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Curious about the latest in the world.
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Of freight and how it impacts you and your business? Dive into our exclusive Release of the U.S. bank Freight payment Index. Gain deep insights from the billions of transactions they handle each quarter. Visit usbank.com freight index to explore the release and sign up for quarterly updates For a dynamic take on this information.
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And to learn what's happening now in the business world, stay in the loop.
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By subscribing to Supply chain now on.
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YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Now it's AI that is overwhelming, but the next thing will be around the corner. It's the constant state of change that is the real thing that is overwhelming. And we all of us have the obligation to change the mindset of people to cope with that because that is the surviving strategy for companies and for even our private lives, right? So that mindset and building the right culture in your company will actually make or break the success of your AI.
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C
Welcome to Supply Chain now, the number one voice of Supply Chain. Join us as we share critical news, key insights and real supply chain leadership from across the globe, one conversation at a time. Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you may be. Scott Lewden here with you once again on Supply Chain Now. Welcome to today's show folks. We've got a great show to up here today. We're going to be diving into a central topic of optimizing value chain decision making and how leading organizations and their leaders are leveraging innovative targeted technology to empower the human factor to make better, faster and more confident decisions and finding a whole bunch more success. We're also going to be exploring how organizations can take a much smarter approach to artificial intelligence right here in the golden age of supply chain tech. In particular, how can we speed up, scale up, maximize adoption and desired impact of our AI initiatives? And of course we're going to get some great been there, done that, sound change management advice from a couple of business leaders making it happen out in industry. All that and much, much more. So folks, stick around for a great conversation that's going to offer up tons of actionable insights by the truckload. All right, welcoming in my esteemed guests here today. I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Joy Taylor serves as Managing Director for Alliant Consulting. Joy brings a ton of expertise and results when it comes to aligning people, processes and technology to achieve breakthrough performance. Joining Joy is Anouk Schuhmacher who serves as Managing Partner at Blue Crux. Now Anuk is on a mission with her award winning team to build Tomorrow's value chains by solving the unique complexities of their customers, businesses and by creating lasting impact through powerful transformation. That's going to be a big theme here today. Transformation. So great panel here today. I want to welcome in Joy and Anuk. Hey, Joy. Joy Taylor. How are you doing here today?
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A
I am fantastic. Thank you for asking. It's a pleasure to be here.
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C
Wonderful. Tuned in from beautiful Naples, Florida, I believe. I look forward to learning from you here today. And a nook, a nook. Tuned in from beautiful Belgium. It was great to see you at Gartner last spring. And y' all keep maintenance over there. How you doing today?
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B
I'm doing wonderful, thank you.
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C
Outstanding. Well, great to have you. Enjoy. Y' all got a quite a one, two punch we're going to dive into here today. But first, you all know where we start these things. I love my fun warm up question. I love to get a little humanity in these conversations on the front end. And Joy, we already established that you're down there in beautiful Florida, although I know you travel a lot, making things happen. But what our homework has told us, Joy, is that let me just paint a picture so after in a week where you've moved those mountains and helped your customers achieve big things and you need a weekend or at least a day to kind of take care of Joy Taylor and do something that gives you a brief respite, what do you do?
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A
Joy, I am famous for binge reading. I know people talk about, you know, binge watching on Netflix, Hulu, your mom, whatever. I am a binge reader. You give me a good book, lock me anywhere you want, ideally in the sun, and I will just read through that book until it's over. I will not stop until.
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C
Love it. Love it. Okay. And you've done a lot of that. When she says binge reading, she is reading lots of stuff. I gotta ask you, I know you've got a long list, I bet. But when you think through what you've read this year, what's one of your favorite reads?
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A
So I'm actually going to name two reads. I know you didn't ask for that, but I'm going to give you two. And they're actually books that I read, I've reread. I rarely reread things, but there are two that I read often. The first one is the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
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C
Okay.
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A
The first book I ever read that made me want to go act, go do something, go, quite frankly, make a large donation. I was so moved by that book. Well before it became a movie that. I think it's important for people to find a book where they. It causes them to. To really think hard. And then the second book is actually about consulting. And I apologize for anyone out there that has no interest in consulting, but if you do, a book worth reading is called Getting Naked. I know that sounds strange, strange name for a title of a book, but it's about professional services and what it means to be an extraordinary consultant.
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C
Okay, Joel, you've given us a lot of good stuff already. And I'll tell you when I ever. Whenever I hear that word naked, I think of Louis Grizzard and his infamous. There is naked and there's naked and there's. Those are two big differences.
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A
There are.
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C
Anyway, Joy, love it and appreciate the book tips. All right, so Nook, that's gonna be tough to beat, man. Joy's passion just came right on out. It makes me want to go pick up some reads. But Anouk, you were telling us in the pre show, you know, we were talking about some, some friends out there that travel a lot and a Nook, I tell you, you're on a flight somewhere all the time. I don't know how you do it, but I know one of the things you do to balance that travel and your health is. Is Pilates. Tell us more, Anouk.
