
Supply chain is evolving rapidly and AI is changing how decisions are made. In this episode of Supply Chain Now, Scott Luton, Karin Bursa, and Jake Barr talk with Mike Griswold, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, about the key insights from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium. They explore how supply chain leaders can leverage AI to improve operational efficiency, redesign workflows, and enhance decision-making to remain competitive in the coming years. They discuss the importance of cross-functional initiatives, storytelling for CSCOs, and understanding where technology fits as an enabler rather than the solution.
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A
Whenever we don't tackle things cross functionally, we run into problems. Right. We end up doing a really, really good job of creating highly efficient functional silos. And if you're not careful, I will do that even better and faster for you. Right. So you really have to be careful around, you know, what problem we trying to solve. 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
B
from across the one conversation at a time. Hey, good morning, good afternoon, good evening wherever you may be. Scott Lewton, Corinne Bursa, and Jake Barr with you here on Supply Chain now, welcome to today's special live stream. Hey, Corinne, how you doing today?
C
I'm doing great, Scott. It's good to be with you.
B
Great to have you here with us today. And Jake Barr, the John Wayne global supply chain. How you doing?
D
I'm doing well. I'm looking forward to grilling Mike. Let's go.
B
Well, you're letting the cat out of the bag, folks. Today we're featuring a true power panel to dive into the key takeaways for one of the best supply chain leadership events of the year, Gartner Supply Chain Symposium. Now, all of us were there in Orlando, as well as our guest on site talking with the movers and shakers that make global supply chain happen. So stay tuned for in the know perspective and market intel is going to make you smarter and more informed going into your next business conversation. So just like Jake mentioned, we've got a special guest joining me and Corinne here today. So, folks, for almost eight years. That's crazy. For almost eight years, our guest has joined me for a monthly podcast entitled Supply Chain Today and Tomorrow with Mike Griswold of Gartner. And I think I've earned four degrees and two certifications over that time because many, many of you already know Mike serves as VP of analyst with Garter and he's one of the smartest folks in just about any room. So I want to welcome in the one and only Mike Griswold.
D
Hey.
B
Hey, Mike Griswold. How you doing?
A
Hey. Well, thanks. Definitely not the smartest person in this room, but it's great to be here.
B
Great to have you, Corinne. And Jake, I tell you, I know Corinne. I know you and Mike go way back. It's always a treasure to have them on live, huh?
C
It ends. It ends. And Mike, it was so good to see you in person at the event this year. So enjoyed lunch and just catching up.
A
Yeah, it was great to connect. We don't get out. I don't get out much. So yeah, it was, it was great to get out and see people.
B
So. And Jake, I'm sure you found a moment or two. You're like the mayor of these symposiums. I'm sure you got some, some private time with Mike down in Orlando, huh?
D
Actually, I was quite dismayed. Mike was incognito for much of it, so I, I had my court of folks around me. It's actually you that I was constantly looking for and you were somewhere between epcot, where, Where?
B
Well, I'm going to dispel those rumors. I'm going to dispel those rumors right here, Jake, Corinne and Mike, because let me tell you, we worked hard. We worked hard interviewing dozens of folks or I got a couple snapshots here. Dozens of leaders at Gartner Supply Chain Symposium in Orlando. We spoke with leaders from Project 44, Schneider Electric, Estee Lauder Gains for Flow, Cleo, Everstream Analytics, Manhattan. And here's one of my faves here. This is Peter Larson with Amazon, who's a key leader making the charge with Amazon Supply Chain Services. So get ready as we release all of these interviews in the, in the next few weeks. So, so Jake. See, I was working, my friend.
A
Work.
D
Well, literal work.
