Tim is currently the President & CEO of Agillitics, a technology solutions and consulting services firm based in Atlanta, GA.  Agillitics empowers companies to make data driven decisions to improve operational performance, enable innovation, and drive competitive advantage.

Certified: ►Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) ►PMP ►Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

Tim is experienced consulting and sales director with proven ability to manage large cross-functional teams, identify, design, implement innovative business solutions, and build sustained client relationships. Tim has a diversified background in retail, consumer products, e-commerce, automotive, industrial goods and services, logistics, and government. Tim also has a demonstrated ability to deliver results that have a measurable, positive impact on a clients’ bottom line while bridging the gaps between strategic vision, technological innovation, and operational execution.

Tim has designed innovative supply chains from the ground up and directed implementations across multiple verticals and  service offerings including Warehousing, Labor Management, Transportation, Order Fulfillment and Business Intelligence for a large list of clients/partners including:  FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), DELL, AVON, Mary Kay, The Home Depot, Newell Rubbermaid, Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC), Donaldson Corporation, Siemens, Genuine Parts Company, Pendleton Woolen Mills, Orvis, Carter’s, Sigma Aldrich, etc.

Tim has an MBA and BS in Industrial & System Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Specialties: Supply Chain Management Strategy, Planning, and Execution (Warehousing, Transportation, Labor, Order Fulfillment, Material handling equipment, Business Intelligence, etc.), Project and Program Management, Performance and Process Optimization, Operations/Process Design, Risk Management and Mitigation, Strategic Management Consulting, and Change Management.

Tim Judge

🎤 What Not to Say at the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit
 ......If You Want to Get to the Good Stuff 😊 

The Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit is where smart people say smart things.

But let’s be real, it’s also where a lot of surface-level fluff and supply chain jargon gets repeated on loop.

In Entrepreneur's Organization (or EO), we have a concept called 5%.

5% means to cut through all the BS, and focus on the transparent, clear, meaningful, valuable, deep, etc. of an idea, story, pitch, theory, that actually matters.

So, in the spirit of cutting through the 95% noise and getting to the real 5% that builds trust, insight, and connection,

Here’s a list of what NOT to say:

If you're a VENDOR, please don’t say:
 ❌ “Our platform does it all.”
 ❌ “Just layer AI on top.”
 ❌ “Integration is easy!”
 ❌ “You don’t need to worry about data quality.”
 ❌ “We’re in the Magic Quadrant... somewhere.”

If you're a SUPPLY CHAIN LEADER, please avoid these too:
 ❌ “Our data is fine—it’s all in spreadsheets.”
 ❌ “We’ll deal with AI after we finish our ERP upgrade.”
 ❌ “We just need one more dashboard.”
 ❌ “This is how we’ve always done it.”
 ❌ “IT handles that.”

💡 The truth?

You already know the real challenges.

Messy data, siloed systems, cultural blockers, and tech debt.

Let’s talk about that.

Because when we skip the script and focus on the 5% that actually matters, the entire conference gets better (for everyone)

👇 What phrase do you hope never to hear in Denver?

#GartnerSC #SupplyChain #SupplyCHainPlanning
#SupplyCHainManagement #DataDriven #AIMaturity #GartnerPlanningSummit #GartnerSupplyChainPlanningSummit
#RealTalk

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JSESSIONID

Rescuing Supply Chain Leaders Drowning in Data but Starving for Insights | CEO at Agillitics | Supply Chain Analytics

Information isn’t the advantage.
Action is.

And nowhere is that more obvious than in supply chain.

Most companies aren’t struggling because they lack data.

They’re struggling because their data isn’t usable, trusted, or timely enough to drive decisions.

We don’t need more reports.
We need faster insight → faster action.

That’s the real advantage.

When you turn raw supply chain data into:
	•	accurate OTIF alerts instead of static tables
	•	inventory risk signals instead of weekly spreadsheets
	•	labor performance insights instead of historical logs
	•	capacity constraints before they hit the floor
	•	exception-driven workflows instead of manual hunting

…you shift from simply knowing to consistently doing.

That’s when your planners move from reactive to proactive.