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B
Yeah, it's really true. So I travel the world constantly. I'm every two weeks on a long haul flight. Everyone knows that's exhausting, right? But it's for the greater good. We're on a mission to grow in the US So that's super important. And it kept me off track on my Pilates ambitions. I actually need those sports, especially in the morning, to get me through that day and get that energy to get me through that day. But then I found out that you actually can have a subscription that allows you to worldwide find your Pilates classes right around the corner. So now I have a subscription. And I have my favorite Pilates class in Singapore. I have one in New Jersey City. I have one for next week in San Diego because I will be there. And I typically choose those that have the class between 5 and 6am because then I can do it at. At my jet lag hours. But it also gets me through the day afterwards because it gives me tons of energy and makes me feel good.
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C
I love it. I love it. It makes perfect sense. And it's like the Uber for Pilates. What a great business model. I'm gonna have to check it out. And I got one more follow up quick Question, Anuk, given that your travel schedule, have you surpassed like 4 or 5 million miles yet? Are you way past that?
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B
Oh, we actually have a family account, and it's on my husband's name, so I'm typically gaining the miles he's spending them, so I have no clue anymore where my miles are.
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C
I think you just. I think the whole world, Joy, just res. That resonated with a lot of our watchers, huh?
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A
It did. I am speechless. And that's a rare. That's a rare moment.
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C
Oh, yeah. Well, Joy and I really appreciate y' all both sharing some personal insights into the journey we're all on together. And now we got a lot of business stuff to get to. And. And I'm delighted again to learn from you both. You both are doing big things out in industry. We need action driven leaders, outcomes driven leaders like you both. So let's level set on a few topics. And Anouk, I want to start with you. A lot of folks will know you and Blue Crux out there, but I bet you got some. Some of our new audience members that you may be new to. So tell us a bit, a little bit about yourself and what Blue Crux does in a nutshell.
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B
Sure. So, yeah, I'm an engineer by background, so I guess that makes me part of the woman in STEM tribe. But today, as one of the managing partners at Blue Crux, I'm globally responsible for the commercial side. Outside of work, I'm also a proud mom and informal life. A half decent volleyball player, I would say. So anything else besides volleyball and Pilates you want to know, Scott or Shola? And I stick to what we do with Blue Cricks.
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C
So did you spike in your volleyball life, did you spike down thundering points?
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B
Absolutely. Absolutely. I was going all for it. So it was either a volleyball career or a consulting career that I was going after.
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C
Well, you're doing the same thing as supply chain now, so I know you and Blue Crux, you're growing left and right. What does Blue Crux do? Kind of in a nutshell.
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B
Yeah. So BlueCrux is a value chain consulting and technology company. In simple terms, we help our customers improve their end to end supply chains, not only by transforming processes and organizations, but also by implementing innovative technologies, including some that we've developed ourselves. What I believe makes bluegrick stand out is that we always look at challenges through a value chain angle. So operating across traditional silos, so not functionally, but looking with that value chain lens. And that is where we believe the biggest opportunities for Impact really lies.
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C
Oh, I love that. You paint quite a picture. And there's so many opportunities to change how we do business these days. All right, so, Joy, that's one half of the one, two punch. Joy, you're doing some big things out there. Tell us briefly about yourself and the broader alliance group that you're part of.
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A
I'm going to start by saying, Anouk, I also played volleyball. We've known each other for almost 20 years, and I had no idea that we both shared a love of volleyball. How interesting. Hey, thank you for letting us come together on that. But for those that are listening, my name is Joy Taylor, and I'm one of the senior managing directors at Alliant Consulting. We are a traditional management consulting firm, but we focus on business strategy, transformation, and quite frankly, change management is probably our superpower. We tend to work with organizations that are challenged by executing against their desired end state, meaning with and for companies that, quite frankly, just need some strong, skilled and experienced partners to get the job done on time, on budget, and within scope. Alliant Consulting is part of a bigger family, though. It's part of Alliant Group, and we are made up of six divisions for which I'm very proud. We have Alliant Group, which is tax credits and incentives. Alliant National. We specialize in specialty tax services. Alliant Tech, which is cyber and it, Alliant Talent, which is workforce optimization. Kind of the right sourcing if you need Alliant Digital AI and automation, for which we're going to be talking about today. And then, of course, Alliant Consulting ourselves. And again, our superpowers really being in the world of change and transformation. But it's a pleasure to be here with you today, Joy.
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C
I need all of that. I need all of that. Can we bring the whole hall of justice to Atlanta?
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You can, and I'd be happy to bring it to you.
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C
Wonderful. All right, man, that is outstanding. And by the way, I gotta ask you the same question, Volleyball. What was your. I don't know, a whole bunch. What was your specialty role there?
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I was also a hitter, but I am an unusual feature in that I had a 97 serve rate.
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C
Wow.
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So I have what's called a floating lobby. I know that sounds crazy. Back in the day, that was a really big thing where it looks like it's going one space and then it just suddenly lands someplace else. It was pretty spectacular.
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C
Yeah. There's a supply chain analogy there for the floating lob, too.
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I'm sure there is.
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This is not normal anymore because that was me as well in my team. So it's not normal anymore. The similarities we have.
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I know we will talk about this off, off camera.
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C
Yes.
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A
Thank you Scott for pulling it together.