B
All right, so in the meantime, get ready folks, as we're going to be diving into some key takeaways from this incredible panel from symposium. Three of the smartest folks I know in Mike, Corinne and Jake. But I want to set the table first. There was a very well received opening day keynote from Lindsay Azam, which included this nugget. Check this out folks. 60% of supply chain disruptions will be resolved without human intervention by 2031. That's intriguing to ponder. And then check out these two other nuggets that were released during the week of symposium in Orlando. The top one, Gartner survey shows AI is not driving supply chain operating model transformation. And then the next one there, Gartner predicts supply chain organizations pausing entry level hiring for AI will face higher costs by 2030. So as now, the table is set. We proved that. I worked a ton and we shared some key takeaways already. But Mike, you were there, boots on the ground, talking with hundreds, if not thousands of people. What were some of your key takeaways?
A
Well, it's interesting, Scott, we're doing the event now at Barcelona and Alan o' Keefe just did the keynote on Monday and scored a 4.61 out of five. And the only reason I share that is what we put together from a keynote perspective this year I think resonated really well, both in Orlando and in Barcelona. And I think it resonated because we had that mix of, you know, people always want to hear about AI. Corinne and Jake, I'm sure will talk about that. I think the keynote did a great job of putting AI in perspective both from what it can do and what it cannot do. A couple of observations for me, one on the AI side and one on the people side. The first is we had a stat that said something like a third of AI projects are over budget. And then we had a stat, which I think goes to your first point that you just showed. About 20% of people say their AI initiatives are not focused cross functionally. So one of the takeaways is people need to figure out exactly what problem or problems is AI going to solve for them, and then how do they figure out where the value is going to come from? Right. That will keep the AI initiatives from necessarily, or at least maybe, hopefully not go over budget. I think the other element, Jake and Corinne can appreciate this, given their longevity in the supply chain, is whenever we don't tackle things cross functionally, we run into problems. Right. We end up doing a really, really good job of creating highly efficient functional silos. And if you're not careful, AI will do that even better and faster for you. Right. So you really have to be careful around, you know, what problem we trying to solve. The other element I want to raise, though, and I know this will definitely resonate with Jake and Cool in given all the people they talk to, and we had the team that I look after at Gartner covers supply chain talent and org design. And we've done a lot of work around CS SEO effectiveness. And I know Jake and Corinne talk to tons and tons of CS EOs. My other observation from the event is, to put it bluntly, the lack of respect CSEOs have within their peer group. CSEOs are often seen as like the execution arm of the organization. They get within their peer group a lot of credit for being able to execute CS. EOs don't get nearly enough credit for being strategic thinkers, partly because cseos don't do a great job of telling their story. We have an interaction we call a strategy session, and we've built over three years. We do tons and tons of strategy sessions around this idea of storytelling. And we had a session from one person on my team around how do you use data to tell your story? And my message to cseos is, you need to figure out how to sell yourself better through being able to tell stories that highlight the value that you provide as a supply chain leader. And you need to figure out how do you better connect with like the cool kids at the table. Right. Like it or not, the CFO is the most often collaborated person within the C suite. I'm not here to offend any CFOs, but they don't have the personality of a CSCO. Right. And the second most important person or the second most collaborative person is HR. So we have, on the one hand, we have this AI conundrum that cseos need to work with, and on the other hand, we have an image problem, quite frankly, as cseos. And we spent a lot of time at the event trying to convey that message and give cseos just some ways to think about how do they better tell their story. So those are my two big takeaways.
B
I like it. And really quick public service announcement. We've enjoyed interviewing numerous tons, hundreds of CSCOs over the years. If any chief supply chain officer wants to practice their storytelling, give us a shout. We'd love to, Love to feature you. Okay. So Corinne, that's a lot of, lot of fodder out there. And we heard you get a kick out of a couple of Mike's points or some of your key takeaways.
C
Yeah. So first, I totally agree with Mike. We can do a better job of telling our stories and talking about how supply chain enables strategic initiatives for the business. But my big takeaway this year. And Jake, I know you and I discussed this last year. Last year I saw a lot of deer in the headlights. It was shock and awe and fear all coming together last year. This year for me, the big headline was not simply AI is coming. It is that supply chain is moving from this idea of how do I automate as an efficiency lever to how do I reach autonomy as a new operating model. This is a shift and it's a much bigger conversation for our chief supply chain officers. It really drives four big, big things. One, how decisions are made and expect to hear more of this going forward. Two, how is the work designed? This is a huge opportunity to rethink workflows, not just automate your current workflows. And as an extension of that, it's how the ecosystems operate. Are there ways that we can further accelerate decision velocity because we can connect electronically and elevate information for better decision making. And then fourth and final is this leader factor. This opportunity for our support team leaders to balance initiatives around growth Cost, risk and talent. I think that all of that comes together to say that the shift is not just a technology shift. We need to start thinking of it as an operating model shift. And that started with Lindsey's opening keynote. I think set the table for that conversation throughout the conference.
