The SupplyChainBrain Podcast
Episodes
Undercover in Chinese Factories: The Work of China Labor Watch
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why Your Forecast Is Wrong (And Always Will Be)
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Can Maritime Piracy Be Stopped?
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Gridlock! Can Urban Logistics Escape It?
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Hidden Trade War With China
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why the U.S. Transportation System Is Falling Apart
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is American Manufacturing Really Coming Home?
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What's Ahead in International Trade Regulation
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Quniter Podcast
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is a test podcast
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This is a test podcast
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Supply Chain Scandals Are Preventable. Here’s How.
04 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Amazon's Threat to Traditional Transportation Providers
28 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For transportation providers in the e-commerce era, the choice is clear: disrupt, or be disrupted. The motivating force is, of course, Amazon.com, whi...
How E-tailers Are Creating a Compelling 'Unboxing Experience'
21 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
E-commerce retailers today aren't just focusing on the products they sell. They're also paying close attention to the boxes they come in. Th...
What's Going to Happen to Nafta?
14 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Northern American Free Trade Agreement is 25 years old, but whether it lives to see another year is an open question. Nafta came under intense fir...
Making Room for the Megaships in New York and New Jersey
07 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It takes more than deep water to accommodate a modern-day containership. Sometimes you have to raise a bridge as well. The Bayonne Bridge was construc...
How the Internet of Things Is Revolutionizing Supply-Chain Tracking
30 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the era of the Internet of Things, we're playing catch-up with the huge volume of data that the phenomenon is generating. Need to track high-v...
Networking: A Critical Skill for Supply-Chain Professionals
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Forget about the old style of business networking. ''Social'' networking has brought a whole new meaning to the term. Social netwo...
The Future of Manufacturing and the Forces Shaping Change
16 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do U.S. executives view the future of manufacturing? Some of the answers are contained in a new report from the accounting and consulting firm of ...
Here Are the Biggest Risks to Your Global Supply Chain
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A new wave of protectionism is threatening the stability of global supply chains. A worldwide backlash against free trade and globalization is posing ...
Cybersecurity in the Cloud: Is Anyone Safe?
02 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Can the cloud protect us from cyber attacks? Or does it just make us more vulnerable? The early days of cloud computing raised deep concerns among I.T...
Entrepreneurs, Part 2: Can Women Compete?
26 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
More and more women today are stepping up as entrepreneurs. What will it take for them to succeed? The world of entrepreneurs has largely been dominat...
Entrepreneurs, Part 1: Mythology and Reality
19 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The entrepreneur has taken on near-mythic status in modern-day society. But who is this individual really? You can't deny the importance of the e...
Planned Obsolescence: A 'Crisis of Civilization'?
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Can't wait to ditch that old phone, computer, car or sweater? You're a victim of planned obsolescence. As consumers, we often bemoan the poo...
'Be Prepared to Stop': A Documentary About the Trucking Industry in Crisis
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How long can our society get by without trucks? How about five days? A new documentary, Be Prepared to Stop, presents a portrait of the trucking indus...
The Future of Work: Surviving in a 'Platform Economy'
28 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The so-called platform economy promises to drastically change the nature of work. Is that a bad thing, or a good thing? Call it the ''platfo...
Survival Strategies for Struggling Retailers
21 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the age of the omnichannel, is there any hope for traditional retail chains? The signs aren't especially encouraging. Old-line retailers such ...
How Blockchain Technology Will Transform Supply Chains
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The blockchain has emerged from the shadows. Now it might hold the key to transforming global supply chains. The blockchain was originally intended as...
Can a Startup Succeed in Logistics Today?
07 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How can a new company break into the venerable freight-forwarding business? Technology holds the key. For decades, freight forwarding was dominated by...
The Bottom Line: Managing Your Cash-to-Cash Cycle
31 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The cash-to-cash cycle is a key metric for measuring the efficiency of a supply chain. But many companies seem unable to deploy it with success. &apos...
The Real Reason Behind Lost U.S. Manufacturing Jobs
24 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
So the major driver behind all those lost American jobs is free trade? Not so fast. Trade has indeed caused many manufacturers to shift their operatio...