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C
We try. Well, you know, plus my middle daughter Gracie started volleyball for the first time this past year and she is outstanding. So I've been, I've been trying to learn fast and furious. So Anuk, enjoy. Thank you so much and thank you for also for level setting with what you and your organizations are doing out there. Anuk, I've been spying a bit on your social. I love the, the shares and leadership perspective that you constantly drip out there. And you were at a recent trade show maybe a couple months ago when a senior executive approached you and said, hey, we're overwhelmed with all the AI conversations that strikes me. I think we all three of us know we've got to get past the buzz and lip service and do something with it. Your thoughts?
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B
Sarah Nook yeah, absolutely. And AI is everywhere right now and there's no escaping the bus. And when that executive told me he was overwhelmed, what hit me in that moment was that he genuinely felt like he was behind and alone in that feeling. But the truth is he's far from alone. According to Gartner, only 23% of supply chain organizations actually have a formal AI strategy in place. So it's not just a him problem, it's an industry wide challenge. And I get it right. Supply chain leaders, myself included, love bright and shiny objects and today AI is the brightest and the shiniest of all of them. But I truly believe in the transformation power of AI. The question isn't if it will change our industry, it's how we will make it meaningful. AI on its own isn't the answer, it's the enabler. The real value comes when we use it to solve real world supply chain problems like improving planning a currency or simulating complex scenarios or freeing people from repetitive work so they can focus on better decision making. And that's for me, Scott, why we need to move beyond the buzzword and the slogans on every trade show boats and have deeper, more honest conversations like this one today. And like I constantly have with joy.
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C
Anouk, we need to blast your last response and shout it from the mountaintops because what that executive shared with you and that that overwhelming feeling and that maybe that angst. There's a lot of team members out there, not just in supply chain but globally and they know their leadership wants them to do something with AI, but there's not always that targeting that direction and what are we trying to do here? And is AI the right tool for the. The problem we're after? Joy, your thoughts there on this opening conversation about getting past the buzz?
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A
Joy's opinion on this? The AI conversation has become a lot of noise with not much signal coming through. The simple truth is we are seeing a significant number of supply chain executives that are pressured to balance disruption and preparedness with, you know, inventory costs, yet they lack predictive visibility in spite of the enormous number of technology solutions that are out there. The problem isn't AI itself, though. Companies are just trying to transform everything at one time. And the reality is we deal with change constantly. And it's not that people are afraid of change. They're afraid of being prepared or a lack of being prepared for change. But the reality is, you know, market volatility, supplier disruption, regulatory shifts thrust us into constant states of change. So we really need to think about what we want from an AI transformation before we start it. So my advice, pick the single largest, most significant operational pain point that you have in your organization, and this is by leader. Needless to say, get a small team together and master that problem. Create a team of advocates or internal champions that say, yes, this worked for us, but do not try and seed the field of every challenge and every problem at your fingertips.
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C
That is outstanding advice. Had a dear former colleague that always would encourage, folks, let's not try to bowl the ocean. Targeting and prioritization and focus. Oh, man, we can't sleep on any of those things. All right, I'm gonna shift gears. Anuk, enjoy. One of the big themes, I think Anuk's already kind of referenced it, maybe Joy, too, that we're talking about here today is optimizing value chain decision making and technology's role that, especially AIs. I'm gonna dive into that here next. So, Anuk, let's talk about the why first. I think I like, I love Simon Sinek's legendary approach here, starting with the why. So no why? The need for faster, better and more confident decision making across the whole value chains out there in the first place.
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B
Yeah. If you think about today's value chains, they're under more pressure than ever. Right. Constant disruption, tariffs just being the latest, rising expectations and more data than anyone can process. And the result of that, decision fatigue. That's what we see. And that's why the ability to make faster, better and more confident decisions is no longer a nice to have. For me, it's a survival skill. And the companies and Leaders who thrive are those who can sense, decide and act quickly with clarity. And that requires not just process excellence, but decision intelligence. And in order to make it happen. That's where technology and AI can play a huge role.
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C
Anouk, I feel in my bones decision fatigue on some days. And I bet a lot of our audience members out there know exactly what you're talking about. Joy, what would you add to Anuk's why there?
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A
So I believe that speed and scale are absolutely the biggest challenges that organizations are facing, particularly around AI, because as Anouk mentioned earlier, it is the shiniest object out there right now. And it's not going away. Like, put that really clear, it's not going away. And people do feel behind, but they may not be. Don't. Do not fret, however, rarely is it about the technology. I would argue that it's organizational readiness. Again, I'm the change person, right? But I am, I am leading with this, with this topic. You can have the most sophisticated AI platforms, but if your teams do not trust the data or understand how to act on the output they receive, you're stuck.
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C
Yeah.
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A
The interesting part is what's very exciting about AI is let me be the first to share with you, AI is not going to replace your job. It's not. It's going to expand your capabilities. It is going to expand your reach faster than it ever has in the past. And a demand planner will become a strategic analyst, a procurement specialist will become a risk predictor. People are not going to lose their relevance. They're going to gain some superpowers. And for me, it's not just about implementing technology. It's got to be more about changing how people think about decision making. And that takes time and the creation of trust in an organization.