B
Well said, Corinne. And I particularly like how your, your comment there about this is a terrific opportunity to change how work is designed. And if organizations and leaders aren't focusing on that, they're, they're missing a, a really important opportunity. Jake, we've heard from Mike, we've heard from Corinne. We got a couple comments. I'll share in a minute. What were some of your key takeaways?
D
Well, first my head's exploding because I, I wanted to jump in on like thing that Mike and Corinne have just thrown out. But I'm going to back up and play back up the truck again and play devil's advocate on something. Look, I, I thought the opening keynote was perhaps the most on point summarization in a very pragmatic sense that it has been for the last several years. Okay. And I've been around for like 35 of them. Okay. But I want to give kind of a nuance on what Mike mentioned around the 60% piece, right. Around all the disruptions, right. Being managed without human intervention. I'm going to call, and it's not an incorrect statement, it's actually a very valid statement. 60% will. Now the choice, and much to Corinth's comments, is how you approach that, because you can actually tactically approach that. Where you're using AI is just another bolt on for a little bit of process simplification, execution, elimination, much like I saw a whole host of folks attempting to do while I was at the event. Or conversely, you can step back and say, wait, hey, this is the way that I actually attack all those losses between these processes that I've had at the scenes forever. Right. And it just drains money. And I have the ability to step back and re engineer how I'm going to do the work, who I'm going to do it with, where I'm going to do it, all those things. Right?
C
Right.
D
Tech doesn't lead. Tech is in support of a business outcome that I'm trying to engineer. Okay. So that, that to me was extremely valid. The other thing is, Karin said, look, let's be blunt. A year ago there were so many people walking around in a complete days, right, that were lost, okay, going, holy shit, what do I do now? I also want to give credit where it's Due on the opportunity to have a chemo piece say, hey, wait, let's ground ourselves. Never ever forget that the job, his or her job as a chief supply chain officer is actually two things, not one, two. The first and very importantly, as Mike was alluding to, hey, I am the answer machine. I'm the one that actually keeps the cash register running day in and out because 80% of the money of the entire corporation, big or small company, doesn't matter. It's all the same. Okay, Hey, I manage the inventory flow, the production, the distribution, making sure sales occur, all those things. So that's job one, operational excellence, right. The second piece that was alluded to that I was really pleased by was, wait a minute. My job is also to concurrently, while I'm executing with excellence, is to actually figure out what in hell we need to do to blow up the current operating model to remain relevant and competitive for the next four, five, 10 years. And that requires disruption, right? So the use of AI in two buckets. One, help me squeeze out more operational efficiencies. Second, very important. How am I going to game change the way that we're running the operation to drive that disruptive capability? And so I was like wanting to get up and chant and scream in the audience when we were going through these two buckets, but I'm going hallelujah. People are actually grounding themselves in pragmatic reality of I need some lighthouse cases where I learn my way through. Because guess what? AI, to Mike's point is going to run decisions to you faster than you've ever had the ability to blink your eyes. And you're going to be deer in headlights again of going, what do I do with it? Now that I know used to take me two days. I know in two minutes now where disruption is. Okay, well, can I or can I not make a decision on. So both of those. I also love the piece Corinne was offering up around how to think about the element of the design. Right. I'm sorry. For the near term future, big, small, in between corporations, I got clients on the entire spectrum. Even the most advanced are not eliminating the folks, they're enabling the folks. They have to actually guess what, Take on more work with the same number of bodies.
