Podcast appearances and mentions of kelly barner

Economic commentators often look at consumer spending as a barometer for confidence and outlook - how good or bad financially do individuals and families think the broader economy is, and how profitable it will be for them? The same can perhaps be said for companies and hiring managers. How confident are they that they will be able to keep people employed in uncertain times, and what skills are they most eager to invest their scarce dollars in? In this week's Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner speaks with Christine Corson, Managing Director of Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Engineering Recruitment at DSJ Global. She is focused on manufacturing labor at the management level in a way that allows her to form her own opinion of industry outlook, confidence, and planning horizon. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Christine discuss: The current supply of - and demand for - manufacturing labor Whether hiring is being impacted by the uncertainty around tariffs Her advice for the candidates hoping to secure mid- to high-level positions in manufacturing companies Links: Christine Corson on LinkedIn USA Supply Chain Talent Report 2025: Hiring, Careers & Compensation Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

More than one hundred years after John C. Dinsmore wrote in Purchasing Principles and Practices that “there should be no great chasm between the board of directors who represent the stockholders whose money is spent and the person who does the spending,” procurement is still struggling with the same fundamental problem of misalignment. In the eighth episode of “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement,” Philip Ideson, Kelly Barner, and Rich Ham, CEO at Fine Tune, convene to grapple with the insights – and even a few uncomfortable truths – uncovered in their recent conversations with procurement veterans Rob Hills and Kate Vitasek (episodes 6 and 7, respectively). Rich, Phil, and Kelly challenge conventional wisdom about cost avoidance (is it just “funny money,” after all?), the gap between negotiation and execution, and why procurement's performance metrics have remained largely unchanged over the years, despite their obvious flaws.  This conversation challenges procurement to think about the practices, processes, or assumptions that no longer serve them, and it also sets the stage for upcoming episodes that will begin to explore tangible solutions to these and other challenge areas. Tune in as the co-hosts gear up for their upcoming discussion with David McCarty and prepare to tackle new definitions of procurement value that could finally liberate procurement from its self-imposed “savings jail.”  The path to purposeful procurement is becoming clearer with each episode…  

In October of 2024, McDonald's sued four of the world's largest meat producers – Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef Packing – for allegedly conspiring to inflate the price of beef by creating artificial scarcity in the market. This is not the first time McDonald's has sued these meat producers, and it is not the first time these meat producers have been sued. Over 200 cases have been brought by restaurants, retailers, wholesalers, and ranchers. Some are still pending and others have been settled - with high payouts but no admission of wrongdoing. In this week's episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner reviews the case McDonald's is making against the Big 4: The price setting power associated with controlling 80 percent of the U.S. beef market The complexity associated with trying to track cost and price data in a highly concentrated market Why being the largest beef buyer in the world isn't enough to tip the scales in McDonald's favor Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

Everything runs in trends, supply chains included. What was once considered a critical strategy can be cancelled in a heartbeat if conditions change - only to be rediscovered and reapplied to great advantage a couple of years later. In this week's Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner welcomes back Professor Thomas Goldsby. Tom is the Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He is also the Co-Executive Director of their Global Supply Chain Institute.  Tom rejoins the show to make a case in support of lean thinking and just-in-time inventory management.  With reshoring becoming an increasing part of the supply chain conversation, the timing may just be right for lean thinking to rebound and once again occupy its rightful place in the supply chain strategy toolkit. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Tom discuss: How we need to understand lean thinking before we can apply it successfully Whether companies are starting to apply lean thinking again, or just discussing it How our supply chains would change if we optimized them to create customer value Links: Thomas Goldsby on LinkedIn Supply Chains as Business in Action Tennessee on Supply Chain Management Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

On May 8th, at Ford Motor Company's annual shareholder meeting, they will face a proposal focused on how they report their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on their way to being carbon neutral by 2050. The proposal was made by Green Century Capital Management, a sustainability-focused activist fund that regularly challenges recognizable companies about their emissions reduction efforts, using the threat (or promise?) to mount a shareholder vote if necessary. Companies like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's have faced similar challenges, all intended to change how they manage their Scope 3 emissions. The Ford Board of Directors has advocated for shareholders to reject the proposal, saying it is unnecessary and expensive to create another report in addition to their Integrated Sustainability and Finance report. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The unique requests Green Century has made of these publicly traded companies in pursuit of lower Scope 3 emissions How these companies have responded to Green Century's ‘asks' and proposals The idea of reporting as a weapon in addition to being a tool for tracking and accountability Links: Ford asks investors to vote down supply chain emissions proposal Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“Transformation is not just about how it's going to impact procurement, but about how it's going to impact the entire enterprise through the efforts that will be happening within the procurement function.” - Natasha Gurevich, Founder & CEO, Candor Procurement Going through procurement transformation without the right approach in place and without support from the business is a bit like sailing into a storm… with a blindfolded crew. Your chances of making it to the other side in better shape than you started are slim to none.  In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, co-hosts Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner speak with returning AOP guest Natasha Gurevich. Natasha is a former CPO of Nike and Salesforce, and she is currently the Founder and CEO at Candor Procurement.  This wealth of procurement leadership makes Natasha the perfect mainstage guest at Art of Procurement's upcoming live, in-person event – Catalyst LA – taking place on May 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. In this episode, Natasha explains why Catalyst LA promises to be one of the most unique and value-generating procurement events she's ever attended and what attendees can expect to take away from the event.  Natasha also discusses: The difference between business-as-usual changes and full-scale transformation, and why transformation is such an urgent priority for so many procurement teams this year How CPOs and CFOs look at transformation differently, including ways to bridge that perception gap Why rethinking the current operating model is top of mind for most procurement leaders right now, and what Catalyst LA can do to help Links: Catalyst LA - May 6, 2025 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Leading Through Change with Former Fortune 100 CPO Natasha Gurevich Natasha Gurevich on LinkedIn