- [20:26]
C
Talk about the currency, global supply chain. You nailed it there with trust. And I would just add one more thing. I know come about to ask you about some of the decoupling we've got to do here, but folks, you've heard us talk about this a lot over the years, right? And I wholeheartedly agree with Joy, especially in terms of, you know, losing jobs and stuff due to emerging technology. As long as you're willing to learn, raise your hand, step into those new doors and windows of opportunities and, and apply what you're learning. You have massive opportunities for folks that want to do all those things. If you want to do the same thing every day, hour by hour, eight hours a day, go out and learn. Go out and learn, folks. I promise you there's great opportunities. So Good stuff, Joy. And Nook is bringing lots of good news here today. That's my language. All right, so Nook you have spoken as you get out there and travel the world and meeting and working with the movers and shakers across global supply chain, you've talked a lot about the need to decouple linear physical flow with the data and decision flows out there. Why is this important and what are a few keys to accomplishing this shift?
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B
Yeah, traditional supply chain have been managed like a linear and step by step passing information along from one function to the next. But that model doesn't work anymore. The real world isn't linear. Right. Decisions in planning effect and manufacturing which then affects logistics and then loop back to planning again and so on and so on. And yeah, I know that I'm even oversimplifying things here. So we need to really decouple that physical flow of goods because the goods will still flow linear right from the data and decision flow. And what that means is while your products move physically still from point A to point B, your decisions and simulations need to move freely across the entire value chain instantly and constantly. And that's how you identify bottlenecks, you can anticipate on disruption and align all functions around the same truth and that you need a lot. Like we really want one source of truth. Well, that is what a true value chain thinking can really help you with. And in fact the key is creating a digital decision layer, a kind of digital layer that connects data, insights and people. So Joy, I'm not forgetting the people and people who make those cross functional decisions at the speed of business. And that's where AI can drastically shift and play a role.
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C
And we're going to talk about AI's role in just a second. But Joy, she touched on some, some keystones there that I know resonated with you and the great work you do out there. And I love the call out for the people. Hey, we love calling out the people. They're so they make supply chain happen every day. Joy, your follow up thoughts there?
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A
It is my opinion, not a huge surprise that it's about adopting the technology. And what's interesting is it's not a human problem. What's best thing about companies? They spend so much time solving what I think is the wrong problem, which is they're asking what is the data supposed to do, what is the technology supposed to do? And instead we have got to get our people closer to trusting and then want to use it. And the notion is AI adoption fails when there's A gap between what the technology can do and what people believe it can do. And so they have to use it and experience it and ideally be part of designing it. I think where we miss a big part of the pull through is we let people give us a solution and they don't engage the voice of the team members, plural, that are actually in the end to end process. But if you would just talk to them before you present it and get their words, and then when you showcase it to them and show them how it actually gave them exactly what they wanted, we would get so much further, faster.
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C
Oh, preach it louder to the folks in the back. We got to do it with the people, not to the people, with the people.
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A
That's right.
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C
Perfect. Okay, so no, I'm going to circle back around and folks, in a second we're going to be talking about optimizing the speed, scale and adoption of AI initiatives, which Anouk and Joy have both touched on already, but we're going to dive a little deeper. Anouk, let's define AI's role, whether it's going back to the decoupling of those flows you were talking about or in a broader sense, your thoughts?
- [25:01]
B
Yeah, so if I was referring to that digital decision layer, that's where AI can come in. So not as the shiny object, but really as the real enabler of progress. Not the solution, the magical solution that will solve everything, but as the enabler of progress, if you're willing. Because AI is that engine that powers the digital decision layer and it helps us then to move from reactive firefighting to proactive foresights. And that is something where people need to get super excited about.
- [25:36]
C
And Joy, as a follow up to that, I like how what I'm hearing there from a Nook, and this is just what I heard, one of the things I heard there is how can we use artificial intelligence not to replace the people as you're talking about, but to empower them and, and to create more fulfilling work, more impactful work and to really. I'm not sure if it's the left brain or the right brain that enjoys creative stuff, but you know, using technology and letting technology do technology things while giving time back to our people to do the very unique things that their superpowers are fit for. Your thoughts?
- [26:12]
A
Joy, what's fascinating here is every if. If there's a human out there that does not have a smartphone of some kind, I'm sure that's a small, a small percentage. If we can remember back in the day when you said you're going to push an app and it's going to do all these things to you and make your life easier. We found that hard to adopt, right? This is literally no different. No different than that. But I think people are. They're better equipped at touching it and feeling it before they play with it.
- [26:42]
C
Right.
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A
They're also afraid to play with it. But the notion is we simply need to show them more examples of what it's going to feel like and what it is going to look like. And I argue that the fastest way to get a person to adopt and be part of, hey, bring me closer to the AI option. Ask them what are the things you absolutely hate doing all day and every day? And I'm going to give you a real life example here. JOY Taylor, CONSULTANT I love being on a sales call. I love it. I think I've got a problem.
- [27:14]
C
Okay.
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A
I really do. What I hate is leaving that call and then having to write a statement of work. Well, I am lucky. I work for an organization who literally does digital integration and we have created a digital agent.
- [27:27]
C
Okay.