The Amazon Challenge and How Smaller E-tailers Can Compete
17 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Going up against the behemoth that is Amazon.com, does the smaller e-commerce provider have a chance? The answer is yes, provided that the small or me...
Social Listening Is the Key to Understanding Your Customer
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Somebody out there is talking about your product. And you had better be listening. Social media can be the bane of a brand's existence. Justified...
'The Perfect Order': Why It's So Hard to Achieve
03 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Companies today need to cut costs, speed up fulfillment processes and manage growth. All the while providing ''the perfect order.'&apos...
How Can We Save American Manufacturing?
24 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
American manufacturing is in need of a reboot. Steven L. Blue calls it ''Manufacturing 2.0.'' That's the title of his new boo...
Time to Wipe Out Modern-Day Slavery in Supply Chains
17 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's tough enough stopping the use of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. How about attacking the larger issue of human ...
How Smaller Companies Can Conquer Big Data
10 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Big data is threatening to swamp small companies. The good news is that there's more data than ever before with which to manage global supply cha...
Protecting the Internet of Things From Hackers and Cyber Thieves
03 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Cyber thieves, hackers and terrorists are targeting the Internet of Things. Every device that's connected to the internet is vulnerable. Witness ...
How Can We Drive Organizational Change?
27 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
At some point, every organization must change in order to survive. How do we combat the natural human tendency to resist it? The ability to manage org...
Managing Your Freight Spend in the Age of Big Data
20 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Without effective freight-cost management, you're leaving millions of dollars a year on the table. The age of big data, coupled with the global n...
How Should We Be Training Our Supply-Chain Professionals?
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Supply-chain professionals, assuming they sought out the position in the first place, have typically learned the ropes by doing the job. Not anymore. ...
High or Low Interest Rates? Two Scenarios for the U.S. Economy
06 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
''It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.'' So said a Danish wit nearly 80 years ago. But when it comes ...
A Conversation With 'Wall Streets Greatest Enemy'
29 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Whistleblowers play an essential role in uncovering corporate and government fraud. But they often pay a heavy price for their actions. Michael G. Win...
Don't Blink: How Pop-ups Are Transforming Retail
16 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The new era of retail isn't just about the internet. Welcome to the world of the pop-up store. Turns out that highlighting products on a website ...
Life After Brexit: The Future of U.K. Supply Chains
09 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The U.K. is making a clean split from the European Union. How will its economy and trading relationships fare in a post-Brexit world? All signs point ...
Welcome to the Age of 'The Universal Trade War'
02 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Forget about trade friction between the U.S. and China. Now it's a global trade war. As more and more aggrieved countries jump into the game, we ...
Blount International Gets Control of Its Logistics Spend
18 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
You can't optimize your logistics network if you don't know how much you're spending on it. That was the challenge confronting Blount I...
How East Coast Ports Are Getting 'Big-Ship Ready'
11 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It takes a big port to handle a big ship. Can East Coast ports meet the challenge of handling the new generation of mega-container vessels? Container ...
How Will DOT Regulate Self-Driving Vehicles?
04 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Department of Transportation is applying a surprisingly light hand to the regulation of driverless vehicles. Not that DOT intends to cede its...
Why the Trans-Pacific Partnership Must Be Ratified
28 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, and free trade generally, are political poison these days. But what's the cost of rejecting the 12-natio...
Making Sense of Chaos: Logistics Embraces A.I.
21 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There's just too much data out there for a human to make sense of. Can artificial intelligence save the day? The question is especially relevant ...
How Social Compliance Can Make or Break a Supply Chain
14 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Global companies today live or die by the effectiveness of their social compliance programs. The term ''social compliance'' embrac...
Why Do Automotive Recalls Keep Happening?
07 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Recent months have seen major car recalls by GM and Ford Motor Co. They're just the latest in a seemingly endless series of failures. Can this tr...
Reinvent or Die: Surviving in the Age of Disruption
30 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone agrees about the importance of adjusting to change. So why do so many companies fail in that effort? We're in the Age of Disruption, not...
The Coming Revolution in Robotics and A.I.