A few weeks ago, rumors started to swirl that Amazon might be standing up their own for-hire less-than-truckload (LTL) operation to compete with the likes of FedEx Freight, Old Dominion, XPO, and Saia. So what are these rumors based on, and how likely are they to be true? More importantly, what would such a move mean for other national LTL carriers? In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barners digs into the details of this buzzworthy supply chain news story: Where the rumors started and how Amazon might take the first steps to move into the LTL space The current LTL business landscape and why Amazon making that move would be such a big deal How likely they are to be successful should they move ahead by either building or buying an LTL operation Links: Will FedEx Freight hit the open road? Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“We're seeing data around the acceleration of procurement having to ‘do more with less' and this is compounding year over year, so at some point, procurement's operating model is going to break.” – Philip Ideson, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement Procurement teams are facing unprecedented and compounding pressure to “do more with less,” and, because of that, it's more important than ever for procurement's operating model to evolve and mature to meet these growing demands. In this episode, co-hosts Kelly Barner and Philip Ideson explore why procurement operating models have become such a top-of-mind topic in 2025 and what this reveals about process change, talent needs, and digital transformation. They examine how procurement's organizational approach has changed over the years and the pendulum swings we've seen – from decentralized buying to centralized control, then from center-led and now to a kind of “invisible” procurement model. In this episode, Phil and Kelly also discuss: The major trends and changes in procurement operating models and how, at each stage, this has affected procurement's reputation and role in the business How to create more capacity by maturing your operating model and the different stages of operational maturity The CPOs role in establishing a strong operating model, including how and when to leverage orchestration platforms and AI Links: Positioning Procurement for Strategic Success in 2025 w/ Samir Khushalani Mastering the First 100 Days as a CPO w/ Darshan Deshmukh  The Hackett Group's 2025 Key Issues Study: Insights on Procurement Priorities, Technology, and Operating Models w/ Chris Sawchuk Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

The Panama Canal is a 51 mile long waterway that allows ships to cut about 8,000 miles off of a trip from New York to San Francisco around the route around Cape Horn. The country of Panama owns the canal, which is operated by the Panama Canal Authority, an agency of the Panamanian government, but who owns the ports located on either side of the canal? Until now, it has been CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong based firm - raising concerns about China's interest and influence in the supply chain critical Panama canal. On March 4th, it was announced that CK Hutchison had decided to sell two of the largest Panama Canal adjacent ports to BlackRock.  In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner looks at this story up close: The critical role that the Panama Canal plays in global supply chains The details of the deal that will transfer ownership of the ports: Balboa (on the Pacific side) and Cristóbal (on the Atlantic side)  The diplomatic policy shift this represents with regard to China's presence in the area and relationship with the country of Panama Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

The Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE, was created by executive order on President Trump's first day back in office. It immediately became one of the most controversial parts of the administration's first couple of months. Love it or hate it, if you work in procurement, you have to watch what DOGE is doing. And if you can't bring yourself to review their objectives, strategies, and tactics, you at least have to watch the DOGE savings calculator. Public-facing and deliberately bare-bones, the DOGE savings calculator provides information on savings, payments, spend, Federal workforce, and regulations. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner takes a step back and then a close look at the DOGE savings calculator from a procurement perspective:  Describing the website in detail, both for the information it contains and for what it may reveal about DOGE's approach to driving change Comparing DOGE's approach to savings reporting to what is used in a typical corporate procurement setting Looking for lessons and ideas that can be pulled from the public sector to the private Links: Department of Government Efficiency Consolidating the USPS Final Mile Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In this episode of “Buy: The Way… To Purposeful Procurement,” Rich Ham, Philip Ideson, and Kelly Barner reflect on what we heard from Oliver Hurrey and Brian Kyle in episodes 3 and 4 and explore how these procurement leaders find purpose and passion in their work, no matter how big or small the project is.  Rich, Philip, and Kelly discuss what “purposeful procurement” truly means in 2025, challenging the notion that practitioners can only find purpose when they're working for highly-mission driven organizations. With the right mindset, purpose and the potential for positive impact are within reach for any procurement professional working in any category.  Living and working with purpose also requires trust – trust among stakeholders and colleagues, trust with your suppliers, and in many cases, trust from the end consumer. When procurement faces challenges like flawed incentive structures and outdated standardization, it ultimately makes it harder for procurement to drive meaningful impact at scale. Reflecting on these opportunities and challenges along procurement's path to greater purpose, Rich, Philip, and Kelly also look ahead to upcoming discussions where they'll take a deeper dive into how procurement arrived at its current state and some of the potential solutions that could help procurement reach its potential as a driver of purposeful change.     Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