B
So, Jake, that's good stuff. And Mike, I would just. For whatever it's worth, I would have paid a sweetener on our registrations to see Jake take the stage and bang on drums or whatever he was suggesting there. So next year, maybe next year, I
C
think I saw him banging on the table in the bar one night. So maybe that count?
D
Oh, I do.
B
I did. All right, so now that we've got terrific takeaways and insights from our panel here today, we're going to talk about some priorities building on that, that they see supply chain leaders taking in the next through the end of this year and in next year. But first, you know, we all think we're kind of raving about the opening day keynote by Lindsay A. And you know, Mike, you and I chatted with Lindsay on a great episode that we released just about two weeks ago. And so, folks, if you couldn't make it down to Gartner, we really, Mike and I focused our conversation around some of the big takeaways that Lindsay hoped that the audience took away from her keynote. So, folks, go check that out. We're dropping a link. And Mike, really quick, your comment on that conversation we had with Lindsay. That was good stuff, huh?
A
Yeah, it was really good. I think it gave people what Jake and Corinne just both said very well, which is here's where we see AI and its impacts going, and here are some things you can actually do today. I think what, what Jake was alluding to, and he said it very well, is in the past, if I, if I'm honest here, I mean, in the past, our keynotes at times have been a lot of maybe theoretical and a lot of, you know, maybe not as aspirational for everyone as they could have been. And I think this year we took a step back and really said, hey, look, we need to kind of come clean on our perspectives around AI and we have to give people some things that they can actually start thinking about doing. And I think Lindsay and Alan both did a really good job of that
B
in light of all the takeaways that all three of y' all have shared. And as we look at the second half of the year, because 2027 will be here soon, what do you see supply chain leaders prioritizing in light some of these topics?
A
I think we're going to see what Corinne and Jake alluded to, which is the prioritization around workflow design. As Jake was, was providing his perspectives and as Karin was providing hers, I was, I was listening to that, thinking about what actually are people going to start working on. And I think it has to be the key workflows. If we think about the supply chain plan source make deliver customer service right at a super high level. Which of those workflows do organizations feel are the ripest for a redesign and a review? I think Jake made the comment, which I agree with completely, which is technology is not the solution. More often than not, it's the enabler. And unfortunately, we've seen. I can now say, I am old enough to say that. I saw this with rfid. We saw this with Blockchain. Right. I had an old boss of mine who said, we can't have technology running around an organization looking for a problem to solve. We need a, a problem defined and then let's find the right technology. And I think the focus, you know, and I love Corinne's description last year there were a lot of deer in the headlights. And I think that was because people were unsure what to even ask. It's like, I don't want to ask this question because I'm going to feel like I'm the stupidest person in the room when everyone else has that same exact question. I think what was different this year is that people knew a whole lot more and they knew what to ask and they knew what to look for. Whether that was in the solution showcase, looking for technology providers, whether it was their peers. Right. Whether it was talking to Jake and Corinne, they knew what to ask. So I think it's, it's going to come down to, I think, the prioritization on the key workflows and then figuring out what role does technology. Because the other thing is when you talk to companies, and I feel confident saying Jake and Karim would agree with this, when you talk to a company and say technology, the first thing that comes out of their mouth is AI. Well, guess what, there's a lot of other technologies out there. Whether it's a demand planning tool, whether it's a routing tool, whatever it might be. There are a lot of other tools out there that can enable some of this workforce transformation that don't necessarily require you to get deep into AI. So let's, when we think about workflow, let's not immediately jump to AI is our only solution for this. Right. Because there, I mean, if you went into the solution showcase at the event, there were a lot of vendors that didn't necessarily hang their shingle on AI.
B
Hmm. All right, so Jake, we're going to you second here because I know you're jumping in, ready to get on the stage again. So, Jake, when you think about the priorities that supply chain leaders are taking move now through the end of the year, in the next year, your thoughts?
D
I think Mike's spot on. The reality is you're always going to focus in on where are, I'll call it, in a supply chain profession. Where are my losses? Right where am I there bleeding money or bleeding people, bleeding time and effort that I could get more productive use of.
