Celebrating the Human Factor

"Some people want it to happen. Some wish it would happen. Others make it happen" --- Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest NBA player in history

Good Sunday morning all and welcome to this edition (No. 78) of "With That Said" (WTS), an almost-weekly newsletter powered by your friends here at Supply Chain Now.

Before we get into a mix of the news & perspectives from around the world, our SCN team wants to invite you to a special event coming up TOMORROW. April 29th is National Supply Chain Day?, founded by our own Mary Kate Love. We are reinvigorating this day that recognizes & celebrates our industry. And in particular, we are saluting the PEOPLE of global supply chain - and we'd love to have you join Mary Kate, Scott Luton , Enrique Alvarez & all of our team for a special LIVE event, which kicks off at 12 noon ET TOMORROW: click here

Big thanks to our friends at Vector Global Logistics for sponsoring National Supply Chain Day 2024.

All right, let's dive into a mix of news & expertise from across industry:

--- Earth Day 2024 was last Monday, April 22nd. The theme this year is "Planet vs Plastics", as organizers are calling for a 60% reduction in all plastics by 2040. Learn more about Earth Day at the official site here. And here's a neat article from TIME that offers up 10 things you may not have known about Earth Day: click here.

--- 苹果 has committed to ensuring that its entire supply chain is completely carbon neutral by 2030. As reported by Supply Chain Dive : Apple cut 14 suppliers last year over conflict mineral concerns. In fact, the company has cut ties with 231 suppliers since 2009. Check out the full story here. In other Apple news, the Columbia Journalism Review recently published a piece offering commentary of how the company works with the Chinese government. The article included this: "Some experts say that Apple’s commitment to helping the Chinese government runs much deeper than app removal—over the past two decades, they say, Apple has integrated its business with China to such an extent that it has effectively partnered with the Chinese government. China not only assembles most of Apple’s smartphones, but sales to the country and its growing middle class amounted to almost seventy billion dollars last year, equivalent to a fifth of Apple’s annual revenue. When Beijing asks for something, critics argue, Apple can’t really say no—because its business has become so reliant on the Chinese market and on Chinese manufacturers as to make total extrication almost impossible." Click here for the full CJR article.

--- In the 1970s, the U.S. built about 5% of the world's commercial ocean shipping fleet, building between 15-25 new ships each year. That number has dwindled down substantially to where the U.S. might build 5 ships per year. And those U.S.-made ships costs some 4x to 6x more than those made elsewhere. The Biden Administration is out to change that, but many critics just aren't sure how far the U.S. shipbuilding industry can be practically resurrected. Learn more here via CNBC .

--- From the one & only Polly Mitchell-Guthrie (aka "Polly from Raleigh"): "As Scott Luton would call it, here's something in the Good News Department for Earth Day, marrying my passion for #artificalintelligence as well as birds and nature. AI is being used for decision intelligence to identify the most important areas for conservation efforts to restore habitat in the Colorado River Delta in support of birds most at risk." Read more here.

--- Speaking of "Good News", in his latest weekly post, Scott shared some of the supply chain pros that he relied on during various parts of his career, such as "Jermaine, the talented shipping/receiving manager that ran a tight ship and somehow never once lost his cool, no matter those days when our hair was on fire!" and "Angie, who was our warehouse manager at the metal stamping company I worked at back in the day. One of the hardest & smartest workers I've ever rubbed elbows with - - and you could always count on her to help you solve a problem." Read the message in full here.

YOUR INPUT NEEDED: Our friends over at the Reverse Logistics Association are seeking input to the Returns Index Survey. Are your returns going up in terms of volumes and/or costs? Please take a couple of minutes to take the latest quarterly returns survey. Participants will receive a copy of the results. Participate here: https://tinyurl.com/38d7ae88

More news, views & resources from across industry:

--- In a recent LinkedIn article, TARIQ ZAMAN shared "The Authentic Leader's Guide to Warehouse Excellence", which included: "Admitting mistakes is not a sign of weakness, but of strength. Authenticity and honesty build trust and transparency. As leaders in our warehouse, owning up to errors can foster a culture of continuous improvement." Read in full here.

--- In an article from this past week, Helen Yu reflects on key takeaways from a recent industry event hosted by 赛仕软件 . Her article includes key points made by Reggie Townsend as it relates to the imperative for trustworthy AI:

• "Transparent and explainable AI models are crucial for decision-making.
• Preserving privacy throughout the AI lifecycle is paramount.
• Detecting and mitigating biases in AI models is essential.
• Audible ways to monitor and assess AI health over time are necessary."
• Read Helen's full article here.

--- In an ongoing series by Mark Preston , he shares more critical thinking exercises for leadership. This edition includes a series of powerful questions, such as:

• "Are you investing in your emerging leaders?
• Are you removing temporary band-aids and attacking the root of your problems?"
• Read Mark's full article here.

--- In a post from this past week, Karen Harvell Francis, MA shared a brief summary of a recent SCN webinar: "Great collaboration leads to a great S&OP strategy! Kudos to Scott Luton with Supply Chain Now and Mary Kate Love for their excellent work on the Profitable Manufacturing Unveiled event this afternoon. Dave Food 's perspective on S&OP being a lifestyle and learning from experiences really resonated with me. Francis Bériault, CPA stressed the importance of integrating the financial model with the operational plan, while ensuring flexibility. And Aumesh Hurry's advice on assessing the current planning process and addressing gaps is crucial for a solid S&OP plan. Thank you all for sharing your insights!" Connect with Karen here and check out the on-demand recording of the webinar here.

--- From Mary Kate S. and our friends at Guam Human Rights Initiative (GHRI) : check out the new "Taotao Dialogues" podcast as they delve into the vital work of the Guam Homeless Coalition. Learn more here.

We invite you to join us for these upcoming LIVE events:

--- MONDAY, April 29th @ 12 noon ET / 6 pm CET: Join us TOMORROW for National Supply Chain Day? . Participate on any Supply Chain Now social media channel (including LinkedIn via this link and YouTube via this link).

--- THURSDAY, May 2nd @ 12 noon ET / 6 pm CET: Join Scott & Kimberly Reuter for an insightful livestream discussion focused on the domestic freight market. We'll be joined by Tevon E. Taylor with Pegasus Logistics Group and Bobby Holland with U.S. Bank . And we'll be discussing key takeaways and analysis related to the U.S Bank Freight Payment Index for Q1 2024. Join us: click here

Check out our recently-released "Whiteboard Wisdom" episodes on YouTube:

--- Join us for this first episode as Scott welcomes back Elba Pareja-Gallagher , Principal with Sustainability Navigator, and they walk you through four easy steps to launch a simple starter sustainability strategy. Walk away with tips to take constructive action in your role and organization: click here

--- In our second episode, host Scott Luton welcomes friend & former CFO Bill Huber to the show, to teach you what to do and what not to do in a conversation with your CFO. Huber shares top tips about what CFOs really want: someone who listens, gets the situation, and comes to the table with creative solutions. He even says it's okay to take some calculated risks! But remember, honesty and respect are key throughout. By the end of the episode, you'll be ready to confidently chat finance with your CFO. So, tune in and avoid any future money misunderstandings! Click here to check it out.

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