That’s when operations stop fighting fires.

That’s when AI stops being a buzzword and becomes a capability.

Because at the end of the day:

Information informs.
Insight moves.
Action transforms.

And the companies who operationalize their data are the ones who win. 💪

(7) Feed | LinkedIn

📊 50% of warehouse labor time is lost to non-value activities like searching, waiting, and walking.

📅 Data Point of the Day #143 – Saturday

🧠 Takeaway: The fastest gains come from removing wasted motion.

👶 Baby Chains: “Every step should serve the work.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “I walk enough to close my exercise ring by lunch!”

📌 Source: OPEX Warehouse Efficiency Benchmark 2025

💡 Real-world example: A regional 3PL cut wasted motion by 22 percent after redesigning travel paths and enforcing location accuracy. Throughput improved the same week.

❓ Where does wasted motion hide in your operation?

This GIF nails where most supply chains really are with AI right now 😂👇

Everyone wants “AI Agents” sliding in from the clouds. Meanwhile the enterprise is standing there with a 20-year-old WMS, siloed data, and inventory accuracy that swings like a mood chart.

We talk about AI like it’s magic. But AI is just math sitting on top of your data. If the data is wrong, the math gets weird fast.

What leaders expect AI Agents to unlock:
 • Network orchestration
 • Jedi-level demand sensing
 • Fewer expedites and firefights
 • A smoother path to EBITDA

What actually shows up:
 • Systems that don’t reconcile
 • Lead times built on tribal knowledge
 • Supplier data that only one person understands
 • Agents hallucinating because the inputs look like a DC after peak season

Here’s the truth:
AI isn’t failing. The data foundation is.

You can’t duct-tape AI onto broken processes and expect autonomy, speed, or accuracy. You get there by unifying the data, cleaning it, governing it, and making it accessible.

AI Agents aren’t the finish line.
They’re the reward for doing the hard work.

Fix the data first. Then bring on the agents. That’s when supply chain shifts from reactive to compounding.

📊 65% of warehouses use predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize resources

📅 Data Point of the Day #126 – Wednesday

🧠 Takeaway: Predictive means fewer surprises, smoother shifts, and smarter slots.

👶 Baby Chains:  “Seeing ahead beats catching up.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “But I like guessing — it keeps things exciting!”

📌 Source:  Manhattan Associates -State of Warehouse Operations Report

💡 Real-world example: A 3PL used predictive analytics to anticipate inbound surges, cutting overtime hours by 18%.

❓ What’s one decision you’d automate if you trusted the forecast fully?

#SupplyChainAI #Forecasting #DigitalSupplyChain #WarehouseAnalytics #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

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📊 Over 90% of warehouses are adopting WMS or predictive maintenance tools by 2025.

📅 Data Point of the Day #130 – Sunday

🧠 Takeaway: Integration is now infrastructure.

👶 Baby Chains: “Connected systems create connected teams.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Wait—so paper’s out of the network?”

📌 Source: Omniful / Clickpost

💡 Real-world example: A national distributor cut downtime by 28% after linking their WMS, fleet telematics, and equipment health data—creating a single, proactive visibility layer instead of three disconnected dashboards.

❓ Which system in your tech stack needs to ‘join the network’ next?

#SupplyChainAI #WMS #PredictiveMaintenance #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

(15) Feed | LinkedIn

🥈 Baby Chains Weekly Recap | The Silver Shift in Supply Chain

Silver is having its moment, moving from “precious” to “critical” as demand surges for solar, electronics, and renewable energy.

It’s a perfect reflection of what’s happening in supply chains: automation and intelligence are no longer optional luxuries… they’re essential materials for resilience.

This week’s key stats:
⚙️ The global warehouse automation market will double from $29.9B (2025) to $63.4B (2030)
📦 90%+ of warehouses are adopting WMS or predictive maintenance tools by 2025
🚛 22% of procurement leaders expect logistics costs to rise more than 10% this year
🏭 60% of manufacturers expect warehouse space needs to keep growing
👷 73% of warehouse managers can’t find enough workers
📈 65% of warehouses use predictive analytics to forecast demand
🤖 78% of warehouses are increasing investment in robotics

The takeaway:
As silver becomes critical to energy, data and automation are becoming critical to operations.
The supply chains that adapt fastest will shine the brightest.