23 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There's not an aspect of modern life that won't be affected by advances in robotics and artificial intelligence in the coming years. But the...
Do Presidents Have Any Control Over the Economy?
16 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The platforms of both major political parties are based on the belief that the actions of presidents have a direct impact on the U.S. and global econo...
Best Practices for E-Commerce Shipments to Canada
09 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The boom in e-commerce is a global phenomenon, but each country has its own unique requirements for ensuring the smooth flow of shipments to the buyer...
The Dark Side of 'The Sharing Economy'
02 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The ''sharing economy'' is supposed to empower workers and usher in a new era of job satisfaction. Can it deliver? The answer lies...
How Pratt and Whitney Is Doubling Jet Engine Production in Five Years
26 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The aerospace giant Pratt and Whitney plans to double production of a new and innovative jet engine by 2020. Proper supply-chain management will play ...
Explaining the Widening U.S. Trade Deficit
19 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. trade deficit is continuing to decline but don't blame imports for the widening gap. In fact, in trade figures published by the U.S. ...
When Will We See Self-Driving Trucks?
12 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The age of the driverless commercial truck is coming. It's just a question of when. Someday you'll look in your rear-view mirror and see an ...
Zero Impact Isn't Enough: Going 'Net Positive' for Global Sustainability
05 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to assessing the impact of business practices on the environment, the bar is being raised. Mere sustainability is no longer enough: now ...
ISM Reports: The Impact of Brexit on Trade and Distribution
29 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The long-term impact of Brexit on European supply chains is yet to be determined, but some early results are in. Just days after the U.K.'s contr...
A New Plan for Fixing the U.S. Transportation System
22 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What stands in the way of a solution to the nation's crumbling, outdated and inadequate transportation infrastructure? Judging from the decades o...
Time to Change the Way We Regulate the Gig Economy
15 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Employment rules and regulations have failed to keep pace with innovation in the American workforce especially with regard to the growing number of...
The Devastating Impact of Food Recalls on the Supply Chain
08 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The recall of a single food ingredient can have massive implications for manufacturers and retailers, ranging over multiple supply chains. Take the Ma...
The New Panama Canal: Who Wins; Who Loses?
01 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The new set of locks at the Panama Canal is open for business. How will it affect North American shipping patterns? A year and a half late, hugely ove...
A New Law to Help Companies Protect Their Trade Secrets
24 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. businesses have been given another legal recourse, in their never-ending battle against trade-secret theft. The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 ...
How Retailers Can Survive the Rising Minimum Wage
17 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A higher minimum wage in some cases, as much as $15 an hour is a certainty. How can businesses, especially retailers, cope with it? The minimum ...
Are Supply Chains Dropping the Ball on Risk Management?
10 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Levels of risk in global supply chains continue to rise even as companies' commitment to managing it goes in the opposite direction. A new rep...
Eradicating Slavery From Supply Chains, Part 2
03 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Struggling to determine whether there's forced labor lurking in your supply chain? There are some new tools available to help you do it. Global c...
Eradicating Slavery From Supply Chains, Part 1
27 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Forced labor continues to be a serious issue in global supply chains today and it's extremely tough to root out. The problem exists worldwide, in...
How Radically New Materials Will Impact Transportation
20 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Up in the sky it's a solar-powered plane! But what does it mean for the sustainability of the commercial transportation sector? The Solar Impu...
The 'Skyrocketing' Cost of Pleasing the Omnichannel Customer
13 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Retailers are shelling out huge amounts of money to keep today's omnichannel customer happy. They're spending an average of 18 cents out of ...
Will We See the 'Uberization' of Logistics?
06 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The ride-sharing service Uber is threatening to disrupt, if not dismantle, the taxi business. Will it do the same to the package-delivery sector? Uber...
Blood on the Water: The Dismal Outlook for Ocean Carriers
29 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Too many ships, too much rate discounting, and too many service providers for the market to support: the outlook for ocean carriers is ''pre...
How Supply Chain Drives Success at Grocery Giant Tesco
22 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Does a big grocery retail chain have anything to learn from a leading automaker? Apparently so. Toyota, with its well-known emphasis on Lean supply-ch...