A
Right.
D
I had those assets to use in a different way. I see a lot of that. And I was really glad my brought up the point about the other players that were out on the exhibit floor because I saw better this year than I have in the past, folks taking advantage of some AI capability to actually enable the ability to eliminate those losses at the scenes. Right. So instead of having to require manual handoffs between logistics and transportation or warehousing, right back to planning, there was both. First level automation of a workflow, second level decision optimization of suggestions instead of having people weed through a thousand pieces of paper on all the exceptions. So I saw very good examples of where folks were beginning to put that into practice that could be very easily reapplied and escalated for getting large scale efficiency improvements across any of those processes.
B
All right, so Corinne, now that we've heard Mike and Jake weigh in on some supply chain leadership priorities and some other additional thoughts on those takeaways. Your thoughts, Corinne?
C
Yeah, I love this idea that there are short term tactical advantages that we can gain in accelerating current processes, but then working on or carving out that time and brain power and creativity quite honestly to change the way we do business. And I want to encourage you to start thinking about, we've talked about tech stacks for years, like what does our technology landscape look like? Start thinking about decision stacks. Think about how decisions are made, because that's going to help you identify if you're AI ready. Is it something where an AI ready decision can accelerate our overall decision velocity? And so that's going to cause you to step back for a minute and be very, very outcome focused and then leverage the technology to achieve those goals. So don't just think, is my data AI ready? Think, is my decision process AI ready? Because that decision stack having an actual organized way you make decisions is going to be very important to achieving things like that 60% automation for disruptions that occurred that that statin shared, which is really aggressive in my opinion. I think, I think Jake may have used a couple of other adjectives around that, but I think by 2031, if we get to a 30, 40% automated resolution, that's going to be a home run. If we can hit that 60% number, it is a completely different model that we're working with. So we talk a lot about rethinking workflows, rethink how decisions get made, or get structured about how your decisions get made, because that structure is what's going to allow you to automate and accelerate that decision velocity or serve up the right level of insight for your humans, your talent pool, to be even more effective. And that was a shift for me. That was a big shift for me from the conference this year.
D
Michael J. Even a 20% improvement in that number, you're talking for a large scale company that's hundreds of millions. This is not small change, guys.
B
Well speaking. And I like the notion that the decision stack. I wish my local Lowe's had one. I could get one off the shelf and bring it home for supply chain now. But kidding aside, when you think of decisions and decisions and decisions, I think of planning, lots of planning, which is near, near to the heart and soul of global supply chain. And Mike, we've talked about this quite a bit. I went to my first one last year. Of course, Jake and Corinne are stalwarts at the Gartner Planning Summits. I want to put this in front of folks because it's a tremendous opportunity. The next. And there's two, there's a couple each year. But the next one we're targeting is Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver, which runs November 2nd and 3rd. You see me there from last year with Noha Samara, which I believe is the chair of the planning summits. Mike, is that right?
A
That is correct, yes.
B
And she delivered an incredible keynote at the summit last year in Denver that we. I'm still thinking about as she was comparing planning and really supply chain leadership and performance to a. A certain type of marathon. The name escapes me, but it was a great analogy. But what I want to ask each of y', all because all three, you know, this is a great event. I look forward to attending this year, but folks are still getting turned on to it, despite its popularity. So, Mike, when you think of the Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summits, the one in Denver and one in London, why should folks have this on their radar?
A
Yeah, I think one of the things Gartner does really well on the event side is, is figure out who's going to come to an event and what do they need to hear. So if you think about the symposium event, that's for CS COs for their direct reports. And it's probably 80% of content geared towards kind of strategic, aspirational, I don't want to say theoretical, but more of the conceptual type of stuff. And 20% is really around the tactical stuff, the planning summit and all of our summits because we're launching a procurement summer this year as well in San Diego. Those are for in the planning environment. Those are for people that run planning teams and or people that actually do planning. Right. So we're getting down a layer. We still have probably, I'm going to say 60, 65% of the content will be for planning leaders. In terms of strategic thinking about how do you think about, you know, running a planning organization. But there's also much more tactical hands on stuff for people that do the day to day planning. So it really is, you know, we like to talk about the symposium as you know, the world's largest gathering of supply chain professionals. I'm not a marketing person but I would suggest that our planning summits, I won't necessarily put pressure and say global. I will say that it's probably one of the larger gatherings of people focused on planning that you're going to find anywhere. And if you think about kind of the heritage of Gartner's supply chain group. Right. It came from AMR which was all supply chain all the time. Heavy dose of planning. There is extensive planning expertise in the organization. If anyone has any interest in either learning more about planning or getting better at planning, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better event to go to.