“Everyone at the plant has a duty to protect the products that we're sending out to the customer. Ultimately, you really have to think about it as sort of a ‘circle of life.' What's my responsibility with what I'm doing in this part of the process, and what's going to happen when this product reaches the consumer?” - Nathan Walts, CEO, WorkForge The food supply chain is uniquely complex and critical, because when something goes wrong lives are at stake. Regulations and standards play an important role, but only if people follow them. It takes a lot of hiring, training, and retention efforts to manage the workforce, adding significantly to the cost of running a business.  Nathan Walts is the CEO of WorkForge, a learning and development solution provider focused on the food manufacturing industry. In this episode, he joins Kelly Barner to talk about the food safety objectives producers are trying to achieve, the challenges they face, and the learning and development programs that aim to address both. Listen in as Nathan and Kelly discuss: The current state of labor in food manufacturing Education for safety, quality, and empowerment Going beyond regulatory compliance to achieve continuous improvement Links: Nathan Walts on LinkedIn Liverwurst, Listeria, and Liability: Food Safety at Boar's Head Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“For anybody in procurement that's ever uttered the phrase ‘seat at the table,' it's not always a comfy seat. This is one of those moments where, if we want to be a part of the leadership discussion on the directional momentum of the company, we have to find the way, find the person, and find the time to have this conversation about supplier diversity.” - Kelly Barner, Co-founder and Head of Operations at Art of Procurement Is this the end of supplier diversity as we've known it? As the political and economic landscape continues to evolve, many supplier diversity programs are facing unprecedented scrutiny and rollbacks, forcing procurement to confront sensitive organizational shifts and rapid changes in corporate priorities and communications.  While no one can be sure exactly what the future looks like for supplier diversity, it's clear that procurement teams and business leaders have reached a critical inflection point. In this special episode, Art of Procurement co-founders Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner have what will likely be the first of many conversations about how procurement can approach these changes thoughtfully, maintain focus on their core values, and lead the business through important conversations during this period of intense transition.  In this episode, Philip and Kelly discuss:  The current state of supplier diversity and its disappearing act across organizations  How understanding the original “why” behind supplier diversity programs is crucial for determining how to proceed Practical advice on how procurement can have productive internal conversations with leadership while also maintaining strong supplier relationships Links: Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube Diversity Goals are Disappearing from Companies' Annual Reports  

Back in October, when the East and Gulf coast port strike ended after 3 days, we knew there would be a part 2. Short though it was, the strike is estimated to have cost the U.S. economy $3.8 - 5 Billion per day, but that wasn't seen as the greatest ‘cost' at the time. With the Presidential campaign in full swing, all eyes were on the impact it might have on the candidates' relative popularity. Now that the members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) have ratified the deal negotiated with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), we can look at that deal and the impact it will have on port operations through 2030. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the major factors at play in this collective bargaining agreement and how each played out: Automation: the issue that received the most press coverage by far Interesting comments on labor showup rates and how they relate to the ILA's leverage in the future Changed provisions for container royalties that further tie operational efficiency to demand for labor Links: East and Gulf Coast Port Strike - Part 1 Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“When we start thinking about and putting the end customer at the center of everything we do, it changes our perception of what's important and therefore what we measure in the outputs from our contracts.” Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce, SAP Services spend makes up a large, strategic part of the value procurement provides to the business. But, it's also an area that's ripe for improvement.  Building off of services spend management research we started in 2023 with SAP, we recently updated the survey data, gathering timely new perspectives on how procurement can drive greater value through services spend by collaborating with the business and optimizing processes. In this episode, Kelly Barner talks with Gordon Donovan, Vice President Research - Procurement & External Workforce at SAP, about the key findings and recommendations from this updated research into services spend management.  Gordon shares his perspective on how procurement's rising confidence levels and scope of responsibilities within the business require teams to challenge the status quo when it comes to services spend management and move beyond cost metrics to more strategic considerations. Gordon and Kelly discuss: The importance of aligning services spend contracts with end-customer needs Why it matters what technology procurement is using to manage services spend How companies can differentiate their strategic approach based on service types to improve performance metrics The critical gaps in services spend management performance measurement Links: Gordon Donovan on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube 2023 Benchmarking Services Procurement: A Global Study  

Since President Trump took office on January 20th, speculation about tariffs has been omnipresent in supply chain planning conversations. But we do have a guide to the administration's philosophy, A User's Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System, written by Stephen Miran and published by Hudson Bay Capital in November of 2024. Miran is Trump's pick to lead his Council of Economic Advisers, and will be appearing before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs the day this episode first airs.  In his User's Guide, Miran makes the case that it is possible to use tariffs to achieve desired outcomes without causing undue harm. At the same time, he refers to the plan as a “narrow path.” In this week's episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner shares her reading of the guide: Why Miran - and therefore the Trump administration - believe tariffs can be used without adding to the costs paid by U.S. consumers The difference between theoretical and actual economic scenarios, and how it makes planning a challenge The high level of interconnectedness at play in this approach, and what will need to happen for it to work as intended  Links: A User's Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“I talk to people and I record it. That's it.” - Joe Rogan People often say that we all need to learn to communicate better, and that is true. But we need to invest more effort on the listening side than the talking side.  Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God are standout media personalities and cultural icons. They are also fantastic listeners and exceptional conversationalists. Their ability to prepare for and host interviews has earned them millions of subscribers and billions of downloads, making it easier to get their choice of guests. What can all professionals learn from their approach to listening and conversation? In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner dissects what makes Joe Rogan and Charlamagne tha God so effective: How they developed their unique interviewing and conversational styles The atmosphere they create for guests and the information/perspective that results An unwavering sense of authenticity and respect for their audience Links: Charlamagne tha God on the importance of replacing small talk with big conversations Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

Building off the previous discussion about “purposeful procurement,” Philip Ideson, Kelly Barner, and Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham are back to take a bold, honest look at the systemic flaws that have all too often shaped procurement's behaviors and limited their impact.  In this candid conversation, we share and discuss real-world examples about how current incentive structures elevate short-term thinking and less-than-exceptional outcomes, ignoring the huge potential procurement has to generate value. By tackling uncomfortable truths about dysfunction within the procurement system, Phil, Kelly, and Rich explore the topic with thoughtfulness, precision, and the kind of hard-won wisdom that can only come from years of experience in the procurement trenches. Listen in as we ‘interrogate' procurement's role in perpetuating flawed approaches and processes, usually to their own detriment. The candid exploration of these flies in the ointment will also serve as a springboard to solutions as Season 1 progresses.  Stay tuned for episode 3, where our guest Oliver Hurrey will offer a glimpse of what truly inspiring and purposeful procurement looks like in practice. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

