Episode 7 | Supply Chain Podcast: True Supply Chain Resilience, Shirell James

Why It Matters

Companies face increasingly frequent, unpredictable disruptions, so investing in visibility, data integration and dynamic planning is critical to avoid costly delays and maintain service levels. Without these capabilities, firms will continue to react poorly to crises and incur higher costs and supply failures.

Summary

In a Supply Chain Digital podcast recorded at Gartner’s symposium, Charerelle James, VP of supply chain advisory at Blue Yonder, defines modern resilience as the ability to detect real-time risk events, link them to operational execution and rapidly make informed adjustments rather than merely simulating scenarios. She contrasts resilient networks—characterized by end-to-end visibility and connected planning and execution—with those that are merely surviving and stuck in firefighting mode. James emphasizes the growing importance of integrating external data and ensuring AI models have quality inputs, and notes that while strategic moves like regionalization help, tactical agility is essential for unforeseen crises. She warns that many companies remain vulnerable due to disconnected systems and outsourced data gaps.

Original Description

In this episode, host Aaron McMillan sits down live at Gartner’s Supply Chain Symposium in Barcelona with Shirell James, Vice President of Supply Chain Advisory at Blue Yonder. As global operations continue to face unpredictable "black swan" events, navigating disruptions manually is no longer viable. Shirell shares her expert insights on what true supply chain resilience looks like in 2026, shifting from a reactionary mindset to a highly connected, data-driven strategy.

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