The Future of Supply Chain podcast is a show hosted by Richard Howells, Sin To, and Oyku Ilgar. The trio discusses hot topics, best practices, and the latest innovations to deliver a risk-resilient and sustainable supply chain. The show features interviews with experts from the world of supply chain, sustainability, AI and automation, who will address the issues of today and tomorrow.
This is an ideal podcast for supply chain, R&D, manufacturing, logistics, and operations executives to learn and share ideas and best practices with their peers.
Episode 50: AI in Supply Chain with SAP's Artificial Intelligence Product Marketing Mgr., Cloud ERP Carlos Portillo
Feb 21, 2024
Show notes
Technology is the true MVP pulling the strings in almost every aspect of our lives, and the supply chain is no exception. We’re talking about cutting-edge technologies – AI, Internet of Things, blockchain and robotics – that are taking the supply chain to a whole new level of efficiency, transparency, flexibility and sustainability to handle whatever the future brings.
And you know what? AI is the superhero in this technology saga, simplifying and speeding things up, especially in the supply chain. In this podcast episode, Carlos Portillo explains what types of AI there are and how they can be used in and improve the supply chain.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Carlos Portillo
Carlos is Global Product Marketing Lead responsible for the Artificial Intelligence in Cloud ERP Go-to-Market Strategy, Messaging, and Thought Leadership. With a robust academic foundation in Operational Research and over 24 years of professional experience, he has honed his expertise in business process optimization across diverse sectors such as supply chain, manufacturing, operations, and sustainability. This extensive background aligns perfectly with his current role, allowing him to effectively drive innovation and elevate the strategic positioning of AI in Cloud ERP.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Sin To, SAP
Sin has more than fifteen years of experience in the digital media industry and technology sector in the field of marketing, business development, thought leadership, and as a contributing editor. In 2019, she joined SAP’s digital supply chain team to drive thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s supply chain solutions, emerging market trends, and sustainability.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 49: Leveraging Augmented Reality to Transform Logistics Operations with TeamViewer’s Robert Thiele
Feb 14, 2024
Show notes
Guest: Robert Thiele, TeamViewer
Robert Thiele is a vice president strategic alliances, Americas at TeamViewer, a market leading global provider of remote connectivity and workplace digitalization solutions. TeamViewer provides SAP Endorsed Apps that empower companies to change the way they work and enable Industry 4.0 and supply chain optimization through Augmented Reality and a digitally connected workforce.
Robert has 15 years of experience working with SAP customers in North and South America in leading positions at OpenText and StreamServe before joining TeamViewer in 2021. He was featured in numerous episodes of the SAP Radio/Audible podcast “Coffee Break with Game Changers” addressing game-changing industry trends and innovations in the areas of business strategy, digital technologies, customer engagement, and the impacts of a changing workforce.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 48: Harnessing Innovation in the Factories of the Future with EY’s Daniel Minotti and Brannon Lockhart
Feb 07, 2024
Show notes
The future is in the present as seen through the emerging innovations in the factories of today. EY’s Daniel Minotti and Brannon Lockhart join us on the series to explore how technologies are transforming the way companies manufacture their goods, collaborate within their network, and attract the next generation of workers.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Daniel Minotti, EY
As an EY Americas Partner, Dan manages a client portfolio consisting of leading branded consumer packaged goods, food, and agribusiness companies. Dan focuses on educating leaders on the role of emerging technologies and developing a business-led transformation strategy to optimize and grow their business.
Dan has a BS degree from The Ohio State University in Mechanical Engineering.
Guest: Brannon Lockhart, EY
Brannon Lockhart is a Manager at EY and he is the SAP Lead at the Nottingham Spirk Innovation Hub in Cleveland. Brannon has been with the firm for 5 years and has over 16 years experience of industry experience centered around Plant Maintenance and SAP.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 47: Taking Action Today with Sustainable Operations with SAP’s Mike Censurato
Jan 31, 2024
Show notes
Why wait until 2050 to transform your company’s sustainability initiatives and efforts? SAP’s Mike Censurato joins us to discuss what companies can begin doing today – such as implementing sustainable operations throughout their full supply chain – to not only better their own carbon footprint, but society, as a whole.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Mike Censurato, SAP
Mike is global Solution Manager for the SAP Environment Health and Safety applications. He is located in North America and has responsibility for EHS solution strategy, go-to-market activities, sales support, and partner channel support. Altogether, Mike has 25 years of experience related to design, development, and implementation of SAP EHS and Sustainability software solutions.
