH was founded in

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Melanie Burns. She is the Senior Director of Parcel Strategy at Transportation Insight . They are an American transportation optimization strategy and service provider. She says here that making the right decision on parcel and freight movements is a lot more complex than some shippers realize. Shippers are missing a lot when they approach transportation costing solely from the perspective of volume and rat

When you’ve been an industry analyst for 27 years, not much really surprises you anymore, mostly because history has a habit of repeating itself. Or at least rhyming, as Mark Twain supposedly said. “ Oil Hits New Record; Is $200 a Barrel Coming ?” ABC News reported in May 2008. A few months later, the global financial crisis hit and oil prices crashed to below $50 per barrel. “ Sky is the limit: Analysts warn oil prices could surge further ” is the CNBC headline this morning.

In this discussion, Russell Goodman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Chris Cutshaw, vice president of market solutions at C.H. Robinson . He says that making sense of unstructured oceans of data is the greatest need supply chain managers have when it comes to artificial intelligence. One of the most interesting developments in supply chain, Cutshaw says, is that it has been “democratized” in the last five years. Many of the large-language models that are available can be a

President Trump’s firehose of tariffs is having an impact on the world that extends well beyond the price of imported goods. It promises to trigger a wholesale realignment of global trade alliances. That’s the contention of Sam Wilkin, director of political risk analytics with Willis, a global insurance brokerage and risk adviser. In exchange for reduced tariffs, Wilkin explains, a number of countries have agreed to align with the U.S. on national security policies, such as s

In this discussion, Russell Goodman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Jay Koh, managing director and co-founder of The Lightsmith Group . They are a New York and California-based private equity company that focuses its investments on technology-enabled business services and solutions in the areas of energy, water, food and agriculture, and climate resilience solutions. He says here that as supply chain companies have become ever more integral to the economy, private equity

Most supply chains are leaking value long before anyone sees a problem, and the edge now comes from spotting those leaks early enough to stop them. This is less about another dashboard and more about a different way of running the business — one that treats foresight, optimization, and orchestation as daily habits, not special projects. The old strategies of financial engineering and one‑time cost cuts still matter, but no longer separate leaders from the pack for very long.

Glencore confirms a 1.6mt copper mining target by 2035 as it scales its logistics following the collapse of a US$260bn merger with Rio Tinto. Glencore is moving forward with a revised strategy that prioritises the scaling of its copper production to meet shifting global demand. The company, which operates a massive logistics and trading network, is targeting 1.6 million tonnes of copper production by 2035. This comes after the breakdown of talks over a US$260bn merger with fe

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with Fab Brasca, senior vice president market strategy with Kinaxis. He says that volatility in supply chains is here to stay, and businesses must respond by acquiring the systems needed to ensure complete adaptability . Volatility in supply chains used to be defined as something that happens periodically. “ Now it feels like volatility is structural, ” says Brasca. Today, “a TikTok video can empty a shelf.” Sup

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with EJ Tavella, executive vice president of integrated business applications with Anaplan . He explains how the latest artificial intelligence technology is paving the way for "autonomous" supply chains. Used in connection with AI, the word “autonomous” can be tough to define. “I don’t think everybody understands what it means,” says Tavella. He offers his own definition: “ The convergence of a long history of

Two weeks ago, Dave Clark, the founder and CEO of Auger — and the former Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO — posted on LinkedIn about a “wildly productive weekend” he had where he “built a custom CRM that actually fits how we sell.” Here’s more from his post: Three things that used to take months happened in 72 hours. The CRM one surprised me most. We tried configuring an off-the-shelf tool for our cycle. Too many fields we don’t need, missing the ones we do, forces a pipeline fl

As supply chain disruptions have become near-constant occurrences across virtually every sector, companies are unquestionably getting better at predicting the next big shock. But a gap still exists between knowing what's coming and actually using that knowledge to move quickly and make critical, time-sensitive decisions. Much of the emphasis in recent years has been on having the right tools to predict disruptions before they arrive. According to an MHI survey of more than 70

Jonathan Jackman, Regional VP at Kinaxis How can AI agents and human insight conquer global disruption? Kinaxis’ Jonathan Jackman shares how to build an adaptive, unified supply chain ecosystem The volatility of 2025 served as a stark reminder that even the most robust supply chain strategies can be upended by sudden tariff hikes and shifting political landscapes. In this climate, mere resilience is no longer a sufficient safeguard; true competitiveness is now defined by an o

In this discussion, Robert Bowman from Supply Chain Brain speaks with John Lash, group vice president of strategy with e2open, a WiseTech Global company . He explains that to break through the confusion surrounding the application of artificial intelligence to supply chain planning, businesses must take into account current technology, support systems such as agentic AI, and the future development of AI. When it comes to the application of AI to supply chain planning, “there’

PTV Logistics, located in Karlsruhe, Germany today announced the launch of PTV Mira, a new interactive AI agent designed to fundamentally change how logistics teams plan, optimize, and make decisions. Built on PTV Logistics’ API-first, AI-powered platform, PTV Mira enables users to interact with real logistics intelligence through natural, human-like conversation. While optimization technology has become increasingly powerful, accessing it often still requires expert users, l

At Davos, leaders tackle the critical mineral scramble. Amid geopolitical shifts, global supply chain resilience hinges on new sourcing models and AI. When nearly 3,000 government and industry leaders descended upon the snow-capped Swiss Alps for the World Economic Forum's 2026 Annual Meeting, supply chain vulnerabilities emerged as a defining theme amid mounting geopolitical tensions. The gathering in Davos, themed "A Spirit of Dialogue," unfolded against intensifying geo-ec

As the era of Supply Chain CEOs beckons, have operational expertise and resilience replaced finance and sales as the primary pathway to corporate leader? The corporate world is experiencing a transformation in the profile of the CEO. Historically, the route to the chief executive's office was built on expertise in senior finance roles or the intensity of sales leadership. Yet, in a period characterised by global instability and disrupted supply networks, the capability to sou

What is the most valuable source of knowledge for supply chain and logistics executives — one that delivers practical insights, applicable guidance, and unbiased advice? Before reading on, take a moment to think about it. I’ll give you a hint: in a survey we conducted several years ago, industry associations (like CSCMP and ASCM) and conferences ranked second and third, respectively. What topped the list? The number one source of valuable knowledge, according to the executive

Sangam Reddy, Group Executive Vice President of Ports & Terminals at DP World Sangam Reddy, Group Executive Vice President of Port & Terminal Systems, on how DP World’s global standards drive efficient, sustainable maritime trade. Innovation in the maritime industry often happens in silos, leading to years of repetitive trial and error across different regions. To overcome this, DP World is moving toward an ecosystem where proven solutions can be applied across vastly differ

Trade regulations and geopolitical turmoil are among the most prominent supply chain risks in 2026, as shifting tariffs, regional conflicts and political uncertainty continue to complicate global commerce. A report from risk intelligence company Everstream Analytics assessed geopolitical fragmentation at the highest threat level of any supply chain risk for the new year, with recent events in Venezuela underscoring the speed at which shipping and trade can shift on a dime. O