“Show me the incentive, and I will show you the outcome.” Warren Buffet's vice chairman Charlie Munger's succinct and insightful take reminds us of the power of incentives—and provides a backdrop for this project. In this first episode of the “Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement” podcast, produced collaboratively by the teams at Art of Procurement and Fine Tune, Fine Tune CEO Rich Ham, Philip Ideson, and Kelly Barner lay the groundwork for this year-long series of bi-weekly episodes featuring hand-picked guests that will explore various flaws within commonplace procurement department incentive structures, and how those flaws are holding the profession back from its most purposeful potential. This first conversation sets the stage for frank discussions with practitioners, procurement leaders, and subject matter experts about how prevailing systems of incentives create harms to the status quo, what a healthier system might look like, and the outcomes such improved systems might produce—both within the company's walls and beyond them.  Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com

Who will decide when EV trucking goes from being an option available to anyone to an enforceable mandate that everyone must comply with? That question is at the heart of this week's interview.  Kelly Barner had the opportunity to speak with Nebraska Attorney General Michael Hilgers. His state is on the front lines of a legal effort to ensure that if regulations end up driving the EV transition, that those regulations are properly established - undertaken by elected officials with a vested interest in the people of Nebraska and the dozens of states who have stepped up to support their challenges.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state of California, and heavy duty truck manufacturers are trying to usher in changes that will have wide-reaching impact. Will that impact be for the better or the worse, and do they have the right to proceed? Listen in for a highly engaging discussion at the intersection of the law and the supply chain: Why it is important to address the proprietary of regulations before they take effect Uncertainty caused by the current state of enforceable regulations in California The role that competition should play in a market where companies make independent decisions Links: AG Michael Hilgers on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“If anyone thinks that they know it all, they're in the wrong place.” - Dylan Admire The series of relationships that make the freight industry work is like a supply chain in and of itself. Under the freight agent model, agents help shippers find capacity through brokers who hold carrier contracts, facilitate financing and payments, and carry the MC number under which the agent operates. When this model works well, everyone wins–but when it doesn't work as all of the parties expect, the fallout can be substantial. In this week's Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner speaks with Dylan Admire, CEO and Owner of Freight Essentials. His company has brought two RICO lawsuits against connected brokerages, claiming multi-party intent to defraud customers and business partners through anticompetitive tactics. Listen to this episode to hear: How the freight agent model is supposed to work–and what can happen if it doesn't work as everyone expects The current status of his lawsuits and ideal outcome Why he has made the decision to speak out when others might have stayed quiet  Links: Dylan Admire on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“Now an unelected group of powerful actors has opened a three-front effort to transform the nation's logistics fleet from diesel-powered to electric-powered at a breakneck pace. This terrible policy is being crafted almost entirely out of public view. Nebraska is fighting back.” -Mike Hilgers, Nebraska Attorney General (WSJ Op Ed, Jan 17 2025) If you expected the transition from diesel-powered to EV trucking to take place on the open road, think again. Instead, it looks like this systemic change will work its way through the court system. Nebraska is leading the resistance to a forced transition on multiple fronts: in the state of California, with the Environmental Protection Agency, and via an antitrust lawsuit against four major heavy duty truck manufacturers. Any regulatory changes, well intentioned or otherwise, have the potential to completely disrupt logistics and lives, and must be taken with a great deal of care and consideration. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers recent developments in the EV trucking transition: Recent news that may alter the expected timeline for transitioning away from fossil fuel-powered trucking  Legislative exceptions that put California in a uniquely powerful position relative to emissions regulations The odd ‘in between' space the country currently finds itself in Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

“India is putting their money where their mouth is. If they're able to execute upon a free trade agreement or a pseudo free trade agreement...then that would create the fluidity to buoy all of those ships in that harbor.” - Samir Kapadia - Managing Principal at Vogel Group and Founder and CEO at India Index Regardless of the topic, 2024 was filled with ‘what if' conversations. We were waiting to find out who would win the U.S. Presidential election–and therefore whose policies would be dominating business decisions in 2025 and beyond. Of all of the conversations had on the Art of Supply podcast, one of the most compelling was with Samir Kapadia, Managing Principal at Vogel Group and Founder and CEO at India Index. He joined Kelly Barner in 2024 to share his expertise on global trade, but more specifically, how India's ascendency as a global trading partner is being watched as companies look for alternatives to China and nations flush with Chinese investment. After such a riveting pre-election conversation, Kelly brought Samir back to bring the conversation up-to-date and get a sense of how new trade policy will impact supply chain decisions and global manufacturing potential. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Samir cover how the upcoming presidential term is going to: Change the way the U.S. manages policy within the Department of Commerce and Trade and U.S. Trade Representative Use strategic tariff regimes to increase reciprocity and incentivize supply chain organizations to think differently about where they get their materials Create an opportunity for India to replace China as a major manufacturing trade partner Links: Samir Kapadia on LinkedIn Evaluating India as a Viable Alternative to China Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“We have that emotional pull to group together as humans and fight the automation. The reality is you cannot have one without the other, and they are very much working together.” -Matt Naslund, Vice President and Head of Solutions, Mytra As businesses look to streamline operations and optimize decision-making, a combination of hardware, software, and automation offer a solution. The challenge then becomes figuring out where automation makes sense–and how quickly and heavily organizations should implement solutions that enable it. No matter the level of sophistication or maturity of an organization, automation technology is a key factor in driving efficiency and accessing data that allows them to hit business objectives related to material flows, accumulation of goods, seasonality, and more. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner sits down with Matt Naslund, Vice President and Head of Solutions at Mytra, to examine: The specific challenges warehouses face in streamlining operations The necessary balance of automation hardware and software in improving operations The way warehouses can use the data that automation delivers to inform day-to-day decision-making Links: Matt Naslund on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In 2001, Jim Collins published the book ‘Good to Great.' He was supported by a team that  invested 10.5 ‘people years' over the course of 5 calendar years to figure out what allows some good companies to become great companies. Their research revealed key findings about leadership, use of technology, building a team, company culture, and vision. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner re-reads ‘Good to Great' in light of 2025 business conditions: Reviewing some of the key points from the book as an introduction or a refresher Considering how they apply to work, leadership, and success in 2025 Sharing a renewed sense of energy and promise at the start of a new year Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