Prior to moving into the Solution Management group in 2016, Mike worked in SAP Services as a practice lead, application consultant, and project manager for implementation projects across multiple industries.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 46: From Concept to Delivery: The Evolving Trends Driving Product Design with SAP’s Sean Laughlin
Jan 24, 2024
Show notes
Almost all supply chains start in the same place – design. This, often, overshadowed part of the holistic system can become one of the top drivers for growth, innovation, and transformation. SAP’s Sean Laughlin joins us to discuss how companies can seamlessly integrate beyond their ecosystem to make better decisions for their business and incorporate the newest trends in technology for faster innovation.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Sean Laughlin, SAP
Sean Laughlin has been working in the R&D and Engineering arena for over 30 years leveraging his engineering education as a design engineer, presales evangelist and solution manager. Sean has been with SAP for 17 years, the last 4 years within the Product Marketing organization serving as a PLM expert focused on the topics of PLM for process and discrete industries, CAD data management, product costing and many other areas of the SAP PLM portfolio.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 45: 2024 Predictions with SAP’s Michael O’Donnell
Jan 17, 2024
Show notes
You know the saying… new year, new predictions? That’s right – SAP’s Michael O’Donnell joins us to discuss the trends, patterns, and predictions we see driving digital supply chain transformation in 2024, diving into the exponential growth of Gen AI, the power of risk resiliency, and the demand for sustainability visibility across networks.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Michael O’Donnell, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Digital Supply Chain, SAP North America
As the Head of Digital Supply Chain for SAP North America, Michael is responsible for customer success, go-to-market strategy, and core operations in pipeline development, demand management, and business growth. In close collaboration with customers, partners, and the vast SAP ecosystem, Michael is dedicated to transforming how businesses manage supply chains for a more risk-resilient, sustainable future.
Prior to this role, Michael served as National Vice President of the Utilities Practice at SAP North America, driving meaningful customer outcomes, designing strategy, fostering team development, and managing the overall success of the practice. Throughout his 23 years at SAP, Michael has consistently championed the voice of the customer to ensure a clear path to value realization early in the customer journey and that the continuous evolution of the SAP portfolio supports customers as they make their transition to the cloud.
An active voice for sustainability, Michael serves as an advisor to the board of Smart Energy Water, Alert Enterprise, and DataVisor. He serves on the executive advisory panel for CS Week and is involved with the board of directors for Western Energy Institute. Michael is a graduate of North Carolina State University and lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Leslee and their three daughters. He is an avid golfer, runner, reader, and technology enthusiast – always on the lookout for what’s next.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 44: Beer and more: Heineken's supply chain unplugged
Jan 10, 2024
Show notes
Heineken is one of the largest breweries in the world. However, like other industries, the beer industry is facing a number of challenges, such as supply chain disruptions, price increases, rising inflation, and a tight labour market.
This week, we talk to Heineken’s Hugo Timmerman about how they’re using the latest technology within their supply chain to increase the end-to-end visibility needed to cope with the constant changes, as they become one of the most connected breweries in the world.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Hugo Timmerman – Director Digital & Technology @ HEINEKEN
As the Director Digital & Technology for the Global Supply Chain at HEINEKEN, Hugo Timmerman is responsible for developing and executing the digital supply chain strategy and roadmap for one of the world’s leading brewers. He leverages his expertise in Industry 4.0, Data & Analytics, PLM, and Smart Connected Products to enable operational excellence, cost efficiency, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. He fosters a culture of innovation, learning, and empowerment among his team and partners, aligning with HEINEKEN’s vision and values.
Hugo has over 20 years of experience in digital technology and in management consulting and is passionate about delivering value and impact through digital innovation and transformation. He has a track record of bridging between digital technology and business needs, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and leading teams at country, region, and global levels.
