Remember to Brush Your Teeth

“Now Halloween’s over, it’s time to start thinking about the next time you’re gonna annoy your neighbors: caroling.” --- Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian & actress; born in Metairie, Louisiana on January 26th, 1958

Good Sunday afternoon all and welcome to this edition, No. 98, of "With That Said" (WTS), an almost-weekly newsletter powered by your friends here at Supply Chain Now . Before we get into some news & views, let's honor National M&M Day (which is every October 13th), with a few candy factoids that we bet you didn't know:

--- As of 2020, about 400 MILLION M&Ms are produced each day. And about half of them are produced in New Jersey. Learn more interesting & mysterious aspects of M&M history reported here by NJ Spotlight News .

--- "The Hershey's Kiss got its name from the sound of the machine that makes them. The machines that make Hershey's Kisses make a sound that resembles a kiss, and the candy was named after the sound," as shared by this neat read from our friends at Callie's Sweets .

--- According to Mental Floss : "Harry Burnett Reese sold the Lizzie Bar and Johnny Bar, candy bars he named after his daughter and son, respectively. But his chocolate-covered peanut butter cup creation, which he named after himself and called Reese's Peanut Butter Cups , was his real hit." Learn more about Halloween candy history here .

--- DYK: the Snickers candy bar was named after a race horse? And it is the #1 most popular candy in the U.S. states of Idaho and Tennessee. Find out what tops the other 48 states' candy wish list here, via a neat read from our friends at CandyStore.com .

--- Halloween here in the month of October is the #1 holiday for candy sales. Meeting that demand can be tricky for supply chain pros everywhere, as Thomas shares here: "There are only about six to eight weeks for everyone to make sure this candy is made and delivered correctly; even a slight miscalculation can result in a disastrous over- or undersupply of treats. The small window of opportunity combined with the high volume of demand can be tricky for some manufacturers like Hershey, which tries to plan out the supply chain at least 18 to 24 months ahead of time." Read the full article, entitled "The Not-So-Mysterious Halloween Supply Chain" here .

--- Stay tuned for the latest episode of our long-running podcast series "Supply Chain Today & Tomorrow, with Mike Griswold from Gartner ", where Mike & Scott Luton dive into a variety of supply chain stories that have Halloween themes, including what some are calling the "global chocolate crisis". The podcast drops on October 30th. Make sure you don't miss this one (or any of our programming): learn more here .

ARE YOU READY?: The familiar buzz of peak season is in the air. Success in the coming months hinges on your peak season readiness. Our friends at SPS Commerce identified 6 essential tactics to help you thrive during this critical period: https://bit.ly/3UboCrt

Now plug in to these resources & perspectives from across the SCN ecosystem:

--- Tim Judge shared great perspective this past week, using a "Breaking Bad" scene to talk supply chain. He shares: "I was trying to take a break from work this weekend and chose to distract myself by rewatching Breaking Bad (thanks Scott Luton ??). I thought I could escape my day job running a supply chain analytics company, but I was sorely mistaken. Low and behold....in the Breaking Bad episode Hazard Pay (Season 5, Episode 3 for those interested), a key negotiation takes place between Walt and Mike over how profits from their operation will be distributed. In addition to being a very intense scene, it provides critical insights into the "total costs to serve" a customer in supply chains today." Check out Tim's full post here & tell us what other supply chain lessons that "Breaking Bad" illustrates...we're big fans!

--- Sofia Rivas Herrera , host of Supply Chain Now En Espa?ol (SCNE), shared interesting perspective last week on the Port of Manzanillo in Mexico, where volumes have significantly decreased from 120,000 tons of cargo per month, down to 30,000 tons per month. Why is that? Check out Sofia's perspective, as well as almost 50 comments, on the industry development here . And be sure to subscribe to SCNE wherever you get your podcasts.