#SupplyChainAI #DataStrategy #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip #WarehouseAutomation #PredictiveAnalytics #ResilientSupplyChain

📊 16% of Black Friday purchases are returned within the first 72 hours.

📅 Data Point of the Day #149 – Saturday

🧠 Takeaway: The return wave begins before the peak wave ends. Reverse logistics is now part of the weekend workload.

👶 Baby Chains: “A smooth return protects the entire cycle.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “I prepare for returns the same way I prepare for leftovers.”

📌 Source: NRF Holiday Returns Study / Loop Returns 2025

💡 Real-world example: A major apparel brand pre-slots return SKUs during Black Friday weekend, reducing processing time by 28 percent and keeping forward flow steady.

❓ How early do returns start to hit your network?

📊 Peak-season mis-picks increase by 22% when inventory accuracy slips below 97%.

📅 Data Point of the Day #150 – Sunday

🧠 Takeaway: Accuracy collapses fast under pressure. The strongest peak seasons come from the cleanest data.

👶 Baby Chains: “A stable inventory sets the tone for the entire shift.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “I can find anything… unless it moved.”

📌 Source: WERC DC Measures / DHL Picking Benchmark 2025

💡 Real-world example: A consumer goods DC raised accuracy from 96.4% to 98.1% before peak, reducing mis-picks enough to free an equivalent of six labor-hours per shift.

❓ Where does accuracy slip first when volume surges?

📊 By 2026, 75% of logistics firms plan to adopt intralogistics automation.

📅 Data Point of the Day #134 – Thursday

🧠 Takeaway: Internal flow is the next frontier of efficiency.

👶 Baby Chains: “The quietest optimizations make the loudest gains.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Guess forklifts need performance reviews now!”

📌 Source: Logistics IQ 2025 / Omniful

💡 Real-world example: A national 3PL implemented AGVs for pallet transfers and saw 19% faster dock turns while lowering accident rates. The secret wasn’t speed — it was consistency in every move inside the four walls.

❓ Where in your operation could quiet automation deliver big impact?

#SupplyChainAI #Intralogistics #Automation #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 The global warehouse automation market will double from $29.9B (2025) to $63.4B (2030).

📅 Data Point of the Day #131 – Monday

🧠 Takeaway: Capital is chasing flow.

👶 Baby Chains: “Automation is the new floor space.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Maybe I should invest in conveyor belts…”

📌 Source: Clickpost 2025

💡 Real-world example: A national distributor avoided a $12M facility expansion after deploying robotic conveyors and automated sortation — boosting throughput per square foot by 37% without adding real estate.

❓ Are you investing in more space or more flow?

#SupplyChainAI #WarehouseAutomation #DigitalSupplyChain #Robotics #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 54% of supply chain leaders say bottlenecks come from handoffs, not tasks.

📅 Data Point of the Day #138 – Monday

🧠 Takeaway: Flow breaks between teams before it breaks inside them.

👶 Baby Chains: “The handoff shapes the outcome.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “So we need a referee?”

📌 Source: Supply Chain Leadership Outlook 2025

💡 Real-world example: A nationwide distributor fixed a recurring dock delay by connecting purchasing, inbound, and warehouse teams through one shared ETA signal, cutting staging time by 23 percent.

❓ Which handoff creates the most friction in your operation?

#SupplyChainAI #FlowManagement #SupplyChainLeadership #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 Gartner reports that only 8% of companies describe their planning process as “fully connected,” with most still juggling 20+ disconnected workflows.

📅 Data Point of the Day #152 – Wednesday

🧠 Takeaway: Planning breaks in the gaps between systems long before it breaks in the numbers.

👶 Baby Chains: “Connection creates clarity. Clarity creates confidence.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “My planning is connected too… mostly by sticky notes.”

