The SupplyChainBrain Podcast

Recent months have seen major car recalls by GM and Ford Motor Co. They're just the latest in a seemingly endless series of failures. Can this trend be stopped? Automotive recalls are serious business. Past component and system failures have resulted in multiple injuries and deaths. Even when the problem doesn't threaten passenger safety, it can have huge ramifications for manufacturers and brand reputation. On this episode, we speak with Robin Hopper, senior vice president of product management with Intelex Technologies Inc., a provider of software for managing environmental, health, safety and quality issues for regulatory compliance. He explains why system failures and subsequent recalls keep happening, how the growing complexity of global supply chains is at least partly to blame, and what steps carmakers can take to increase quality assurance and improve communications with both suppliers and consumers. Recalls might be inevitable, but their frequency and severity can be controlled through better supply-chain management.Support the show

Everyone agrees about the importance of adjusting to change. So why do so many companies fail in that effort? We're in the Age of Disruption, notwithstanding the tendency of modern-day marketers to overuse that word to the point where it becomes meaningless. Real disruption is roiling companies and industries everywhere, and executives and employees need a plan to cope with it. On this episode, we speak with Shane Cragun, co-author with Kate Sweetman of Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption. Their new book offers basic principles, strategies and a set of tools for confronting radical change in the business world. We learn how forward-looking companies can survive an endless series of tidal waves, the ones that have succeeded, and a few that have failed – despite the fact that they saw the change coming. It's a matter of learning to swim, or be swept away.Support the show

There's not an aspect of modern life that won't be affected by advances in robotics and artificial intelligence in the coming years. But the impact will be especially felt in transportation and distribution. The science of robotics has made huge leaps in recent years, to the point where robots are taking over an increasing number of tasks that once were the exclusive province of humans. And the future promises to be even more disruptive. One study predicts that by the year 2050, up to 47 percent of all current employment will be affected by robotics and automation. To explain the trend and its implications on the workplace, we speak on this episode with Joe Brusuelas, chief economist with the audit, tax and consulting firm RSM US LLP. He is the author of a recent analysis that appeared in The Real Economy, RSM's monthly economic publication devoted to business issues for the middle market. Brusuelas talks about the economic and regulatory drivers behind the new wave of robotics, and explains why transportation and warehousing will be particularly hard hit.Support the show

The platforms of both major political parties are based on the belief that the actions of presidents have a direct impact on the U.S. and global economy. But is that really so? Of all the issues to be discussed during presidential campaigns, none dominates the debate more than the economy. Presidents and would-be presidents insist that they have the power to create jobs, drive growth and spur investment on both Wall Street and Main Street. On this episode, we hear a contrary view. Our guest is financial adviser and author Jonathan Citrin, who makes the argument that we wildly over-inflate the ability of the president to influence the economy. He speaks of ''the myth of the economic commander-in-chief.'' Listen to a lively debate about whether there's really any correlation or causation between presidential actions and economic performance. And find out why Citrin believes that ''things are more out of control than we think.''Support the show

The boom in e-commerce is a global phenomenon, but each country has its own unique requirements for ensuring the smooth flow of shipments to the buyer. Canada is no exception. Given its proximity to the U.S., American companies might tend to underestimate the need for intimate knowledge of the Canadian e-commerce landscape. There are issues of currency, language, packaging requirements, units of measurement and vast distances between urban centers to consider. On this episode, we speak with John Costanzo, president of Purolator International, who details the ins and outs of shipping e-commerce orders to and within Canada. He talks about why some U.S. companies have failed to penetrate the Canadian marketplace. And he offers valuable tips and strategies for succeeding in this unique environment, including an explanation of what constitutes a ''Canadian-like'' transaction.Support the show

The ''sharing economy'' is supposed to empower workers and usher in a new era of job satisfaction. Can it deliver? The answer lies in understanding just what this new work regime is replacing. And the answer to that can be found in the title of a new book called The Vanishing American Corporation: Navigating the Hazards of a New Economy. Author Jerry Davis, Professor of Management at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, joins us on the episode to detail the transformation of the American workplace. He's concerned about the rise of the ostensibly independent worker, driven by ventures such as Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Facebook and LinkedIn. The traditional corporation, he says, provided job security, health insurance and an open career path – all keys to a vibrant middle class. What does the modern-day ''gig'' economy have to offer in its absence? Might it be leading to even more social inequality?Support the show

The aerospace giant Pratt and Whitney plans to double production of a new and innovative jet engine by 2020. Proper supply-chain management will play a huge role in the success of the venture. Pratt and Whitney, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., has orders for more than 7,000 of the new engines, which are more powerful, more fuel-efficient, quieter and result in fewer emissions. The model is the centerpiece of the company's bid to increase its presence in commercial aviation. But success hinges on tight coordination with an army of suppliers upstream, and aircraft manufacturers downstream. On this episode, we're joined by Sam Abdelmalek, vice president of global supply chain, who outlines the company's journey in developing the new engine. It's the product of a decade-long effort, costing billions of dollars. Abdelmalek talks about the challenges that Pratt Whitney has already encountered in building the ''game-changing'' engine, as well as its bid to take a more proactive and preventive approach to dealing with suppliers. ''Supply chain is now a critical part of our success,'' he says.Support the show

The U.S. trade deficit is continuing to decline – but don't blame imports for the widening gap. In fact, in trade figures published by the U.S. Census Bureau for the month of June 2016, imports were actually down by 2.9 percent from a year earlier. The problem is that exports dropped by an even greater margin of 5.2 percent. Blame a strong dollar and weak commodity sales, among other factors. On this episode, we delve into the trends behind the numbers with Chris Rogers, research analyst with Panjiva. He identifies the weakest areas of U.S. trade, based on such factors as currency exchange, interest rates, competition from Chinese manufacturers and the impact of the U.K.'s decision to withdraw from the European Union. And he discusses the prospects for future improvements in the nation’s balance of trade.Support the show

The age of the driverless commercial truck is coming. It's just a question of when. Someday you'll look in your rear-view mirror and see an 18-wheeler bearing down on you with no one in the cab. But there's nothing to fear, according to Gary Girotti, executive vice president of Chainalytics. He believes the technology already exists to make self-driving trucks safe and viable for everyday use. What's more, he says, they're a solution to the driver shortage problem, and are 15 percent more fuel-efficient than traditional trucks. So what's holding them back? It's largely a matter of public perception, Girotti says. (Which wasn't helped by the recent fatal crash of a supposedly self-driving Tesla Model S.) He joins us on this episode to discuss the development of the driverless truck, and when it might become a regular sight on roads and highways. ''I would feel much safer if the computer was driving the truck [rather] than a human being,'' he says.Support the show

When it comes to assessing the impact of business practices on the environment, the bar is being raised. Mere sustainability is no longer enough: now it’s all about becoming ''net positive.'' The idea isn't new, but has recently taken off with establishment of the Net Positive Project. It's the product of a collaboration among Business and Social Responsibility (BSR), Forum for the Future and the Sustainability and Health Initiative for NetPositive Enterprise (SHINE), based at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. On this episode, we speak with two principals behind the effort: Eric Olson, senior vice president of BSR, and Zoe Le Grand, principal sustainability adviser to Forum for the Future. They explain how the project intends to promote net-positive activities, which companies are already on board, and how supporters plan to attract additional participants. Currently there's no multinational that can claim a net-positive impact on the environment, society and the global economy. But such an entity isn't that far in the future, according to Olson and Le Grand.Support the show