--- Last week on "The Buzz", Jon Gold with the National Retail Federation joined Scott & Billy Ray Taylor to discuss the ILA/USMX tentative deal & key considerations that supply chain leaders must know about the overall situation. As Jon and many CSCOs have shared with us, while the compensation piece is important, keep your attention on the automation element of the new, potential deal. Check out the replay via YouTube here (and don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss future supply chain leadership content!)

--- Also last week, we conducted an eye-popping conversation via webinar, focused on Cybersecurity. It featured intriguing insights on what's going on with regard to 6 particular cyber threats; some of which is absolutely unbelievable. We also offered critical actions you must take to protect your supply chain ecosystem. I was joined by Ara Arslanian from OMNIA Partners & Bill Hardin with Charles River Associates. Check out the replay here: https://bit.ly/3Y2SQ1b - - also, check out additional helpful expertise & actionable insights from the OMNIA Partners team via this whitepaper entitled "Purchasing Cybersecurity Tools and Solutions" . It will help you determine what IT solutions you need in your arsenal and how a group purchasing organization (GPO) can help you meet those needs.

--- We want to give a big shout out to our friend Rodney Apple , who's SCM Talent Group - Executive Supply Chain Recruiters celebrated their 20th anniversary. Tune in to this YouTube conversation, where Rodney reflects on the company’s journey, from its humble beginnings to becoming a leading boutique executive search firm in supply chain management. In this video, Rodney shares the key moments that shaped SCM Talent Group, the lessons learned from working with Fortune 500 companies like Home Depot and Coca-Cola, and the importance of building relationships and adapting to the evolving supply chain landscape. Watch it here .

--- Theodora Lau & Duena Blomstrom discussed a variety of important topics on the most recent episode of the Tales From the #FinTech Crypt podcast. As Theo shared, here are a few nuggets from their conversation: "Financial Inclusion is Imperative: Access to financial services remains uneven globally, limiting economic equality. Bridging this gap is vital for societal progress; Cultural Change Over Technology: A cultural shift focusing on empathy and understanding is necessary to improve consumer relationships. Generational needs in banking are more about life stages than age; Incremental Innovation is Insufficient: The fintech industry has seen minimal substantial change. The role of technology should focus on solving real consumer problems. (Duh?) Let's keep pushing the envelope. Change, we must." Learn more & check out the episode here .

--- Did you miss our recent webinar which featured an incredible session that highlighted some of Dirk Beveridge 's biggest lessons learned from his We Supply America road trip , where he stops in at all sorts of distribution & manufacturing sites. Mark Gilham, FCCA with Enable shared his always informative & inspiring perspective, as well. Check out the replay & let us know what you think: https://bit.ly/4dAGZgl - - also, you'll want to review this new whitepaper from our friends at Enable: "Making the Business Case for Rebate Management Software: Calculating Your ROI" . Their expert team will show you how to build a business case that demonstrates both the direct financial gains you can expect from investing in rebate management software, and the indirect ROI that comes from freeing up time and expertise to focus on more valuable work.?

--- We are proud to partner with our friends at Vector Global Logistics to continue the "Leveraging Logistics for Ukraine" initiative. Join us every other month for a live conversation where you can hear industry updates, ask your questions in real time, request the supplies your organization needs, share your resources with others, and unite with us in a shared mission to stand with Ukraine. Humanitarian organizations, corporate donors, product makers, agents, suppliers, and logistics professionals—really anyone that wants to be part of an effort to serve—are all welcome to participate by bringing your resources and expertise to the table. This is an opportunity for us to learn from each other and leverage logistics for Ukraine. Check out the most recent discussion via YouTube here AND learn more about this initiative here .

