Balancing Lean Operations with Supply Chain Resilience
The video examines how companies can reconcile lean, just‑in‑time manufacturing with the need for supply‑chain resilience, especially after the pandemic and 2019 tariff shocks exposed vulnerabilities. Speakers note that while lean practices cut inventory costs, they leave firms exposed to disruptions. They argue for targeted safety stock, especially for components with long lead times, and stress the CFO’s role in balancing cost efficiency against redundancy. A key quote emphasizes information sharing: “If we share demand data back to supply points, we can manage risk on long‑lead‑time items.” The discussion also highlights multi‑vendor and geographically dispersed sourcing as practical levers. Adopting these measures can protect margins, avoid stockouts, and improve customer service, making resilience a competitive advantage rather than a cost center.
The Chain Podcast Ep 22 YouTube
The Chain Podcast episode features Mike Bunie, VP of Global Supply Chain Operations at Hamilton Beach, arguing that customs and logistics should be owned by supply‑chain teams rather than treated as immutable external forces. He outlines five strategic levers—network design, inventory...
Driving Value From Sustainability
The video explores how sustainability moves beyond a compliance checklist to become a strategic differentiator for B2B manufacturers, especially those supplying original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The speaker frames sustainability value through three layers of the value chain: regulation, OEM relationships,...
If Not Supply Chain, Then Who?
The video tackles a persistent mindset among supply‑chain professionals who feel trapped by external forces such as customs and global logistics, asking who should ultimately own tariff and duty management. The speaker argues that the answer lies within the supply‑chain...
Revisit the Past for ROI
The video highlights a common leadership pitfall: pushing new technology solutions that don’t align with an organization’s existing infrastructure. Speakers note that rapid change often tempts leaders to force‑fit tools, creating friction and wasted resources. A second, equally damaging habit...
How Sustainability Becomes a Competitive Advantage
The video argues that sustainability is moving beyond a regulatory checklist to become a strategic differentiator for B2B manufacturers. The speaker frames the discussion around three layers of value creation – regulation, OEM relationships, and end‑customer demand – and shows...
Navigating Geopolitical Risk: Insights for the Months Ahead
The video addresses how supply‑chain leaders must navigate an evolving geopolitical landscape, focusing on the resurgence of tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down the AIPA measures and the launch of fresh Section 301 investigations involving dozens of countries and the...
Why Yesterday’s “Bad Ideas” Deserve a Second Look
The video argues that many leaders prematurely dismiss ideas, especially when onboarding new staff, because they try to force solutions that don’t fit current technology. It highlights two common mistakes: imposing ill‑suited tech fixes and shutting down concepts before they’ve been...
Souvik Khan on Getting His CTSC
Souvik Khan explains why he pursued CTSC certification, focusing on mastering best practices in supply chain transformation, an emerging discipline gaining traction across multiple industries. He outlines the breadth of competencies the CTSC covers—strategic supply‑chain design, treating the function as a...
Leading Manufacturing Through Change, Data and Talent
Nashay Naeve, president of Tsubaki Nakashima’s Engineered Plastic Components unit, discusses how manufacturers can thrive amid constant disruption. She emphasizes moving from reactive decision‑making to proactive, data‑driven operations, while simultaneously upskilling frontline teams. Sustainability is presented as a strategic differentiator...
It’s Not a Labor Shortage — It’s a Skills Gap
The video contends that the United States is not experiencing a true labor shortage but a widening skills gap, as automation reshapes the competencies employers need across manufacturing and other sectors. Despite a 3.x percent unemployment rate, many job seekers lack...
Why Supply Chain Now Sits at the Strategy Table
The video highlights a fundamental shift: supply‑chain responsibilities have moved from peripheral departments to the executive boardroom. CEOs are now insisting that operational functions—manufacturing, procurement, trade compliance—participate directly in strategic deliberations rather than being relegated to lower‑level execution. This change reflects...
Shoring up on Supply Chain Terms
The video dissects three buzz‑words—reshoring, nearshoring and friendshoring—used to describe how companies are rethinking global production. While reshoring suggests bringing manufacturing back to the United States, the speaker argues the term is misleading because many low‑cost assembly lines, especially in...
Tariffs, Uncertainty and the Pause on U.S. Manufacturing
The video examines how U.S. tariffs, originally framed as a temporary lever, have morphed into a semi‑permanent policy, creating a climate of uncertainty that is stalling manufacturing expansion. Despite expectations that tariffs would repatriate production and add jobs, the sector lost...
The Truth About Reshoring
The video clarifies the buzzwords reshoring, near‑shoring and friend‑shoring, explaining that reshoring—bringing manufacturing back to the United States—is often a misnomer because many of today’s low‑cost assembly operations never existed on American soil. It points out that the dominant trend is...