📌 Source: Gartner Supply Chain Planning Survey 2025

💡 Real-world example: A global CPG brand reduced planning cycle time by 41 percent after replacing fragmented spreadsheets with a unified planning layer that synced demand, supply, and finance.

❓ Where does your planning process disconnect first?

📊 AI-enabled forecasting can reduce supply chain errors by up to 50%.

📅 Data Point of the Day #141 – Thursday

🧠 Takeaway: Better forecasts create better flow.

👶 Baby Chains: “Accuracy grows when AI guides the next move.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “If AI can cut errors, maybe it can fix my handwriting too.”

📌 Source: McKinsey – The State of AI in Supply Chain 2025

💡 Real-world example: A global apparel brand used AI-driven forecasting to align channel mix and replenishment timing. They cut out-of-stocks by 18 percent with no change in safety stock strategy.

❓ What error would you eliminate first with a smarter forecast?

#SupplyChainAI #Forecasting #AIinSupplyChain #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 Every 5-point increase in forecast accuracy boosts service levels by up to 10%.

📅 Data Point of the Day #145 – Monday

🧠 Takeaway: Accuracy creates stability, and stability drives service.

👶 Baby Chains: “The right number sets the entire day on track.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “If I forecast snacks right, I never miss.”

📌 Source: McKinsey — The State of AI in Supply Chain 2025

💡 Real-world example: A national retailer improved store-level service by 8 percent after applying AI-based forecasting to replenishment timing.

❓ Where would better accuracy move your service the most?

📊 80% of 3PLs are investing in predictive analytics for supply chain operations.

📅 Data Point of the Day #132 – Tuesday

🧠 Takeaway: Data readiness is now a competitive service.

👶 Baby Chains: “3PLs win with foresight, not forklifts.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Do forecasts come with a warranty?”

📌 Source: OPEX Guide 2025

💡 Real-world example: A regional 3PL used predictive analytics to anticipate customer volume spikes two weeks early. The result? 15% faster dock turns and zero missed SLAs — all before peak even started.

❓ What’s the next decision in your network that predictive analytics could make for you?

#SupplyChainAI #3PL #PredictiveAnalytics #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 22% of procurement leaders expect logistics costs to rise more than 10% this year.

📅 Data Point of the Day #129 – Saturday

🧠 Takeaway: Inflation in freight hits faster than inflation on shelves.

👶 Baby Chains: “Every dollar unplanned is profit unpaid.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Maybe we can just ‘negotiate’ gravity!”

📌 Source: CIPS Pulse Survey 2025

💡 Real-world example: A mid-market retailer saw freight costs spike 13% YoY even though store prices rose only 4%. The gap forced them to revisit routing guides, cube utilization, and carrier mix just to hold margins steady.

❓ Which cost bucket in your network is rising the fastest right now?

#SupplyChainAI #LogisticsCosts #Procurement #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 The global AI-in-logistics market will hit $20.8B in 2025, growing about 45% per year.

📅 Data Point of the Day #133 – Wednesday

🧠 Takeaway: AI is no longer a pilot—it’s the platform.

👶 Baby Chains: “The question isn’t if AI fits, it’s where first.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “Think it can plan my lunch break?”

📌 Source: DocShipper 2025

💡 Real-world example: A global freight forwarder used AI-driven routing and ETA prediction to reduce demurrage fees by 31% and customer complaints by 40%. Once AI was embedded in daily operations, manual interventions almost disappeared.

❓ Where could AI quietly remove the most friction in your network?

#SupplyChainAI #Logistics #ArtificialIntelligence #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 47% of distribution centers say their biggest productivity losses come from searching for inventory, not moving it.

🧠 Takeaway: Time disappears faster in the aisles than at the dock.

👶 Baby Chains: “Accuracy is the fastest path to speed.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “I swear this pallet was here yesterday.”

📌 Source: DC Operations Benchmark Report 2025

💡 Real-world example: A home goods distributor reduced search time by 29 percent after tightening location accuracy and cleaning up bin standards. Throughput increased the same week without changing headcount.

❓ Where does time slip away most in your building?