--- Most of our global community knows how big of a space nerd Scott is (and he freely admits it!), but what an incredible chapter of space history we are witnessing right now. As shared here by Rob Tiffany?? , check out this amazing video of the SpaceX Super Heavy Booster, as it is caught by the launch tower in Texas: check it out

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Don't miss these outstanding events & helpful resources:

--- For 25 years, the U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index has been published quarterly to inform its readers on freight shipping and spend volumes on national and regional levels, as well as some of the critical trends shaping the data. The Freight Payment Index for Q2 2024 was released a month or so ago, offering up actionable insights and valuable data from across the freight market, like this nugget: "For the first time since the second quarter of 2022, three of the five regions reported increases in quarterly shipment volumes, which might indicate that the freight market may be nearing its bottom." Download a free copy: https://bit.ly/scn-us-bank

--- From Kimberlee (Kim) Humphrey and our friends at The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) : We invite you to join us in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 28 - October 31, 2024, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the AME International Conference. Learn more about the Conference here . Veterans interested in the manufacturing industry: we have limited FREE registrations to offer you. This is an excellent opportunity for networking & professional development. Interested? Comment below & we'll reach out to you to make it happen.

--- We are proud to serve as a media partner for TFEST24, which is coming up soon: November 11th through the 13th, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Maria Villablanca & the Future Insights Network team have assembled an incredible, in-person event that should be on your radar. TFEST24 is your go-to event for: Senior supply chain leaders driving innovation across the entire ecosystem; Procurement, manufacturing, and logistics professionals seeking to optimize operations; And anyone passionate about shaping the future of a more resilient and efficient supply chain. Use code "TFEST25" for 25% off of registration: click here.

--- Scott & the SCN team will be attending and speaking at Manifest: The Future of Supply Chain & Logistics in February 2025. In fact, one hundred and fifty of the most influential leaders across end-to-end supply chain and logistics, twenty percent of which are?CSCOs, COOs and CPOs from the largest shippers in the world, are all taking the stage at Manifest Vegas, being held at The Venetian, February 10th - February 12th, 2025. Register now to join us & save $200 on your All-Access Manifest Vegas attendee pass (that's $1000 off the on-site price)! Learn more about Manifest 2025 here .

MONDAY AT NOON: Join us for the latest episode of "The Buzz". On Monday, it's a special Digital Transformers edition, where your host Kevin L. Jackson, CISSP?,CCSP? welcomes special guest, Christopher Smithmyer , CEO of Black Wallet Limited. Chris will be joining Kevin to share his expertise and give perspective on top news in the rise of the digital supply network, Industry 5.0, the "crypto-frontier," and a lot more. Tune in: https://bit.ly/3YizW7D

WEDNESDAY AT NOON: Freight security and supply chain risk management are ever-evolving challenges, and there is no panacea. The constantly shifting landscape means risks will always be present. While certain problems can be addressed temporarily, new threats inevitably arise. The most effective strategy for companies is to build a well-planned tech stack and foster a culture that emphasizes awareness, adaptability, and agility. This livestream will explore key approaches to staying ahead in freight security and supply chain risk management. Hosted by Scott & Karin Bursa , we'll be featuring David Shillingford & Richie Daigle . Join us: https://bit.ly/livestream-oct16

THURSDAY AT NOON: Effective final mile planning and tools are crucial in the complex air freight landscape. Shippers need integrated technology to ensure that the final mile seamlessly fits into the overall transportation process. Visibility into the final mile is essential for enhancing the end customer’s experience. Join Scott & Kimberly Reuter , as Amanda Nazareno w/ Apex Logistics International shares critical tools & actionable insights for final mile, especially given current air freight complexity. Register: https://bit.ly/3U71UAI

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS: It looks like Beverley E. , Chelsea Larson-Andrews , Kevin L. Jackson & Evan Kirstel B2B TechFluencer had fun at #MWC24 in Las Vegas last week. Tune in to one of the MANY conversations here, where Kevin interviews Craig Martinez, National Public Safety Strategist with T-Mobile For Business , about the work they are doing to help first responders: https://bit.ly/4h71KmL

JUST ONE MORE THING: In his latest "Good News" message, Scott talks about a big brave leap of faith that his son, Ben, made last week, and a lot more. Give it a read here: https://bit.ly/3U8b53M

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