As listeners know well, the goal of The Sourcing Hero podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to create exceptional value within procurement directly from those heroes themselves. Kris Lance is definitely one of those people. Kris is the Vice President and General Manager at Una, and for the last few years, he has occupied a monthly spot on The Sourcing Hero podcast schedule, discussing current news stories, trends, and supply chain issues. In today's very first episode of 2025, Kelly Barner take a look back at three of Kris's most popular episodes last year, sharing a short clip from each of the three episodes.  In this you will hear about: How the surging power of the podcast medium is driving business impact How to fight off professional inertia and fatigue to find joy in your work  The launch of “The Sidekick,” a thought-provoking must-read for supply chain and procurement professionals Links: Kris Lance on LinkedIn Subscribe to “The Sidekick” The Surging Power of the Podcast Format with Kris Lance Fighting Off the Impact of Slow Onset Inertia with Kris Lance  The Sourcing Hero Gets a Sidekick with Kris Lance

“I think there is an element of mastering your own destiny, a sense of showing up and being engaged in the conversation about what the change should be and the nature and how you do it.” - Aaron Addicoat, Director at AlixPartners  In a session at Mastermind Live 2024, Kelly Barner spoke with Aaron Addicoat, Director at AlixPartners, to examine the ways procurement can adapt their operating model to achieve business objectives - and do so with the right attitude. Aaron's passion for procurement and all it encompasses was apparent as he shared his thoughts on: The level of awareness and forethought procurement must invest in adapting and improving their operating models  The ways certain mindsets can enable a more comfortable and efficient relationship with change The importance of making changes that empower the user experience Links: Aaron Addicoat on LinkedIn Watch on demand: Mastermind LIVE 2024 Listen to Deloitte's 2023 CPO Survey with Aaron Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

Many of the supply chain news stories we covered in 2024 look ready to carry right over - or even rise to the top - as we start a new year. Some of these stories are likely to re-emerge with the incoming Trump Administration, while others are ready for a change in direction thanks to geopolitics. Supply chain professionals that already have an eye out for breaking news will be best positioned to respond as needed. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner highlights five 2024 news stories that are likely to remain topical in the new year: The global distance traveled by raw materials and finished products compared to their value Red Sea tensions and the need for ocean freight to find a new (safer) path to travel The EV trucking mandate rolled out by the EPA under the Biden Administration De minimis shipping provisions that have created a ‘maximus' problem An as yet unresolved organized labor contract governing operations at East and Gulf Coast ports Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

“I think there's this dichotomy of two things that we always have to keep in mind in procurement. We don't want to create friction. We want frictionless procurement. At the same time, we want to be seen as the people who have ideas, who could come up with something that could be innovative and have influence in the business.” - Constantine Limberakis, CEO and Owner of Liberis Consulting LLC In a session at AOP Mastermind Live 2024, Kelly Barner sat down with Constantine Limberakis, CEO and Owner of Liberis Consulting LLC, to discuss the macroeconomic concerns and trends that procurement will certainly need to keep an eye on in the coming year. During the session, Constantine combined his Masters Degree in public and international affairs and more than 20 years in procurement to give his perspective on: How procurement needs to navigate this new inflationary environment with a different mindset  The ways technology offers procurement an opportunity to create influence across the business and support a workforce pivot How de-globilization lets procurement shine, even in the face of changing regulations, as they plan for the future Links: Constantine Limberakis on LinkedIn Watch on demand: Mastermind LIVE 2024 Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

This year on Art of Supply, we welcomed a fantastic group of guests. Each interview episode creates two kinds of challenges: asking questions worthy of the guest's expertise and capturing a conversation that lives up to audience expectations. Looking back on the interviews we ran in 2024, there are a few key messages that stand out, as individual points of view and what they collectively offer supply chain professionals as we move into 2025. Don't ever make a decision solely on short term cost. Victor Suarez: Former Lead Vaccine Program Manager for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in Operation Warp Speed at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Founder and Principal Growth Partner, Blu Zone Bioscience & Supply Chain Solutions, LLC  Make sure you understand the underlying economics of any strategy you plan to implement. Thomas Goldsby: Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Co-Executive Director of their Global Supply Chain Institute Knowing how to be an effective problem solver - even in difficult circumstances.  Ashley Hubka: Senior Vice President and General Manager at Walmart Business In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner shares excerpts of the three interviews and comments on how they connect. Links: Victor Suarez on LinkedIn Sending a Powerful Message About America's Pharmaceutical Independence Thomas Goldsby on LinkedIn Supply Chains as Business in Action Ashley Hubka on LinkedIn Creating a B2C to B to C Improvement Cycle at Walmart Business Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“I think if you could summarize what the trend is going to be in the future - It's going to be volatile. That's the trend.” - Tim Richardson, Founder and CEO of Iter Consulting In order to be influential with the C-suite, someone must have experience and expertise in a given subject. They must do detailed technical work and analysis to prepare their strategy recommendations and to be ready to answer questions.  They must have a strong grasp of their domain, no matter how complex it is - but they have to be able to communicate all of that simply. Otherwise, the desired support may be withheld, and the desired outcomes may never be realized. In this week's episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner welcomes Tim Richardson to the podcast. Tim is the Founder and CEO of Iter Consulting, a global team of experts with supply chain and manufacturing experience helping companies transform their operations - and their results as well. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Tim and Kelly discuss: The power of effective supply chain modeling How supply chain leaders can position for economic and ecologic success Forward looking trends that all business should be prepared to address Links: Tim Richardson on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

