February 2025

Supply Chain In the Know is your monthly digest by John Galt Solutions with the latest and greatest in the world of supply chain. Discover what's going on with our curated mix of news, insightful reports, research findings, inspiring success stories, and resources!

Before we get into the longer than usual list of news, I’m sure many of you are asking yourself, “what are some quick, practical actions I can take to help with the ups and downs of the last month’s news cycle”. We’ve pulled together a short 90 second video to help capture some of these ideas.??

• President?Donald Trump?said he would likely impose tariffs on automobile, semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports of around 25%, with an announcement coming in April. Read more. ?

• A report by the Institute for Supply Management indicates the manufacturing sector has expanded for the first time following 26 months of contraction. In the survey, respondents across multiple industries indicate a strong start to 2025, although many are wary of supply chain concerns, as the bump may be caused by companies stockpiling inventory. Read more.?

• Port strikes in France planned throughout February?are causing delays in cargo flow through the country’s west coast ports and may lead to congestion at other major ports like Antwerp, Hamburg, and Le Havre. Read more.?

• Manufacturing companies are sticking with their long-term emissions goals and strategies amid changing federal regulations. Read more.?

• Los Angeles ports saw a record-breaking January, with importers rushing to bring in goods before widely anticipated tariff hikes. Read more.?

• Ocean carriers continue to exert strict control over capacity, showing no signs of easing their grip on the market despite potential implications for shippers and the global supply chain. Read more.?

• A new survey by Gartner found that “just 29% of supply chain organizations have developed at least three of the key five competitive characteristics needed for future readiness." The competitive characteristics Gartner identified included agility, resilience, regionalization, integrated ecosystems, and integrated enterprise strategy. Read more.?

• Logistics Viewpoints - No Balloons Needed: Practical Moves to Navigate Tariff Volatility. This article explores how manufacturers can effectively manage the challenges posed by shifting global trade policies and tariff uncertainties. The article highlights actionable strategies to build supply chain resilience, advocating for scenario planning as a lever for strategic decision making.?
• McKinsey: AI in the workplace report. This report explores companies’ technology and business readiness for AI adoption, highlighting some of the biggest barriers to success. The research states that “almost 90 percent of leaders anticipate that deploying AI will drive revenue growth in the next three years. But securing that growth entails corporate transformation.” According to the report, “fragile supply chains can expose enterprises to disruptions and technical, regulatory, and legal challenges.”?
• APQC: 2025 Supply Chain Priorities and Challenges. In this research, APQC asked supply chain professionals across industries about their expectations and trends for the year ahead. APQC evaluated how supply chains performed in 2024, the changes impacting supply chains, the biggest obstacles, and priorities 2025.?

• On Demand Webinar: Rise Above Tariffs - How to Turn Volatility into Supply Chain Opportunity ???
• Blog: Use Cases in Supply Chain Planning to Model the Tariff Conundrum?

• Blog: Navigating Tariff Volatility: Quick Wins for Supply Chains ??? ?

• Blog: The Power of AI-enabled Demand Sensing to Enhance Planning ???

• Infographic: 5 Ways AI Drives Value in Supply Chain Planning ???

• Blog: Should You Say YES to MEIO ???

• Press Release:?John Galt Solutions Pushes the Boundaries of AI in Supply Chain with GenAI-Driven Innovations???

Watch the webinar to learn more: Rise Above Tariffs - How to Turn Volatility into Supply Chain Opportunity

Continental, one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers, has expanded its partnership with John Galt Solutions, leveraging the cloud-based Atlas Planning Platform to further its digital supply chain transformation, tackle growing market complexity, and support its continued growth.

Founded in 1871, Continental Tire is an industry pioneer with an extensive portfolio encompassing premium tires for cars, trucks, buses, two-wheelers, and specialty vehicles, as well as intelligent solutions for fleets and tire retailers. With thousands of tire sizes and configurations, Continental Tire operates in one of the most complex and dynamic industries. ?

Atlas’ cloud-based infrastructure provides Continental Tire with agility and scalability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions, in addition to advanced scenario planning capabilities for mitigating risks and capitalizing on opportunities.?

Read the press release: Continental Tire Expands Partnership with John Galt Solutions to Drive Supply Chain Innovation and Support Growth?

Live Webinar - Unlock the Power of Scenario Planning: Build Supply Chain Resiliency

Join?Martijn Lofvers, CEO and Chief Trendwatcher of Supply Chain Media and guest speaker Alex Pradhan , Global Product Strategy Leader of John Galt Solutions , in an exclusive webinar to?explore how you can develop a comprehensive approach to scenario planning to help you evolve your strategy and stay ahead of uncertainty.?

Key takeaways include:?

• Unlock how to use scenario planning to model trade-offs, opportunities and risks in supply chain decision-making?

• Explore the different levels of scenario planning to progressively enhance your ability to navigate and capitalize on uncertainty, considering the full end-to-end impact of trade-offs?

• Create a playbook of scenarios and strategies to effectively respond to supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity.?

Click here to register now!?

Don't forget to subscribe now to stay in the know with top news and stories in supply chain??. Until next month!

Featured in this issue: Supply Chain Dive | IndustryWeek | WorldCargo News | Financial Post | JOC.com | Gartner for Supply Chain | 麦肯锡 | APQC | Supply Chain Movement | Logistics Viewpoints