- [27:28]
A
All I have to do is write out a handful of sentences of, here's what I discussed with Scott. Here are the needs that he has. Here's the template I'd like us to use, and it generates a starter statement of work for me. In 35 seconds, I stop having to create the document and I get to critique the document and personalize it to the actual discussion. I cannot tell you how life changing that is. That took me from a 90 minute exercise to a 20 minute exercise. And that is not an exaggeration, Joy.
- [28:04]
C
I love that. And here's a pro tip for everybody watching or listening to us out there, especially those leaders that are trying to figure out how to apply any technology, right? Find out what your people's problems are, what they hate to do every day, and whether it's, you got to use the right tool, right? It goes out saying, but eliminate those barriers and those friction points and I'll tell you, you'll be moving along like light speed, life changing, as Joy put it. And one more thing, a nook you enjoy. Both have reference. Hey, this isn't changing. Genie's not going back in the bottle. And I was talking earlier today, little football analogy, because we're recording this on American Football Day. And the forward pass, and I'm looking right over here, my notes. The forward pass, first, first legal forward pass in football took place September 5, 1906. It was a game between Saint Louis University and Carroll College up in Wisconsin. And I bet there was a lot of folks at the time saying, ah, this is a fad. It's going to pass. You know, it's going to be all running. As we all know, the game of American football. It's all we do is pass these days. It was here to stay and it changed the game. And I think there's a important parallel to where we are today and what that's why it's so important for y' all to follow Joy and the Nook's advice. Whether you're a leader or you're a frontline, valuable team member, experiment, learn, try, do. Cause this golden age of supply chain tech is certainly here to stay. So all of that leads us to this next really important part of our conversation today. And I'm not going to start with you because we're going to help organizations and their leaders and their team members optimize the speed, scale and that critical adoption that Joy's already been talking about of their AI initiatives. So let's start with speed and scale first, because we know global business velocity is picking up by the hour. Your thoughts on speed and skill?
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B
Yes, speed and scale are where most organizations struggle. And too often we also see that AI stays trapped in those pilot modes and experiments are there to do so. So I'm not saying don't do them, but exciting proof of concepts should be industrialized. So think of your speed and scale. So to really scale you need three things in my opinion. So one, a clear business value. Know exactly what the problem is you're solving. Like we talked already about this with Choi comments. But really know your problem and why it also matters. Why it matters for the people, but also why it matters for your company. What's the value you're actually chasing? Not for the, not for AI as AI, but what's the value? The business value, the people value. Start from the problem and not from the solution. Second is an agile roadmap because there is no straight line to success anymore. Actively manage your roadmap so that it can expand quickly once value is proven. Or take a left turn and a right turn to scale. That is what you need. And thirdly, trust in the system. People will only adopt when they trust. This is what Joy was preaching all about. But that means explainable AI, transparent data and results they can see and believe in. So that is really crucial. But when you combine those three, those elements, that's when AI moves from being a shiny object to a true engine for transformation across the value chain.
- [31:35]
C
Oh, I loved it. And a Nook can help you with all those three things and more, folks. All right, so Nook reference Joy. And Joy, you've got a new nickname. Maybe the Reverend Joy Taylor of the First Church of Organizational Success.
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A
Okay, okay, I'll take it.
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C
So, Joy, you were taught touching on adoption earlier and we all know adoption is not a new challenge. It may be a growing challenge based on all the, you know, the velocity and the innovation and the just the sheer depth of technology and the role it's playing. But what else would you suggest when it comes to the adoption of AI initiatives and how we can tackle that better?
- [32:11]
A
All right, so I'm going to answer that question by saying things that I am seeing in the marketplace today is that organizations are trying to scale AI quickly as if there's some race that's happening across the organization, but they are doing it across multiple functions simultaneously, but without first proving the value. And I'm, I'm, I am leaning a little bit on what Anuk was talking about. We've got to build some inner confidence and we must have roi. Arguably, I am saying start really small, ideally find a challenge that can be funded by the solution itself. Y in getting people that. Because that will increase the speed and the accuracy of users to becoming wanting to adopt any technology solution. But our fear is what we don't want to have is to create expensive technology that sits unused.
- [33:15]
C
That's right.
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A
That is a, that's a death sentence. We certainly don't want that. So for speed, we need to focus on some quick wins that demonstrate, like I said, that clear ROI so that people can get comfortable. Something that we didn't share about my personal self is my husband and I are foster parents. And the truth is we've actually had 24 children in the last 12 years.
- [33:33]
C
Wow.
- [33:34]
A
We do family placements. We don't do single children very often. We simply do sibling placements. And what we have learned is that people can hold it together for about seven days. I'm going to extend that. In a business place, you can hold it together for about 30 days before you lose your mind and either push back on a solution or just stop showing up. We have got to show people what's really in it for them if they want speed and scale.
- [34:04]
C
Joy, I love it. The wifm. What's in it for me? What's old is new again. We get that buy in and really show people how their days will be easier, more successful. Excellent points. And by the way, I admire your, you and your husband's calling and mission. 24 kids are better off. Thanks to all of your wonderful work.
- [34:22]
A
We are better off. Let me be clear. We are better off.