3D Printing: The Next Industrial Revolution?
15 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Is 3D printing poised to bring about ''the next industrial revolution?'' So says attorney John Hornick, author of a new book on th...
Should We Privatize the Nation's Air Traffic Control System?
08 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Supporters of a longtime proposal to privatize the U.S. Air Traffic Control system have failed again. But the issue is far from dead. The latest measu...
The Self-Driving Car Could Be Arriving Faster Than You Think
01 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We might not have to wait that long to see self-driving vehicles become a familiar sight on American roads and highways. By some estimates, the so-cal...
How to Avoid - and Defend - Supply-Chain Disputes
24 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Disputes with suppliers can be costly. Now there's a guide to avoiding them and defending against them when they do occur. Legal Blacksmith: H...
How to Move Production Out of China
18 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The reshoring of manufacturing from China is no longer in question. Whether that work ever makes it back to the U.S., however, is another matter entir...
After Paris: How Manufacturers Can Reduce Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions
11 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The Paris Climate Agreement resulted in a commitment by 195 countries to enact strict policies to address global climate change. Now manufacturers wil...
Customs Automation Is Finally Happening. Really!
04 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
After years of delay, the automation of importer filings, involving multiple government agencies, is upon us. Say hello to the ''Single Wind...
New Methods for Preventing Cargo Theft
26 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Law enforcement is hot on the trail of cargo thieves. But the thieves are hot on the trail of your shipments. It's a constant game of cat and mou...
IBM's Watson Knows What You're Going to Buy
19 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Winning $1m on Jeopardy! wasn't good enough for IBM's Watson. Now it wants to predict your buying behavior. Having racked up a victory in th...
Are You Training Your Employees Properly?
12 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There's a good chance that your corporate training program isn't up to snuff. Companies might think they have adequate training initiatives ...
Rating the World's Cleanest and Dirtiest Ships
05 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Want to make sure that your imports or exports are traveling on a ''clean'' ship? There's a way to do that. Shipping Efficien...
Coping With the Complexities of 'Free' Trade
29 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
They call it ''free'' trade, but the price of failing to properly manage one's imports and exports can be dangerously high. T...
Unleashing Your 'Inner Company': Keys to a Successful Start-up
22 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Starting up a business requires brains, heart and money but in the case of the last, not as soon as you might think. There's no lack of '...
Slowly, Supply Chain Comes to the C-Suite
15 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Are supply-chain managers finally getting the respect they deserve? A new four-year study by Professor Douglas Boateng of the University of South Afri...
How Technology Is Changing the Retail Experience
08 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Online shoppers are ready for a new wave of innovation in the e-commerce experience and retailers had better be ready, too. The P.R. and social mar...
How Intel Became 'A Supply Chain to Admire'
30 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Even the most dominant companies in the world need to take a look in the mirror now and then. Intel Corp. is no exception. Back in 2007, the company f...
Getting Schoolkids Interested in a Career in Supply Chain
18 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It's safe to say that no child yearns for a career in supply chain. But schools and educators are working to change that. The shift can be seen a...
Slow Down! Putting the Brakes on Fast Fashion
11 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Today's fashion industry is obsessed with getting product to store shelves quickly, changing out assortments constantly, and charging rock-bottom...
Virtual vs. Actual: The New Age of Supply-Chain Education
04 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to teaching the complexities of supply-chain management, is digital learning as effective as the traditional in-class experience? Actual...
How to Motivate Your Supplier to Enforce Human Rights
20 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Corporations pay lip service to enforcing human rights and fair working conditions in offshore factories. But the deaths and injuries continue. An est...
Game On: A New Tool for Supply-Chain Simulation
13 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Can playing a game help supply-chain managers cope with the uncertainties of the real world? Experts would say yes. As far back as the early 1960s, pr...
When Will the Drones Start Flying?
06 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Commercial delivery drones are in our future or so we're told. What will it take to make them a reality? Drone technology is advancing quickly...
The Reverse Supply Chain Comes Home
30 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
There's more to reshoring than simply moving a factory from Asia back to the U.S. Higher wages for Chinese factory workers, coupled with the head...