B
I'm with you Mike. I am with you. And I really enjoyed last year's. Look forward to this year's Corrine, you and I were both there along with Jake last year. Why should folks make sure they have the planning summit on the radar?
C
Absolutely. It's because it's that opportunity to go a little deeper. Right. So the whole agenda is based around supply chain planning. So whether you're looking at sales and operations planning, you're looking at decision intelligence, demand, inventory, supply, production, planning, how all these elements come together, this is the event for you. And there will be numerous opportunities to scratch below the surface. So I think you'll find the heads of planning there since chief supply chain officers as well. But they'll be bringing in their most innovative leaders to dig into those topics as well. So it's a great discussion. I love the topics and always look forward to this particular event.
B
I'm with you. Hey Jake, really quick before you you talk about the planning summit, I want to drop, I think we're dropping the link to a great webinar that you and I hosted with Noha Samara. And I mentioned earlier decision shapers, the rise of decision shapers, I think it was. And we're dropping a link. Folks, you gotta go check this out because this squares well, with Mike's earliest feedback and the top of the show about the need to be able to tell a better story.
D
Right.
B
Whether you're a CSEO or you're just getting started really in any industry, not just supply chain, we got to get better at that. So folks, go check out this webinar. Noha killed it. Jake, comment really quick on that discussion we had here on supply chain now and of course talk about the summit.
D
Yeah, well actually you should go to the summit if for no other reason to see the advancements that have been made since Nohan's presentation. Okay. Because I believe if you go first of all, look, I've been going and helping the NO summit for years but fundamentally it's one of the best benchmarking opportunities at a detailed level that exists in the profession to be able to go and actually do real world comparisons of difficult when the hits are fanning you really have to figure out be able to do that. So that's one. The second piece to me is this decision shaper piece is not just words, okay. It is in fact where we are heading with the enablement of AI to manage and rethink the entire planning spectrum. Right. So Mike, I'm going to make a comment to you as strong as the comment was on the keynote around the exception management by 2031, I'm going to tell you that in between 20 to 25% of people that have planners behind their role the work could actually merge but on the same timeline, easily, easily. Because what we are enabling is a complete re engineering of all the work how to do it without being encumbered by simple things like well, I established a role from a sign on security standpoint in a check and back. I can actually use the tech to help me define the elements in security levels have been properly addressed and I can merge activities. Right. So the scenario planning has gone to yet again another level in height of capability from even 12 months ago. Right. The ability to go across the seams to actually deduce what level the disruption is really going to have in the operation is at a much finer level than even existed 12 months ago. So I could go on and on, but that's a reason why you want to be there.
B
Corrine, Jake is bringing some extra spice to today's conversation, isn't he?
C
I wanted to jump in and say it's a great time to be in supply chain. This is so exciting the opportunities that we have and I think we've got to be sure how we approach it. One number that Gartner shared. Actually, before the conference, they put out a press release on their forecast for supply chain management software with Agentic AI. And they said that their research shows that by 2030. So just four years from now, really three and a half, because we're halfway through 2026, that market is going to be about $53 billion with a B billion dollars. Last year it was 2 billion. So I'm not telling you to rush out and buy software that's labeled agent of AI software. I'm telling you to figure out how to leverage that opportunity in your business, thinking about your business differently, because there will be parts of your business that we can automate and we can elevate how your talent is engaging and adding value that I don't think we've even scratched the surface on what that looks like.