- [34:24]
C
That's right. Well said. All right. So Joy, I'll stick with you for a second because I want to stick with change management. Right. It's a close neighbor to a lot of things we're talking about here today. My opinion and a Nook and Joy, you all might disagree. Tell me where I'm wrong. But a lot of conversations I'm having, a lot of observations I'm having of the industry is we get put so much focus on the technology and the cool things we can do. And as the Nook said, the shiny squirrels or what is it, the shiny object syndrome and the squirrels that go chase after them. Right. And we forget about what's old with the timeless universal importance of change management. Right. Joy, what's most critical when it comes to the incredible people component and how we approach change management?
- [35:11]
A
I'm hesitating because I want to make sure everyone hears it. We have to care. We are a people first organization. I don't care what technology you have. I don't care how much money you spend on it. If the people don't want it, if they don't see the why or the how it works, they will create a way to do workarounds. Our job is to truly work, really work on what we call the case for change. Why is the organization making this decision? What role do I want you to play? And I am all about making it personal. I legitimately would love to create categories of people and say I'm talking to you, Scott. And we selected or we designed this technology so that you could get blank and that's because you told me it's something you wanted. Again, the first thing about change management is finding out the why and what's in it for individuals and then sharing it with them and building it around their needs. You'll get people on board very quickly when that's the case.
- [36:18]
C
Joy. Been there, done that perspective for sure there. Anuk, we're about to change gears and talk about an AI culture, but speak for a second around the importance of change management. What do we hear there from Joy and what's your own suggestion perhaps?
- [36:31]
B
Yeah, I'm fully agreeing with Joy here on every single word. So people first is really, I think what also gave the sparks between us. Joy. So I think I'm fully with you there. So. So yeah, from my perspective, I really think it is change management. But change management often has that quotation of softness and let's do some, let's do some workshops around change and support. But for me, it's more about mindsets. And I know that that is what Joy is preaching here. It's around having a transformational mindset as a business and as a business leader and find a way to, in your organization, adopt that mindset. Because let's be honest, now it's AI that is overwhelming, but the next thing will be around the corner. It's the constant state of change that is the real thing that is overwhelming. And we all of us have the obligation to change the mindset of people to cope with that, because that is the surviving strategy for companies and for even our private lives. Right. So that mindset and building the right culture in your company will actually make or break the success of your AI Anuk.
- [37:49]
C
Man, y' all are bringing it. Y' all two need to go on the road, maybe get the roller stones that open for you. I'm telling you, I love it. That's a great segue, too. So, Anouk, I want to stick with you for a second here. You've mentioned and you really tout the importance of building an AI culture, which is just as important as the AI driven outcomes themselves. Because my hunch is when you can capture and culturally build in those gains. Oh, the force multiplier effect. Oh, my gosh. The mindset that you're referencing a second ago, Very, very powerful, transformational. So why is building an AI culture really important?
- [38:25]
B
Yeah, that culture ties again back with that mindset. Right. So as a company, you need to have that culture that embrace change. And embracing change is embracing new technology and innovation is these days linked with AI. Right. So if you are able to build that real culture of adopting, finding new superpowers like Joy calls them, if you can make them curious about the next thing, then you will find a way to adopt as well. And that really starts from a company culture and how you are as a company in an innovative mindset instead of stuck in the past.
- [39:04]
C
Yes, we can't afford to be stuck in the past these days. We can't afford to run supply chains like it's 1982. Or I guess you can, but it comes with some bad consequences. Joy, your thoughts on building the Paramount how important it is to build an AI culture?
- [39:20]
A
I'm going to lean in on creating a culture, period, which is leaders in an organization set the stage every day. We call it the shadow of a leader. Leaders cast a shadow every single day that their employees and team members follow whatever they pay attention to. Is what the company will pay attention to. The tonality, the way they respond, the way they share transparently with the content that's going on in the organization. You are creating a culture by your actions. So creating a culture for AI means that you have to actually believe it's important and you need to be using it yourself as a leader. If you're not using it, but you want your teams to use it, that seems a bit odd. Creating a culture starts at the top. You need to model the behavior you want.
- [40:14]
C
Joy, I love it. It's so, so true. It's so true. Whether it's AI or anything else. And I love the your opening comments about how leaders set the stage. And I would go a step further and y' all might disagree with me, but I think so many, so many of the challenges we have in global supply chain today, so many of them aren't technology or people, they're leadership challenges. Because we're taking the wrong approach as leaders. We'll have to come back for a whole nother episode maybe related to that. I want to drive this discussion home. We're going to, we got a big fast and furious finish with Joy and a nook here and you know, examples and stories and anecdotes really help people learn. Right? And hopefully have some actionable takeaways from every conversation. So Anuk, let's start with you. Some companies out there that are accomplishing big things by leveraging an effective approach to AI within their supply chain organization. What anecdotes come to your mind?
- [41:09]
B
Yes, and I love to bring this to life with a few examples because this is where AI stops being abstract and start creating real impact. Right. And what's super powerful about my upcoming, let's say top three examples? I cannot choose one, Scott, so I will do three. Is that they are not just studies we've heard of, they are our customers. So we've seen this transformation up close and that's really exciting for me. So first, Texanofi, one of the world's leading biopharma companies, their executive leadership has publicly committed to becoming the first biopharma company powered by AI at scale. And they do that by integrating AI based decision intelligence across their value chain. It's literally at their fingertip on, on their smartphone to make decisions. And here it links back to your whole point on leadership. It started by their executive leadership going public with this ambition and then making it happen. And this literally is getting life saving treatments to people faster. So what's not to get excited about? Right? Second example, pronary one of the world's largest ice cream producer. And let's be honest, who doesn't like his or her ice cream, right? And just a little more when the weather is sunny.