The goal of The Sourcing Hero Podcast is to capture the epic stories of people who are rising up and beating the odds to create exceptional value within procurement - directly from those heroes themselves. Over the last 12 months, we've heard from some of the most innovative minds in procurement and beyond to explore topics that range from cutting-edge optimization strategies to deeply personal journeys of purpose and passion.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Kelly Barner takes a look back at the most downloaded episodes of 2024 - wrapping the year by celebrating the interviews that resonated most with you.  No spoiler alerts… but listen in to hear excerpts of episodes about: Finding purpose in life, and achieving it through balance The power of storytelling in procurement A humorous take on procurement's past - and future - reputation And more!   Links: Episode 151: What You Don't Know About Shipping Can Hurt You with Nick DiNatale Episode 153: Finding Purpose in Procurement and in Life with Paul Nilsen Episode 157: Telling a Compelling Procurement Story with Alex Ball Episode 146: Calling all Solution Enthusiasts! With A'Keela Johnson Episode 148: Optimization of Procurement in the Automotive Industry with Robert Čačković

“The reason I like listening is I think, ‘If I'd have been CPO there or in other organizations, what would I have done to try and prevent that? And what red flags would I have held up? And what can we learn from that so that it doesn't happen again?'” - Alex Jennings, CEO and co-founder of The Alchemie Network We all consume content for different reasons–education, entertainment, or otherwise. There are always lessons to be learned from one company or supply chain that can be applied in another. To discuss these stories - and the process of capturing them on the Art of Supply podcast - Kelly Barner was invited to speak in a live session hosted by The Alchemie Network, an organization that promotes collaborative learning around ESG and sustainability for procurement. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Alex and Kelly reminisce on past episodes to cover: How companies are coming up on social mandates and using malicious compliance to find loopholes and avoid them The role that legal statutes make in driving sustainability efforts worldwide The careful line businesses have to walk when considering taking government funding Links: Alex Jennings on LinkedIn The Alchemie Network Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

“Every procurement journey is unique, and now we have the tools and technologies that allow us to be a lot more flexible in how we build procurement operating models so that we can truly adapt to exactly what the business needs.” – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement In the hustle and bustle of end-of-year reporting, wrap ups, and planning for the year to come, it's important for procurement to take a pause – even a very brief one – and think about how they should be reacting to some of the ‘bigger picture' forces impacting the function and the business in general. In this episode, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a look back at the recent Mastermind LIVE 2024, one of AOP's most popular digital events of the year, where we considered some of the most important, even challenging, issues facing procurement today. They debrief each of the 6 sessions and tease out the most important insights, surprising and unexpected moments, and tactical call outs that procurement should keep in mind as they plan for 2025 and beyond.  Kelly and Philip add their own perspectives to the session topics, including: How procurement is positioning themselves for success in 2025 and how procurement operating models should evolve to clear the way for success What kinds of changes – both good and bad – we can expect to procurement roles in the coming months or years, and which jobs are least likely to survive AI How procurement can build a tech roadmap that maximizes stakeholder adoption and user satisfaction And much much more!  Links: Watch Mastermind LIVE 2024 on demand Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

When we cover a news story on Art of Supply, we stick with it, even when it seems to have gone cold. In late August, we got an update on the case of the 53 migrants who lost their lives as a result of illegal attempted smuggling over the Mexico border back in 2022. On June 27th, 2022, an abandoned tractor trailer was found near Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. The truck had mechanical problems and it had been abandoned by its driver. A local worker heard cries of distress and opened the trailer door. What he found would go on to be declared the deadliest example of migrant smuggling in U.S. history.  In this bonus update episode, Kelly Barner shares the latest on the arrests, indictments, and specific charges associated with those allegedly involved in this crime. Links: Heavy Traffic and Human Trafficking at the U.S. Border  The Problem of DOT Number "Cloning"​ Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement  

When something goes wrong in the supply chain, it is never good news. It always leads to disruption, often costs a lot of money, and sometimes people get hurt - or worse. In July of 2024, the USDA suspended production at a Boar's Head processing plant in Jarratt, Virginia. A listeria outbreak, the worst such outbreak in over a decade, had started in the plant. The facility has been closed indefinitely, leading to over 500 layoffs of union employees, but that wasn't the worst of the fallout. Before the outbreak was over, over 7 million pounds of meat were recalled, 59 people were hospitalized, and 10 people lost their lives. How could production have gone so wrong, especially in such a heavily inspected industry? Unfortunately, as the details emerged, it became clear that this was an easily preventable situation allowed to happen by multiple layers of mismanagement. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers: The details behind the outbreak: Where did it start and how did it spread? An odd family squabble that may or may not have contributed to the problem but which certainly didn't help Problems associated with inspections: How were they conducted and why did they fail to protect consumers? And what we can expect to happen next Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

