Let's Talk Supply Chain

Alexia Vitali of Colibri S&OP talks about what they do; why most mid‑market companies still run on Excel; & making planning simple, collaborative & impactful.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[03.55] An introduction to Alexia and her journey moving from Europe to Canada to build Colibri's American presence.
"It's a bit like building a company inside a company… so the beginning was just about listening to planners and supply chain teams."
[06.37] An overview of Colibri S&OP – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers – and what makes them different.
"Our co-founders were used to implementing solutions like Colibri, but they were so tired of long implementations and never-ending projects..."
[10.19] The ideal customer for Colibri S&OP.
"It's not really the size that matters – it's the mindset."
[11.41] The biggest macro and micro challenges Colibri regularly see with their customers in 2026, and how their technology helps address these issues.
"We're seeing market volatility, margin pressure, supplier disruptions, and shorter decision cycles."
[16.17] What ROI looks like for Colibri customers, and why it goes deeper than simply cost savings.
[18.51] With 80% of mid‑market companies still running their S&OP on Excel, why businesses need to make a change, and Excel's key limitations.
"Excel is great! It's flexible, familiar. But it's great for what it was built for – and planning isn't what it was built for."
[22.53] Despite the challenges with Excel, why most of that 80% think they're 'not ready' for a planning tool, and the common misconceptions and fears Colibri often see around the alternatives, from failure to security.
"A lot of times people are traumatized by previous ERP implementations that went wrong!!"
[26.43] How Colibri are leveraging simulation to help organizations build better supply chain strategies and understand their business-wide impacts.
[29.58] A closer look at Colibri's supply and demand planning solutions – how they work, what teams can do with them, and what they look like versus Excel.
[33.38] How Colibri solutions can make people's jobs simpler and more collaborative, and drive impactful results at a business level.
"Everyone is working better together, but also better by themselves."
[37.52] Why AI is changing supply chain planning, but not in the way many people expected.
[40.10] A case study exploring how Colibri helped a cosmetics brand still using Excel, despite an international network and high complexity, reduce time spent on planning from 3 days to 3 hours, improve accuracy and service levels, and streamline processes.
[44.00] Alexia's final words of advice
 
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to Colibri S&OP's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Colibri S&OP and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Alexia on LinkedIn.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Trace Haggard of TSG Fleet talks about the freight downturn; what 2026 will bring; converting what you already own into opportunity; & building partnerships.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[04.07] A re-introduction to Trace and TSG Fleet.
[05.07] An overview of the prolonged freight recession: where it started, the factors driving it, and the impact on the industry.
"During the pandemic, the smartest brains in the industry were saying: "It's ecommerce forever, now!" We were proven wrong again, and fleets took another big hit. They had to pull back, but had all this equipment. There were more trucks, trailers, and containers than there was freight to move."
[09.14] Why businesses weren't prepared for just how long the freight recession has lasted.
[11.54] What the freight recession has meant for TSG Fleet, and how it led Trace to look at his business in a different way to review what was and wasn't working, and pivot.
"We lost track of what we were founded on."
[19.28] The evolution of technology in fleet management, and what TSG's investment in maintenance and repair visibility solutions means for customers.
[24.58] How TSG converted what they already own into their next big opportunity, why communication and collaboration is critical, and the importance of challenging the status quo to position for the future and identify new opportunities, without huge investments in time and money.
"It all starts with constant communication with our customers, and always being willing to collaborate."
[27.52] TSG's approach to creating impactful, long-lasting strategic partnerships.
"The key is to talk less and listen more!"
[31.25] Trace's advice for other businesses, looking at their operations in a tough landscape, for how to start identifying opportunities to pivot.
"Figuring out 'how did we get here?' was the eye-opener for me."
[33.33] What businesses with aging assets need to do next to keep their fleet moving, when budgets and new equipment availability are tight and replacement lead times are long.
[36.30] The future for TSG Fleet, and what we can expect from the market in 2026.
"There's been a huge surge in volumes in domestic freight. Usually, when the tide changes and we're on an upward swing, we see a lot more port activity and we haven't seen that yet. But that could be tariff uncertainty. I'm optimistic."
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to TSG Fleet's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with TSG and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Trace on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from TSG Fleet, check out 431: Fleet Logistics Made Easy, with TSG Fleet.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Aadil Kazmi of Infios talks about purposeful innovation; intelligent execution; tech readiness; and turning AI into measurable business outcomes.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[02.14] An introduction to Aadil, and an overview of Infios.
"Supply chains run best when operators can execute them on a single stack."
[03.20] How Aadil's experience at Amazon sparked an entrepreneurial journey that ultimately led him to Infios.
"When retailers and shippers offered faster shipping to their end customers, cart values and repeat rates went through the roof. That led me deep into supply chain..."
[05.17] Aadil's focus in his role as Head of AI, what excites him, and what keeps him up at night.
"We're using our own tools internally to produce what our customers will eventually use."
[08.32] What purposeful innovation means to Infios, and the big unlock that happened three years ago that changed the game for AI.
"We partner with customers to develop only use case driven AI workflows."
"Purposeful innovation is looking at what workflows within our business depend on unstructured data and reasoning, and focusing on those for AI automation... Not everything is a fit for Gen AI."
[12.08] What AI agents mean in the context of supply chain, how they're being used now, and how we can understand automation through a three-level phased framework.
[15.31] How AI agents compare to traditional automation, and how businesses can decide which is the right fit for each challenge or workflow.
"When companies embark on their automation journey, they should start with the highest leverage ROI workflows that have the lowest risk factor."
[19.15] The challenge of organizational debt, and leaning into AI readiness by connecting people's tribal knowledge to contextualize AI decision-making.
[21.41] How Infios are meeting customers where they are to overcome technology debt with intelligent orchestration.
[24.55] What Aadil's Executive Roundtable at Manifest uncovered about intelligent supply chain, and how to get the most from AI adoption.
"You can't just throw AI at a problem… The best way to adopt AI is to actually pull the workflow and, from a first principles perspective, re-engineer it from the ground up to be AI native."
[28.31] Why technology readiness is still a big constraint on connected execution, and why AI ambition is yet to meet execution reality.
[29.23] How businesses can move toward intelligent connected supply chain execution to turn purposeful AI into business outcomes, and how to measure success.
[33.17] What teams should do now as they plan for the year ahead.
 