- [42:32]
C
That's right.
- [42:33]
B
So seasonal demand, high transportation costs and daily deployment decisions were making its operations hard to manage. But now by connecting factory, warehouse and logistics data into an AI powered engine, they were actually tackling complex planning decisions almost real time. It used to take more than hours of manual coordination and this disappears today. They really run on an optimized deployment plan and that balances service cost and capacity in near real time and it saves millions in logistics expensive while improving service reliability. So we can enjoy our ice cream everywhere we want even if the sun is not shining.
- [43:21]
C
Man, that's like a superhero mission.
- [43:24]
B
Absolutely. And finally and yeah this one is one of my favorites, it's Legend Biotech and we're actually helping them right now. So as we speak to use AI in their manufacturing site in Raritan to allocate life saving slot capacity to patients. It's a great example of how AI is isn't just about efficiency but it's about prioritization, what truly matters. And here it's about saving people's life. These are the kind of stories that show for me how AI when applied with purpose can reshape the entire value chain not by replacing people, but by empowering them to make faster, better and more meaningful decisions.
- [44:09]
C
Yes, a nook really quick before I go to Joy, two quick things there. I'm not sure if there's a more noble calling than in our healthcare and biopharma and really saving people's lives, extending lives. It's amazing what supply chain pros are doing across those industries. And then secondly one of my favorite themes that you talked touched on there there's so much complexity and I what I've found no one likes to be confounded by problems big or small. And one of the common themes you shared in each of those three anecdotes was committed leaders that are unleashing targeted technology to evaporate complexity and really unleash the power of their people. So Joy, examples. I bet you've got a bunch of examples in your end too. What comes to mind?
- [44:53]
A
I do and I chose two incredibly different industries because I wanted to show whilst Anouk and I spend a lot of time together I'm sure people have probably figured that out. But two areas for which are very different from the industries that Anuk shared i1 in retail and then in global logistics and freight management. Love it so my first is Zara. So you know, they used AI to monitor fashion trends, social media buzz and then in store data to inform their design and production. And the reality is before AI they were certainly relying on data to do models and scenario planning. But AI now is a demand sensing, allowing them to quickly restock their best sellers and more importantly avoid overproduction in retail. That's the kiss of death is overproduction and what do you do with that in the secondary market? So we they reduced waste maximizing the revenue. And the truth is they really revolutionized the demand model in the retail space and the placement of their product line. But what they did is they focused on their core competitive advantage which has always been and will now continue to be speed to market. The next one is Maersk. Most people think of that as those big containers that sit on top of ships that pass the ocean. They again, that is a fascinating business. It's an amazing industry for which we all rely. People don't think much about it, but it is the only reason why you have 90% of the things you have in your house.
- [46:24]
C
That's true.
- [46:24]
A
So they used AI to optimize their global container positioning. But it was a real breakthrough was actually getting their regional teams to buy in. Because as you can imagine, that industry is known for its longevity. People work there for 30 and 40 years. They have personal relationships with their customers and their delivery statements and the ports and the people with which they work through their entire value chain. They took that incredibly, incredibly personally. But they used AI to get their regional teams to trust the recommendations of where those containers should be placed for ultimate optimization. And the reality was they did this by making the AI completely transparent, which was after the answer came, it gave an example, an explanation of exactly why the AI chose the answer. It gave the thinking through the process and by the end of that people were like, I get it, I would have done the same thing. Or wow, I hadn't considered that. What a fascinating way to choose that placement. So again, fascinating, different things. But the common thread there between both of these organizations, they did not start with a grand AI transformation. Neither one of those two organizations said, hey, let's make 50 things happen, right? They solved a very specific problem. They proved the value first, built trust, then they went on to scale after that. That's a.
- [47:58]
C
Those are all those five or billion dollar examples. Some may be literally. And I got to joy two quick things from yours on that. On the Maris example I love. We all like to understand the why, right? And it builds More trust in what the technology is telling us, AI or otherwise. So I love that little wrinkle in that story. And going back to Zara, hey, the fashion and apparel supply chain industry is a tough one and state trends. If we think we have velocity issues elsewhere, that is a very unique industry there. So that's a great example. Joy. Okay, I really wish we had three more hours with Joy Taylor Schuhmachers but let's do this. We're have again. We're coming down the home stretch and let's celebrate some great news because the Blue Crux team continues to expand its presence here in the US and globally really over the last five years. What are you most excited about in the coming year? Because we're, gosh, we're going to blink. It's going to be 2026.
- [48:55]
B
Yeah, absolutely. It's over before you know it, right? A year is nothing. But what excites me in the upcoming year is really the opportunity to help and work with more companies here in the US So we have built an incredible team of supply chain experts here out in the US over the last five years and we have expanded with support for our global clients and build the first solid customer US based customer base. But in the coming years we really going to scale that and we're super excited because we see so many companies in the US investing in transforming their supply chain into AI driven value chains and we believe we're an amazing fit and can help these organization navigate that journey. So the future is indeed exciting and bright for us here at Blue Cricks in the US and yeah, that's what really excites me.