“Humans are so much more effective in processing something visually than, let's say, a table or two pieces of text next to each other. If you see it on a map, you can say, okay, this line goes like this, the other goes like this. I can make the connection in my head very easily that, okay, this is what changes. And it also makes it very easy to sort of have an opinion on it, because it clicks in your head quite easily.” - Ruud van Dijk, Commercial Director, Routescanner We routinely talk about the complexity of global supply chains - here on Art of Supply and in the wider business community. Moving our focus from talk to action requires one key thing: data. But even with good data, these are highly complex decisions. They are often made without certainty, on a compressed time frame, and with a lot of money on the line.  Setting up human beings for successful decision making under those circumstances requires more than data. The data needs to be standardized and presented in a way that matches how people process information and compare the likely outcome of multiple scenarios. In this episode of Art of Supply, Kelly Barner welcomes Ruud van Dijk. Ruud is the Commercial Director at Routescanner, a platform designed to improve transparency in container shipping and help companies optimize routes while lowering CO2 emissions and costs. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Ruud discuss: How data needs to be presented in an accessible format for decision makers to put it into practice The change effort associated with moving from a suboptimal but familiar approach to one that is far more effective Empowering supply chain teams to lead cross functional conversations about operationally minimizing both costs and environmental impact Links: Ruud van Dijk on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

The United States Postal Service occupies a unique spot in the supply chain.  On the one hand, it is a federal agency, tasked with delivering mail to every home, business, and P.O. box 6 (and sometimes 7) days per week. On the other hand, it does not “generally” receive taxpayer funding; it must meet its mission by selling postage and services. Thanks to this middle space between the worlds of public service and private industry, transformation is a massive challenge - even when successfully driving financial and operational change is a matter of long term survival. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner covers the current status of Delivering for America, the USPS's 10-year transformational plan: The complexity of the U.S. post office's operational and financial status quo The multiple roles that package volume will play in determining USPS success The slowdowns and questions that have plagued that transformation Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

“Most fundamentally, strategy is about asking good questions, creating alternatives, and then making decisions about how to allocate scarce resources. [...] It's a place where you have a 360-degree view of a business.” - Ashley Hubka, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Walmart Business Corporate and consumer buying started and developed on separate tracks, and while there are some things that procurement has learned from and embedded in the B2B experience, others will always be beyond reach.  What would happen if you took a consumer shopping experience and expanded it to support institutional customers as well? Walmart Business is in the process of finding out. Ashley Hubka is the Senior Vice President and General Manager at Walmart Business. She has held a number of consulting and strategy positions during her career and holds a degree in Philosophy from Harvard University. In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly Barner sits down with Ashley to learn: Why Walmart decided to offer a distinct experience for organizational and commercial customers How that experience is different than the consumer Walmart experience (and when it is the same) Areas of strategic B2B focus over the next 12-24 months Links: Ashley Hubka on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In the final part of this four-part special series, we compare and contrast the actual policy positions of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump.  With less than two weeks until election day, procurement and supply chain professionals must have plans in place for the eventuality of either candidate being voted into office, focusing on the areas where they agree as much as where they differ. Listen in as Kelly Barner describes where the two major party candidates actually differ (and where they have a lot in common) based on their own campaign websites, policy platforms, and statements from publicly available interviews: The differences we can expect when supply chain policy is focused on critical industries versus an emphasis on keeping production domestic Looking at a diverse range of energy sources as well as the overall cost and supply of available energy Corporate tax rates that may go up or down And one thing both candidates agree upon: China Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In the final part of this four-part special series, we compare and contrast the actual policy positions of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump.  With less than two weeks until election day, procurement and supply chain professionals must have plans in place for the eventuality of either candidate being voted into office, focusing on the areas where they agree as much as where they differ. Listen in as Kelly Barner describes where the two major party candidates actually differ (and where they have a lot in common) based on their own campaign websites, policy platforms, and statements from publicly available interviews: The differences we can expect when supply chain policy is focused on critical industries versus an emphasis on keeping production domestic Looking at a diverse range of energy sources as well as the overall cost and supply of available energy Corporate tax rates that may go up or down And one thing both candidates agree upon: China Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part three of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Republican Candidate former President Donald Trump.  Former President Donald Trump is 78 Years old, and a former businessman/real estate developer as well as the former host of The Apprentice. He became the nominee on July 18, 2024 when he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention Listen in as Kelly Barner explores his policy positions and platform: Detailed positions on global trade and China The lack of detail regarding his position on emissions and the environment Strong statements about both the cost and availability of energy, and the importance of emphasizing domestic production over imports from other parts of the world  Links: Donald J. Trump for President website Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC Transcript of the June 27, 2024 Presidential Debate on CNN Republican Party 2024 Platform Document Donald Trump Republican National Convention Speech Transcript Transcript of Donald Trump's interview with Time Magazine Video of Bloomberg interview from October 15, 2024 Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part three of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Republican Candidate former President Donald Trump.  Former President Donald Trump is 78 Years old, and a former businessman/real estate developer as well as the former host of The Apprentice. He became the nominee on July 18, 2024 when he accepted the nomination at the Republican National Convention Listen in as Kelly Barner explores his policy positions and platform: Detailed positions on global trade and China The lack of detail regarding his position on emissions and the environment Strong statements about both the cost and availability of energy, and the importance of emphasizing domestic production over imports from other parts of the world  Links: Donald J. Trump for President website Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC Transcript of the June 27, 2024 Presidential Debate on CNN Republican Party 2024 Platform Document Donald Trump Republican National Convention Speech Transcript Transcript of Donald Trump's interview with Time Magazine Video of Bloomberg interview from October 15, 2024 Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part two of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.  Vice President Kamala is 59 Years old and a former Senator and Attorney General from the State of California. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee on July 21, 2024 when President Biden suspended his campaign for re-election, and the official nominee on August 22 when she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Listen in as Kelly Barner explores her policy positions and platform: Detailed plans for renewable energy and the environment The lack of detail regarding her position on trade and tariffs Strong statements about China, specifically around the race to dominate AI, domestic labor protections, and intellectual property concerns  Links: Kamala Harris for President website A New Way Forward for the Middle Class Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC Kamala Harris Democratic National Convention Speech Transcript Democratic Party 2024 Platform Document 60 Minutes Interview with Bill Whitaker Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