Host: Sin To, SAP
Sin has more than fifteen years of experience in the digital media industry and technology sector in the field of marketing, business development, thought leadership, and as a contributing editor. In 2019, she joined SAP’s digital supply chain team to drive thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s supply chain solutions, emerging market trends, and sustainability.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 43: Recapping the Best Moments of 2023 with Richard Howells, Sin To, and Nicole Smythe
Dec 27, 2023
Show notes
What a year it has been! On this special episode, Richard, Sin, and Nicole look back on a memorable 2023, recapping the top trends, such as risk resiliency, sustainability, and digital transformation, shared with our incredible guests, and look forward to the future, predicting what is to come in 2024.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Sin To, SAP
Sin has more than fifteen years of experience in the digital media industry and technology sector in the field of marketing, business development, thought leadership, and as a contributing editor. In 2019, she joined SAP’s digital supply chain team to drive thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s supply chain solutions, emerging market trends, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 42: How Integrated Business Planning Can Help Companies Become Disruptors
Dec 20, 2023
Show notes
The business environment is constantly evolving, and companies need to adapt to remain competitive while aligning customer expectations with shareholder objectives. This requires a smart planning system that integrates different business functions and provides real-time data and analyses. By utilizing Integrated Business Planning (IBP), this can be achieved, and companies will become disruptors. In this podcast episode, we talk to SAP’s Anna Linden and Oliver Wight’s Stuart Harman about how IBP can enable organizations to plan effectively, adapt and respond quickly to changing market dynamics.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Stuart Harman – Managing Partner, Oliver Wight Asia Pacific
Stuart Harman spent 20 years working in manufacturing organisations around the world gaining extensive experience in operations, sales & marketing, supply chain and general management. For the past 15 years he has worked with Oliver Wight clients across the Asia Pacific region to assist their business improvement efforts through engaging senior management and providing education and coaching to build in-house expertise.
An acknowledged expert in Integrated Business Planning, Stuart also has specialist expertise in strategy management, purchasing, private label, and business improvement techniques (Agile, Lean, Sigma).
In 2021 Stuart co-authored the book Integrated Tactical Planning and regularly publishes white papers and blog articles
Stuart’s clients include Kellanova, PepsiCo, Inghams, Dupont, Lion Beer, The Australian Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Cochlear, PPG, Primo Foods, Qantas, Kimberly Clark, Danone, Glen Dimplex, Fonterra, BAT, Swarovski, Briggs & Stratton, and CHEP
Guest: Anna Linden, VP, Global Head of Supply Chain Planning, Solution Management at SAP
Supply chain expert with a 15-year experience in SAPs product and solution management. Focusing on topics such as manufacturing, quality management, and supplier collaboration in the early days, before finding her professional home in supply chain planning.
Has been driving innovation in SAPs Integrated Business Planning solution for the past 10 years as a product manager, specifically looking at processes and scenarios that span end-to-end planning along finance, supply chain planning, production, logistics, and the business networks. Anna is globally responsible for the strategy, go-to-market and positioning of SAP’s supply chain planning portfolio.
Host: Sin To, SAP
Sin has more than fifteen years of experience in the digital media industry and technology sector in the field of marketing, business development, thought leadership, and as a contributing editor. In 2019, she joined SAP’s digital supply chain team to drive thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s supply chain solutions, emerging market trends, and sustainability.
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!
Episode 41: The Digital Thread of SAP’s Business Network and Digital Supply Chain with SAP’s Joern Keller
Dec 13, 2023
Show notes
The digital thread between SAP’s Business Network and Digital Supply Chain portfolios have not only strengthened as time evolves but become a driving force in companies’ holistic digital transformations. Joern Keller, Chief Product Officer for SAP’s Business Network, joins us to discuss the differentiating power of connecting these dominant portfolios.
Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain.
Guest: Joern Keller, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, SAP Business Network
A global enterprise software leader with more than 20 years of experience, Joern Keller is responsible for SAP Business Network (sap.com/businessnetwork) product management and engineering. SAP Business Network is the world’s largest platform for business-to-business commerce, orchestrating the interconnected, mission-critical operations of trading partners, spanning procurement, supply chain, logistics, asset collaboration and working capital solutions. Trusted by millions of enterprises in 190 countries, SAP Business Network facilitates more than $4.5 trillion in commerce across 752 million business-to-business transactions annually. As chief product officer, Keller sets the strategic direction for SAP Business Network and oversees its global product engineering centers located in Germany, the United States, China, India, and Peru.
Previously, Keller served as Executive Vice President of SAP S/4HANA Industry Cloud and Quote to Cash, where he had global responsibility for product management and engineering across the Consumer Industry, Discrete Industry, Energy and Natural Resources, Financial Services, Public Services, and Real Estate industry clusters. He was additionally responsible for the SAP S/4HANA Quote to Cash offering, due its close functional industry overlap. Keller’s mandate is to introduce customer-focused modular industry cloud offerings to the market, using state-of-the-art cloud engineering and operations practices. Keller has also served in leadership roles within SAP S/4HANA Cross-Engineering (as Vice-President), SAP IT (as Head of Core Value Chain Services), and SAP Digital (as Head of Platform). Keller began his SAP career in 1998 as a retail industry developer, spending several years working in Germany and in the United States. He holds degrees in Computer Science from HTW Saarbrücken, in Software Engineering from Arizona State University, and an MBA from Arizona State University.
Host: Richard Howells, SAP
Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.
Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP
Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences. With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology.
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