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to Infios' website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Infios and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Aadil on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Infios, check out 520: Enter the New Era of Supply Chain Management, with Infios.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Don Durm of PLM Fleet talks about what they do; maximizing fleet flexibility; cold supply chain challenges; & leveraging trailer telematics for success.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[03.30] An overview of PLM Fleet and how they help their customers, and an introduction to Don and his 30+ year career, from law enforcement to supply chain.
"We breathe cold chain!.. We help people manage risk, save time and money, and make big decisions."
[08.58] PLM's 'personalized lifecycle management approach,' and what their consultative problem identification, solution development, onboarding and integration process typically looks like.
"We work backwards to your service promises and cost targets. The challenge in the leasing world is that companies out there ask customers to live in their world, the financial world… We have a more holistic approach."
[14.25] From regulatory pressures to tariffs, the biggest challenges for PLM and their customers in the cold supply chain.
"We're in the midst of a great freight recession."
[18.55] Why OEM lead times for trailers and TRUs are increasingly stretched, the factors driving the delays, and how they impact refrigerated fleets and their strategies to scale and replace assets.
"Trailers have never been older than they are today. And, when a trailer gets that old, things start to break – expensive things."
"My message to the industry: put your orders in now!"
[24.21] How PLM's flexible rental and leasing solutions help customers right-size or stabilize their fleets, particularly in an environment where OEM availability is tight and demand cycles are fluctuating.
[28.07] The regulatory changes reducing the number of drivers on the road, the impacts PLM anticipate in the cold chain, and how they can help.
"Once the impact fully hits, capacity will tighten up. Fleets that were working on tighter margins, and utilizing these drivers, will start to go out of business."
[32.32] PLM's ColdLink and TrustLink technology-enabled solutions, and how they're leveraging trailer telematics to deliver results for customers.
"Don't manage the 150 trailers you've got out by looking at 150. Manage the one you've got a problem with – set your exceptions… People do what you inspect, not what you expect."
[38.13] How PLM use telematics to track emissions.
[39.25] A selection of case studies exploring how PLM help clients reduce carbon, save fuel, and reduce costs with their solutions, from a shift to electric vehicles to old-to-new replacement.
"Nobody goes green until it pays green."
[43.53] Don's final words of advice.
"This period of time is all about managing risk. Do you really want to put your money into an asset that's going to depreciate immediately?"
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to PLM Fleet's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with PLM Fleet and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube or Facebook, or you can connect with Don on LinkedIn.
EXCLUSIVE OFFER: Get: 10% off a rental order with PLM Fleet until March 31. Quote *PLM Rental LTSC.*
Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Carlos Perico of ProcureAbility talks about supply chain resilience in 2026; tariffs & disruption; supplier relationships; & key strategies for the future.   
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[03.47] An introduction to Carlos, and how his international experiences helped shape his career.
"I'm passionate about travel, culture, food – and my career has supported that... My career has been very relationship driven, and that international exposure has helped me tremendously."
[07.40] An overview of ProcureAbility – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.
[09.11] The current landscape of ongoing disruption, the biggest industry challenges in 2026, and Carlos's advice to help businesses stay on top.
"Change is the only constant… We're getting more resilient – because of practice! But the impact is real."
[15.16] What supply chain resilience really means in 2026, the power of strategic partnerships, and the importance of traceability.
"It means knowing your risk and how you can manage it. And it implies you understand there's disruption ahead – in supply chain, we can't be naïve… 'Things will change and I need to adapt' should be your operational model."
"You need to have strategic partners. You need to understand your supply chain… Can we invest together, share information, co-create so we're more agile together?.. It's in our best interests to work closely, but that doesn't come easy."
[26.20] What ProcureAbility's recent survey, in partnership with ProcureCon, reveals about the biggest challenges in 2026, and how supply chain leaders are navigating impacts from disruptions to shortages.
[32.18] With tariff instability set to continue in 2026, how the issue interplays with other core industry challenges.
"There's a lot more cost. But that hasn't completely translated to the consumer… The market was expecting it to be worse. That tells me that the middle guy is the one absorbing that, and CEO's are hoping they can ride the wave. That's not sustainable."
[35.36] How equipped organizations actually are to adapt to tariff instability.
"The lack of visibility is the biggest risk."
[38.01] Changing supplier relationships: what organizations now expect from their suppliers, whether or not suppliers are actually meeting those expectations, and why it's crucial to remember that the best client-supplier relationships are two-way.
[44.03] The next steps listeners should take to navigate disruption and resilience in 2026.
 
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to ProcureAbility's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with ProcureAbility and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Carlos on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed the show and want to hear more from ProcureAbility, check out 462: Procurement Unlocked: Sourcing Best Practices in a Tariff-Driven World, with ProcureAbility.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.