B
I'm with you. That is a massive opportunity. My agents have just released new agents as who will be releasing more agents to take advantage. Goodness gracious. All right, a couple quick things. Want to make sure folks have resources at their fingertips. We again, we dropped this is the rise of decision shapers with no Hamar. Go check it out. It was a fantastic session. We also dropped a link to Supply chain Planning Summit 2026. This is the one in Denver. There's one in London, too. You can, you can find that one on the same link, I'm sure. But come join us in December in Denver in November. Last year was December. This year it's November. It's a good move. All right, so let's do this. Let's make sure folks know where they can find a lot more resources, a lot more upcoming live events, a lot more perspectives just like this. Go check out our almost weekly newsletter. With that said, you're going to find industry news and nuggets, expert perspective tools, resources, insights, you name it, and all of our upcoming live shows. And we appreciate all 29,416 subscribers. Let us know how we can make it even better. Okay, so, Mike Griswold, let's make sure. First off, can we just celebrate how many podcast series outside of Hollywood or outside of, you know, billion dollar studios go for eight years in a row on a monthly basis? Mike, well done, my friend.
D
Somebody has to carry the water and you've done it well for him.
A
Yeah, you'd be surprised how, how far checks to friends and family will go, Scott, in terms of getting people to tune in. So I appreciate that. It's been a lot of fun.
B
Well, you know, as we've talked about on the Last episode, we've gotten more and more comments and feedback that folks drop on social about those con. And I think when I shared that and we talk about that, we feature that perspective in shows and we finally did the math and we realized it was 8 years. I think your comment was 8 years would be an overnight success. Was that right, Mike?
A
Yes. Yeah. So it took a while.
B
Hey, yeah, good stuff does take a while, right? Good things come to those who wait. But folks, go check out the podcast. You can find it Supply Chain. Now you can search for Mike Griswold and they'll have, well, eight times 12, roughly over 100 episodes ready to go at your fingertips. Also, we dropped a link to go check it out the almost weekly newsletter. Mike, how can folks track you down
A
other than the podcast, LinkedIn and email? Yeah, I'm. I'm relatively not relatively. I am still old school. So, yeah, mike.griswold@gardner.com is probably the most timely way to get a hold of me. Love to hear from people, thoughts, ideas, feedback, anything we can do to make our events better. Yeah, just drop me a line.
B
Outstanding. And we didn't put his email up there, but we did put his LinkedIn. Y' all go check him out. Follow, connect, you name it. Corinne Bursa. It is a good time, a wonderful time to be in global supply chain. How can folks track you down?
C
Yeah, the best way is probably through LinkedIn. That gets you out of the email inbox and of course, right here on supply chain now as well, would look for any feedback you got on our conversation today or past conversations.
B
That's right. Keep. And feedback is a blessing. Sometimes it's a painful blessing, but it is a blessing. Y' all keep it coming. I love it. Jake Bar. I love it when you're a little extra spicy. Really, I got a kick out of your. Your disposition today knows this.
D
Mike's know me for four plus decades. Always spice.
A
This was not. This was not new Jake. This is consistent Jake. So it's great.
B
Well, it's kind of like. It's kind of like when you go to Patty B's, right? My favorite places in the original. In all of the world. You got different layers, levels of spice. Jake was at least extra hot today. But to your point, Mikey is always spicy. All right. So, Jake, how can folks track you
D
down, my friend LinkedIn or any of the professional conferences? Because I'm always there. I'm. I'm a constant learning journey. I love talking through supply chain problems. I'm just one of those engineering geeks that loves problems.
C
You are people. You are my people.
B
Well, it was a great conversation here today. I appreciate all three of Yalls perspectives and the way you offered up your very actionable key takeaways. And you gave us plenty of things we got to keep our eyes on and better yet, we got to act on because every day we don't act is a massive waste, wasted opportunity. And our people deserve better. Our customers deserve better. The industry deserves better. Mike Griswold with Gartner. Always a pleasure, my friend. Thank you for being here.
A
Thanks for having me. Great to see everyone.