#SupplyChainAI #WarehouseEfficiency #InventoryAccuracy #DigitalSupplyChain #BabyChains #BronxieTheBullwhip

📊 Optimized slotting reduces pick-path travel distance by 27%.

📅 Data Point of the Day #144 – Sunday

🧠 Takeaway: Better slotting builds better flow.

👶 Baby Chains: “Travel time is the quiet tax on throughput.”

🐶 Bronxie the Bullwhip: “My slotting system is alphabetical… mostly.”

📌 Source: DHL Picking & Slotting Study 2025

💡 Real-world example: A consumer goods distributor re-slotted fast movers and cut pick travel by 19 percent without adding automation or labor.

❓ What is the biggest gap in your slotting strategy today?

Passionate about sharing stories from across the global business world

Scott W. Luton is the founder & CEO of Supply Chain Now (SCN), the #1 voice of Supply Chain. SCN is an award-winning global digital content platform and robust community. At the heart of the platform, is the almost daily Supply Chain Now podcast, which has hit podcast leadership charts in over 60 countries. Scott has worked extensively in the end-to-end Supply Chain industry for almost 20 years, appearing in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN and USA Today. He's been named a Supply Chain thought leader by a variety of organizations, including RateLinx, Thinkers 360, ISCEA, Supply & Demand Executive and others. A Veteran of the United States Air Force, Scott is passionate about finding ways to give back & serve the Veteran community. He's also served on a variety of executive boards and industry initiatives. Follow Scott Luton on X at @ScottWLuton and learn more about Supply Chain Now here: https://supplychainnow.com

Scott Luton

While out in Las Vegas for a terrific industry leadership event last week, I ran into my friend Danny Gonzales, who is truly changing how the world views manufacturing. 

Danny joined us on Manufacturing Day back in October, where we spoke about his new documentary series "American Makers", where he & his team shine a light on the people, ideas, and innovations shaping manufacturing in the United States. The first episode is out & focuses on a purpose-built manufacturer of custom shot blast machines based in Alpharetta, Georgia: Blastec Inc. Check out the episode via the link below in the comments - as Danny is delivering a ton of Good News out in the market place.

A few other recent items on my radar lately:

👉  Here's a recent Vin Vashishta golden nugget: "Stop buying AI and start buying outcomes." If you aren't following The Vin yet, change that today!

👉  Régine Honoré Villain has published her latest thought-provoking piece, which includes this headline: "In a world that rarely slows down these days, I believe that gratitude is the pause that helps us lead with clarity and humanity." Check it out via the link in the comments below. I'm honored to be collaborating with this supply chain hall of famer, who will be joining our incredible team of hosts here at Supply Chain Now.

👉  Speaking of collaboration, our SCN team is delighted to be kicking off a new partnership with LogiSYM, designed to elevate thought leadership, expand regional engagement, and strengthen #supplychain knowledge-sharing across ASEAN and the global community. It has been rewarding to get to know Raymon Krishnan, Brett Marshall & the team - - and we look forward to working together with their wonderful organization. FYI: make sure the LogiSYM APAC Symposium 2026 is on your calendar for next year! Link below.

👉  I thoroughly enjoyed co-hosting "The Buzz" yesterday with my friend & industry leader Allison Giddens. But you may not know something about Allison: she and the non-profit The Dave Krache Foundation have been helping almost 2,000 kids play sports by picking up those expensive fees & equipment costs; otherwise, these kids would go without. If you are looking for an extraordinary non-profit to support here at EOY, I wholeheartedly recommend The Dave Krache Foundation (where almost every penny goes to serve families in need). You know - link below.

👉  Have you checked out our latest edition of "With That Said"? We shared some terrific takeaways from my time at the WISE Future Leaders Symposium, led by the one & only Dr. Stephanie Thomas. It was one of my favorite events of the year. And love this sentiment that Stephanie shared with me: Belonging is a competitive advantage, not just kindness. People stay where they feel seen, supported, and connected. Belonging isn’t nice-to-have, it’s how you keep talent. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all those that celebrate. Stay tuned for more Good News, as we're building out a new warehouse network to inventory it all.