- [49:49]
C
And look I felt that passion jumping through the video there. I love it. I love it. And you know what, I've seen you all in action. I'll tell you the impact you are making. There's no, no, no doubt. We all completely get why. What's powering the expansion. I look forward to seeing you at the next event soon. But in the meantime for any of our folks watching or tuned in listening, how can folks connect with you and the Blue Crux team?
- [50:13]
B
I would say the easiest way to find me is follow me and reach on, reach me on LinkedIn. That's where you can follow where my next shows will be, where I have keynotes, where we will be on supply chain conferences and yeah that that's really where you can find where I will be in the world.
- [50:29]
C
Love it. We're going to include the link to that in the show notes and folks you can also venture over to blue crux.com and learn a lot more about about everything Nook has touched on here today. Good stuff and congrats on the continued innovation, growth and success. Joy now different question. We're going to make sure folks know how to connect with you in a second. But again as I prep and as our team does homework for these conversations we do a lot of spying on social and I love a lot of stuff you're putting out you and your organization. You were recently shared a great Jim Collins quote. I think I've got his one of his great books right there related to the timeless value and you really spoken to this today Crawl Walk Run it was some in some of the your last examples there because we know we need to hear things 12 times before you we do them. Expound on that really important mantra if you would.
- [51:22]
A
I am a good to great fan. Not a not a huge surprise. I am a cult follower of Jim Collins. That's not not a surprise and I'm so grateful to see it in the background. But you know his message when I read just hit home for me and it cut through a lot of noise that I feel both personally and certainly professionally. He basically said Crawl Walk run can be a and a very effective approach even during times of rapid and radical technological change. How apropos of today and the reality is no one is asking you to run a marathon tomorrow. I am asking just stand up and take a step. I would rather get one small thing wrong than to try something magnanimous and waste resources. People, process, technology, money, time, budget, speed, scope. I'm just asking. The beauty of this approach is that you don't have to be revolutionizing in your ideas on anything or everything. It doesn't have to be overnight to create a meaningful impact. Just crawl. Just start one specific thing. Try it. I doubt that you will not reap the reward.
- [52:30]
C
Joy I love that and you know as you're sharing it reminded me back in the 80s and 90s and in the old General Electric heyday GE heyday incremental improvements was cord their culture and they did an incredible they were a world class organization before they kind of changed into what GE is today which is nothing wrong with that. But the mantra was what you're saying start today Crawl. Incremental improvements and gains is a great thing and when they build on top of each other you blink. You got transformation. Joy, excellent advice. Let's make sure Joy Taylor folks can connect with Alliant Consulting and the broader Alliant group. How can folks track you down.
- [53:09]
A
Joy as same with Nook I the best way to find me the easiest way is on LinkedIn. I do a lot of posting. I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn and I will connect with anyone. You write me, I will write back. Be very afraid of that. And again, Joy Taylor. There are a few of us out there, but look for Joy Taylor, Alliant Consulting or on our website and you can find us there.
- [53:29]
C
Allianceconsulting.com it's just that easy. Both y' all are breaths of fresh air and I look forward to our next conversation. And I look forward to Yalls next one, two punch keynote or panel session, you name it. And a little birdie told me that maybe on the next Olympics in la, which is right around the corner, y' all might be vying for the volleyball gold. Is that right, Joy?
- [53:52]
B
Oh yeah.
- [53:52]
A
Oh yeah. No, Can I be right on the sidelines? Guaranteed.
- [53:55]
B
Absolutely. Get those free tickets in, Scott.
- [54:00]
C
Yes, that's right. You're reading my mind. But what a great conversation, folks. I'll tell you what. First off, let's thank everybody. Joy Taylor again serves as managing director for Alliant Consulting. We just heard how to connect with her. Please do that. Joy, a pleasure to have you here today.
- [54:15]
A
Pleasure to be with you.
- [54:16]
C
And Anuk Schoenmachers serves as managing partner over at Blue Crux Organization on the move. Anuk, great to see you again. Thanks so much for being here today.
- [54:25]
B
My pleasure.
- [54:27]
C
And to our audience members, this episode, whether you're listening or watching, hopefully you're watching because we really had a lot of time. You could really see Joy in the nook, bring it with passion and what they're sharing. But we love all of our audience. Wherever you are, you got homework. You know the homework. And there's so many options here today. You got to take something you heard or saw here today from Anuk and Joy, put it into practice. Share it with the team. Share it with your leadership team. Adjust what you do day in and day out based on some of this great advice. It's all about deeds, not words. That's how we're going to continue transforming the global business world and realize more and more of the art of the possible. So many opportunities out there. So with all that said, on behalf of the whole team here, Supply Chain now, Scott Luden challenge you do good, give forward, be the change that's needed. We'll see you next time right back here on Supply Chain now. Thanks for join the Supply Chain now community for more supply chain purchase perspectives news and innovation. Check out supply chain now.com subscribe to Supply Chain now on YouTube and follow and listen to Supply Chain Now. Wherever you get your podcasts.