B
We'll see you next month. Corinne Bursa, great to have you. This is I really enjoy you. When you and Jake get together, Mike is like an extra bonus. But when you and Jake get together, the one, two punch, y' all really bring it and bring to have you here today. Correct.
C
Thank you. Yeah, Jake brings out the best in me.
B
Well, folks, we dropped Jake's and Corinne and Mike's LinkedIn. Great to have everybody tune in. We also included our upcoming live programming and our exploding resource hub. Go check it out. We're doing a lot more written content than we did in years past and I have really enjoyed talking about, I think Jake mentioned being a geek, being a nerd. I've been nerding out on the terrific perspectives we drop there. So with all of that said, folks, it's really important. I hope you enjoy this conversation number one as much as I have. But folks, the pace of global business velocity, it's only getting faster and faster. It's one things we talked about here today. Got to stay informed by turning the trusted sources of sound information and analysis just like Mike, Corinne and Jake here and tune in the supply chain now wherever you get your podcast. With all that said, Scott Luton here on behalf the whole team challenge you to do good, give forward, be the change that's needed and we'll see you next time Right back here on Supply Chain Now. Thanks everybody.
A
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Supply Chain Now Podcast: "Key Takeaways from Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2026"
Episode Date: June 3, 2026
Panel: Scott Luton (Host), Corinne Bursa, Jake Barr, Mike Griswold (Gartner)
This special episode features a power panel of supply chain leaders—Scott Luton, Corinne Bursa, Jake Barr, and Mike Griswold—sharing key insights from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium 2026, recently held in Orlando (and also referenced in Barcelona). The discussion centers on the evolving roles of technology and talent in supply chain, focusing heavily on AI, workflow redesign, decision-making, and the growing strategic imperative for chief supply chain officers (CSCOs). The panel also looks ahead at leadership priorities, transformational trends, and the significance of upcoming events like the Gartner Planning Summit.
AI’s Impact: Promise vs. Reality
The Shift from Automation to Autonomy
The CSCO’s Image & Influence
Mike Griswold on Silos and AI:
“Whenever we don't tackle things cross functionally, we run into problems. We end up doing a really, really good job of creating highly efficient functional silos. And if you're not careful, AI will do that even better and faster for you.” ([04:55])
Corinne Bursa on Leadership Shift:
"The shift is not just a technology shift. We need to start thinking of it as an operating model shift. And that started with Lindsey's opening keynote." ([11:30])
Jake Barr on the CSCO’s Dual Role:
"Never ever forget that the job... as a chief supply chain officer is actually two things, not one, two... One, operational excellence... The second piece... is to actually figure out what in hell we need to do to blow up the current operating model to remain relevant and competitive for the next four, five, 10 years." ([13:37])
Corinne on AI Targets:
"If we get to a 30, 40% automated resolution, that's going to be a home run. If we can hit that 60% number, it is a completely different model that we're working with." ([23:39])
Jake on Decision Making:
"AI... is going to run decisions to you faster than you've ever had the ability to blink your eyes. And you're going to be deer in headlights again going, what do I do with it?" ([14:54])
| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:45 | AI Keynote, stats, and takeaways | | 04:55 | Mike on silos, AI focus, CSCO storytelling | | 09:32 | Corinne: From automation to autonomy and key leadership shifts | | 11:52 | Jake on blowing up the model & embracing real transformation | | 18:49 | Leadership priorities for the year ahead | | 23:39 | Corinne: Decision stacks and practical automation goals | | 26:51 | Discussion on upcoming Gartner Planning Summits | | 29:50 | The value of deep-dive, benchmarking at Planning Summits | | 33:46 | AI in supply chain: market growth projections |
To connect with the guests:
Resource Links (mentioned in episode):
Warm, lively, and pragmatic—offering expert but approachable advice with a “real talk” approach. The panel brings both strategic vision and practical insight, underscored by their camaraderie and banter.
For supply chain leaders navigating rapid transformation, this episode delivers both a sense of urgency and actionable optimism—grounded in real-world data, leader experience, and the evolving landscape of supply chain management.