I've worn New Balances since my college days (along with other brands). More recently, I've been wearing more On and Hoka. The latter was highly recommended by my podiatrist and have performed incredibly well. Nevertheless, I"m still a big fan of New Balance the shoe and the company.

A year or two ago, we enjoyed having Dave Wheeler, COO of New Balance, on "The Buzz". One of my favorite parts of that conversation was how the company was donating apparel and athletic equipment to countries in need, to help support their competitive efforts in the Olympics. That is just outstanding.

Here's an interesting interview via Semafor with New Balance CEO Joe Preston, which includes this segment:

"The costs of tariffs and uncertainty about the labor market in large Western economies are among the headwinds facing consumer goods groups as they approach the critical holiday season. But Preston is confident that New Balance’s workouts will pay off."

Beginning in the 1970s–1990s, U.S. footwear manufacturing moved heavily to countries like China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico. Finding shoemaking talent in the U.S. is challenging, in large part due to this massive offshore movement, which greatly impacted the workforce, training pipelines, and supplier ecosystem that once allowed those specialized skills to thrive.

It seems that New Balance's domestic plants have found an effective balance between traditional human craftsmanship (which has gotta be tough to find) with modern manufacturing technology & automation. Plus, as Preston states, the U.S. factory footprint puts it in a better position to cultivate relationships with contract manufacturers overseas.

Good read. BTW: Semafor is a pretty new media outlet, but they've done a great job at building content, analysis & reporting. I particularly enjoy their sitdown interviews with CEOs.

#supplychain #manufacturing

Good Monday morning all. I thoroughly enjoyed the Thanksgiving break, including some time at the firepit with one of my favs: my father-in-law, Fred. It gave him an opportunity to try out his new hat in the brisk South Carolina weather. 😀

Since I’m heading out to Denver for the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit, there will be no edition of “The Buzz” today. But stayed tuned, as we will be reporting key insights and takeaways from what has become a very popular program for Gartner.

A few things on my radar this morning:

👉  Greg Buzek shared a terrific read over the weekend (see link below in comments), which includes this: "“Black Friday 2025 generated a record-breaking $79 billion in global sales. Up 6% from the previous year…By every headline metric, retailers crushed it. The season exceeded expectations. Growth exceeded projections. Everything was on track. But then you looked at the American consumer data, and the story completely changed. Customers bought fewer items. They paid 7% more per item. Order volume dropped 1% while spending per transaction increased. In a market where consumer confidence was at its lowest point since 1997, retailers achieved record sales. That is a weird paradox.”

👉  DYK: cattle herd population in the U.S. has hit an almost 75-year low? Factors include: climate and weather instability, volatile input costs (feed, energy), shifting economics for small-to-mid size ranchers, and a generational squeeze in farming. Largely due to cattle supply concerns, Tyson has announced it is closing a Nebraska plant & downsizing one in Texas. Beef demand remains high, & prices will stay high too.

👉  Coming into Sunday's game vs the Jets, the Falcons had a less than 1% chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. But dadgum, this team hit a new low losing to the lowly Jets on a last second FG. Probably some big coaching changes (again) coming.

👉  And over in the automotive world: Nexperia still hasn’t completely solved its semiconductor supply chain challenges. The WSJ reports today that the company is still looking to get a critical China plant back to normal operations. 

But what the heck is “normal” these days?

Have a great week all - - and give me a shout if you are in Denver!

Supply Chain Now #supplychain

It’s a wrap! The Innovation Summit North America 2025, which was powered by our friends at Schneider Electric, was an incredible, thought-provoking experience.

As I share in this video, one of the highlights of my time at the event in Las Vegas was touring the Innovation Park (three times, I think!). The Innovation Park was a large, 45,000-square-foot exhibit space where attendees could engage in hands-on demonstrations and explore cutting-edge technologies and solutions related to energy management, automation, AI, and sustainable infrastructure. Industry leaders and experts provided insights and practical strategies within this interactive environment. I am pretty sure I left the Park with 3 new certifications. 😀 

However, two of my favorite themes that emerged from #ISNA2025 weren’t necessarily technology-focused - - and they really reinforced what I already know to be true:

⚡ The most successful companies in the world know that one of the best ways of optimizing innovation & resilience is by investing in their supply chain ecosystem. I think Schneider Electric illustrates that perfectly. As just one example, the company is working closely with thousands of its suppliers to explore new supply chain decarbonization approaches. Innovations & outcomes certainly come out of these investments, but more importantly, they build trust. And you can move mountains with trust.