In part two of this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.  Vice President Kamala is 59 Years old and a former Senator and Attorney General from the State of California. She became the presumptive Democratic nominee on July 21, 2024 when President Biden suspended his campaign for re-election, and the official nominee on August 22 when she accepted the nomination at the Democratic National Convention. Listen in as Kelly Barner explores her policy positions and platform: Detailed plans for renewable energy and the environment The lack of detail regarding her position on trade and tariffs Strong statements about China, specifically around the race to dominate AI, domestic labor protections, and intellectual property concerns  Links: Kamala Harris for President website A New Way Forward for the Middle Class Transcript of the September 10, 2024 Presidential Debate on ABC Kamala Harris Democratic National Convention Speech Transcript Democratic Party 2024 Platform Document 60 Minutes Interview with Bill Whitaker Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

There are two weeks to go until the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Interest, speculation, and tension have been building all year. Most news coverage of the election is intended to sway voters, hyperbolic to a fault, and not tailored to the specific information needs of procurement and supply chain professionals. What we really need to know is what each major party candidate has said and what likely outcomes that would lead to. In this four-part special series, we will cover the policies and plans of Democratic Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican Candidate Former President Donald J. Trump as well as how they compare. Listen in as Kelly Barner kicks off the series by explaining: Why all procurement and supply chain professionals need to be prepared for either candidate to win The impact of tariffs, China, energy, and environmental policy on corporate strategy The rules of engagement and discussion that will apply in this series and the discussions that result Links: Kelly Barner on LinkedIn Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter  Art of Supply on AOP Subscribe to This Week in Procurement

“What we are seeing is companies have made the decision that they believe being more sustainable is good business. Therefore, that is the number one priority.” - Daniel Dorr, VP of Marketing at Supplier.io Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are core components of a strong supply chain, but these initiatives can also expose the business to unexpected areas of risk. In this episode, based on an AOP Live session, hosts Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner talk with Daniel Dorr and Laura Noonan from Supplier.io and Alexandra Di Fabrizio from Impak Analytics to discuss the findings of over 200 in-depth ESG risk assessments that provide an unparalleled look into the current risks of supplier sustainability performance.  They break down the highest risk areas associated with ESG, share mitigation best practices, and elaborate on the opportunities procurement has to strengthen their role in the business by neutralizing ESG risk. In this episode, Daniel, Alexandra, and Laura discuss: The highest ESG risks currently impacting global supply chains and how to assess your company's threat level Effective ESG risk mitigation strategies and lessons learned from other companies' innovative approaches How highlighting areas where your suppliers are excelling in ESG performance can minimize risk, provide inspiration for your supply chain, and benchmark your organization's sustainability initiatives Links: Daniel Dorr on LinkedIn Laura Noonan on LinkedIn Alexandra Di Fabrizio on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

In Episode 38 of the Town Manager Download, Kevin and Taylor are joined by Kelly Barner, Chair, and Melanie Petrucci, Secretary, of the Historic District Commission to discuss their new interactive walking tour of historic homes in the center of town - the perfect activity as we move into Fall!

“Everyone has an opinion about facility services in your buildings, so you're always trying to accommodate multiple stakeholders and juggle multiple departments.” - Alex Carlson, VP of Facilities Management Services at Fine Tune In the world of indirect spend management, there are few categories as complex - and high stakes - as facilities management. Delivery locations and sometimes provider networks are distributed and fragmented, making selection, implementation, and ongoing oversight especially difficult. It is no wonder, then, that so many companies are tempted over to “the dark side” of convenience-based solutions in this category. Unfortunately, allowing third parties to manage the delivery of services may also give them more control over cost than procurement realizes. In this episode, Kelly Barner is joined by Alex Carlson, former Vice President of Category Management within Wells Fargo's Corporate Properties division and new VP of Facilities Management Services at Fine Tune.  His experience and advice can help your organization avoid “the dark side” and instead walk towards the many opportunities for value creation associated with this category of spend. Listen in to learn: The benefits of managing costs as well as services through a cost plus model How to navigate the transition from service provider to client Unique facilities management challenges in C-store, big box retail, and office environments In depth category perspectives and stories of managed services survival Links: Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Alex Carlson on LinkedIn Watch Again: Why is facilities management so complex?

“At the end of the day, we're trying to create this organization from which we have the ability to help the profession move forward with more than ever before. We think in terms of what each trend or change is going to mean to each team and what they can make of the related opportunities and challenges.” - Philip Ideson, Founder & Managing Director, Art of Procurement In this episode of the Art of Procurement podcast, Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner take a break from their usual roles interviewing procurement thought leaders and experts to reflect on the year so far in procurement, including emerging trends, economic pressures, election coverage, AI, and the always-evolving needs of the procurement community. Philip and Kelly also discuss the recent results of an AOP survey that reveals procurement's increasing demand for quality, targeted content, and they share what they've been hearing from other procurement leaders about the impact of AI now that the “newness” has worn off and teams are getting serious about implementation, use cases, and business outcomes. In this episode, they reflect on: How economic shifts and policy changes are reshaping procurement strategies and operations AI's practical applications in procurement and why experimentation and continuous re-evaluation are so important Upcoming events and projects from the Art of Procurement, including a new AOP website in the works, the official launch of AOP's YouTube channel, and a special series planned for October that will provide a comprehensive analysis of potential policy impacts to procurement and the supply chain from the U.S. presidential election Links: Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Kelly Barner on LinkedIn