⚡ Digital transformation starts with the powerful human factor. And there are tremendous opportunities available, especially to those who are willing to: Learn, Apply, & Volunteer. Those amongst us who are willing to learn and apply something new every day, as well as volunteer for new projects & initiatives: the sky is the limit. As Tom Wilk with Plant Services mentioned to me, the theme of this golden age of supply chain tech should be the lyrics from a John Fogerty song: “Oh, put me in, coach! I'm ready to play today.”

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews, details & perspectives via Supply Chain Now in the weeks ahead. We’ve got a lot of good stuff coming up, including my sit-down with Mourad TAMOUD, CSCO at Schneider Electric, where, amongst many things, I get his proven perspective on how to build supply chains that perform under pressure. Mourad’s response would make David Bowie & Freddie Mercury proud! 

#ad #schneiderelectric #SchneiderElectricInnovationSummit #ISNA2025 #InnovationSummitLasVegas #EnergyTechLeaders

As I wrapped Day 1 of the Innovation Summit North America 2025, powered by our friends at Schneider Electric, I have been pondering some of the data points that have been part of my conversations here:

💥  The U.S. alone will need to find some 200 GW of new energy capacity by 2030.

💥  HALF of that new demand is driven by AI (you knew that already!)

💥  Data centers that power AI can create up to 10x more heat - requiring all sorts of new cooling requirements & management technology

But I want to go back to those 200 gigawatts we’ve gotta find somewhere by 2030. Just what the heck is a gigawatt?

💥  To put it into some sort of perspective, as shared a while back by the DOE: Marty McFly drove Doc Brown’s supercool DeLorean back to the future, which required 1.21 gigawatts per trip.

💥  But that aside: one gigawatt-hour of energy would power roughly 750,000 homes for an hour. It’s not a perfect science, and has lots of variables, but that is a good general rule of thumb.

To meet these colossal energy needs (that grow by the hour), we must embrace a different approach. That’s where Schneider Electric comes in, as this trusted energy technology partner for industry is driving innovation and transformation out across global business. Stay tuned, as the organization is rolling out exciting new developments to help businesses, big and small, find a more successful, scalable, sustainable path forward.

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews, details & perspectives coming via Supply Chain Now in the weeks ahead.

#schneiderelectric #SchneiderElectricInnovationSummit #ISNA2025 #InnovationSummitLasVegas #EnergyTechLeaders #ad

Yesterday, I enjoyed one of the coolest openers to a keynote session that I’ve ever been part of. My video won’t do it justice, but I’ll try. 😄

Prior to Aamir Paul of Schneider Electric taking the stage, we enjoyed a mesmerizing three drummer and digital voyage experience, which set a perfect tone. And the ensuing day 1 of Innovation Summit North America 2025 did not disappoint. 

So far, I’ve enjoyed terrific conversations with business leaders driving real change in industry, such as Jay Timmons with the powerful National Association of Manufacturers - NAM, supply chain hall of famer Kathryn Wengel with Johnson & Johnson, and Steve Wilhite with SE Advisory Services.  

And we’ve enjoyed outstanding, hands-on demonstrations in the Innovation Park, where I could’ve spent 3 weeks learning and comparing notes with movers & shakers.

Stay tuned for a lot more, folks, as we drop key takeaways and interviews over at Supply Chain Now.

#InnovationSummitLasVegas #ISNA2025 #supplychain #leadership

Are you like me? Every year, about this time, I whine & complain about having to take our annual family photos. But Amanda always insists - - and we get dressed and spend an hour or two fighting with the kids (and the photog) to capture a couple of shots.

I sure am glad Amanda has always stood her ground, because these family photos are some of my favorites to reflect on, through the years. We print a lot of them out and hang 'em on the walls in our home. It makes me reflect on what we were experiencing at the time, or what "firsts" our kids were having in each of those memorable seasons of life...and much, much more. One of my favorite firsts was when all 3 kids could get in the car & buckle their own seat belts. Wow, was that a life-changer. 

If you know us, you'll know that we're big "dog people" - - so they show up in some years (especially when we used the back yard, when the kids were little). This shot here was from 10 years ago, and it was one of the last photographs I have of my beloved rescue beagle Monk, who's sitting with me here. He was our first dog together, and much to Amanda's chagrin, I do call that angelic hound our "first child". 

In this shot, Amanda is holding Dolly, another rescue beagle. When Monk passed, we brought in a little hound that we named Kenny Rogers. So for a stretch there. we had Dolly (named for Dolly Parton, of course) and Kenny Rogers. 😆 One of our favorite tunes of all-time is "Islands in the Stream", as Kenny & Dolly were an iconic pair.

I'm grateful for many things in this life. I have an extraordinary team of talented professionals to work with every day, that are simply amazing. I'm thankful for family, friends, experiences...really just about everything in this wonderful journey that the Good Lord has blessed me with. And I'm especially thankful for my partner in life, Amanda Luton - - who always seems to know the right thing to do, whether I'm complaining about it or not. There's a LOT of Good News right there, let me tell you.

Folks, I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving season. If things could just slow down, just a smidge, so we could savor them a little more, huh? 

"Forever is composed of nows." - Emily Dickinson

DYK: “Data centers consumed about 4.4% of total U.S. electricity in 2023 and are expected to consume approximately 6.7 to 12% of total U.S. electricity by 2028.” – U.S. Dept of Energy in a 2024 study

The future is bright indeed, but it’ll need a lot more juice! 😉

Innovation powered by AI & other technologies all comes at a cost, doesn’t it? One big component of that cost: significantly increased demand for energy, especially electricity. Our aging infrastructure in the United States simply was not purpose-built with big consumers of energy like AI in mind. To meet that demand (and more), as well as unlock the art of the possible, we must change our approach in terms of how we generate, manage & distribute electricity and energy in general.

To that end, I love seeing how major leaders like Schneider Electric are contributing to that bold new approach. For example, did you know that according to the US DOE, buildings account for 75% of electricity use in the U.S. and 40% of total energy. Well, Schneider Electric has introduced new technologies and initiatives that will make buildings much more energy-efficient, which will have a major impact on our world. On a related note, last week I was able to take a closer look at EcoStruxure™ Foresight Operation, a unified, AI-powered building-energy platform that brings power, energy and building systems together for real-time optimization and predictive control. And that’s all just the very tip of the iceberg!

From the first fuse to the future of quantum computing, Schneider Electric has been a trusted energy technology partner for industry, with a legacy of serving as an industry leader in the U.S. for over 135 years. Learn more about the cool things that Schneider Electric has been up to via the link in the comments below.

#ad #schneiderelectric #SchneiderElectricInnovationSummit #ISNA2025 #InnovationSummitLasVegas #EnergyTechLeaders

Meanwhile, in the supply chain war room...

ABC Company's logistics manager, Shana M. O'Hara (better known as Agent Scarlett) ponders all the real work she postponed, to make time for this last-second, hastily-called cross-functional supply chain meeting. 90 minutes of wide-ranging, rambling discussion later, just as Shana had predicted, it all could've been avoided. Now she's gotta find that extra hour & a half from somewhere.

According to some estimates - and there are a BUNCH - in the U.S. alone, over 35 million meetings take place every day. And unproductive meetings may be costing the U.S. economy over $250B a year.

Emails, Slack or phone calls don't solve everything, but they've been preventing unnecessary meetings & saving valuable, finite time for years. As a recovering "meeting addict", I know first hand. 😎 

BTW: if you must conduct the meeting, be sure to ask the usually silent team member (like Snake Eyes below) what they think about a particular problem or topic. Some of the absolute BEST ideas come from those quiet, reserved team members that may not get the opportunity to share their perspective.

#supplychain #leadership

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