National Supply Chain Day ®

Celebrating Global Excellence in Innovative Leadership

[National Supply Chain Day ® @NationalSCDay]

#NSCD #supplychain

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

[REPLAY] Celebrating National Supply Chain Day 2026 https://t.co/w3VXKdVJ0k

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

For supply chain leaders, staying on top of weather developments is paramount. Severe storms, heat waves, floods, you name it - - they all can disrupt transportation lanes, port operations, production schedules, and energy availability with little notice. By closely monitoring weather patterns and forecasts, supply chain pros can proactively reroute shipments, adjust inventory positions, ensure workforce safety, and communicate earlier with customers and ecosystem partners. In an era of tighter margins and higher customer expectations, weather awareness isn’t just about risk mitigation - - it’s a competitive advantage that helps keep goods moving when conditions are anything but normal.

Business leaders rely on all sorts of news outlets to stay apprised of weather forecasts & developments. Recently, I’ve learned about how T-Mobile has partnered with some of the biggest national news outlets to take their field coverage to the next level. Using SuperMobile, reporters & meteorologists covering some of the most disruptive weather events out in the field will be able to take advantage of: optimized network performance, built-in security, and satellite coverage well beyond the grid.

That means the rest of us can stay better informed - - and lean on faster & more accurate weather information for optimized decision-making across supply chains everywhere.

Learn more here: https://t.co/UY1WA8VUhS

@TMobileBusiness partner

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

Retail is at a pivotal moment: returns are no longer a backroom headache. They’re a front-line retail strategy. Deborah Dull and I hosted a terrific conversation on Supply Chain Now that featured long-time leaders from the retail world that unpacked how reverse logistics is reshaping margins, merchandising, and customer loyalty.

Scot Case framed the shift in unmistakably commercial terms: “Sustainability is a nice to have, but you absolutely have to focus on the financial impacts.” For retailers navigating tighter margins, tariff pressures, and elevated e-commerce returns, reverse logistics is becoming a lever to recover value, protect profitability, and meet consumer expectations - - all at once.

Tony Sciarrotta addressed the long-standing stigma around the function: “Nobody wants to talk about returns.” Yet in today’s omnichannel environment, returns are inseparable from the customer experience. With most returned products still fully functional, retailers have an opportunity to design smarter pathways (think resale, refurbishment, recommerce, etc) that strengthen brand trust while reducing waste.

Deborah highlighted the operational reality inside retail organizations, calling reverse “the supply chain tucked in the corner.” Small teams are managing enormous complexity across stores, distribution centers, digital channels, and secondary markets. Meanwhile, younger consumers are increasingly checking resale value before buying, signaling that circularity is influencing purchase decisions at the shelf and online cart alike.

The retail takeaway: forward and reverse supply chains can no longer operate separately. By elevating returns strategy, retailers can turn a traditional cost center into a competitive differentiator, driving revenue recovery, operational efficiency, and stronger customer relationships.

Beyond this great conversation (on demand, see link below), and on a related note, I’m intrigued with the $112B++ shrinkage problem that retailers are faced with. Just like with returns management & reverse logistics in the retail industry, legacy tools won’t cut the mustard when it comes to loss prevention and protecting the bottom line.

@TMobileBusiness is doing some intriguing things to help retailers of all sizes mitigate the shrinkage risk, while optimizing their success. AI-enabled cameras, automated insights & alerts, seamless device connectivity - - all that and more.

To learn more: check out what T-Mobile for Business is doing in retail: https://t.co/2kFFTR3Lf9

#retail #supplychain T-Mobile for Business Partner

[Supply Chain Now @_supplychainnow]

How WiseTech Is Compounding Advantages Across Global Trade https://t.co/Xl9uX4yme1

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

The Buzz for April 6th https://t.co/HJeZAyQNge

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

If you know Mike Griswold from Gartner, then you'll know a couple of things about him: ONE: he's an extremely sharp individual that can provide very astute observations & analysis on global supply chain. And TWO: Mike loves golf and basketball; in fact, on the latter, he's been coaching women's basketball for years.

In our latest monthly podcast recording (which BTW: I discovered that these date back to December 2019 - - sheesh!), Mike put me on to the wonderful Coach Kara Lawson, who has just about done it all in the game of basketball, as both a player and coach. But in particular, as we were discussing CSCO priorities, as well as what boardrooms STILL get wrong about supply chain management: one of the things that Mike shared was "you gotta go find the 3 minute clip of Coach Lawson talking about how to 'handle hard better'".

So I did. And I was richly rewarded with common sense, practical & inspirational perspective that applies to basketball & just about anything else in this journey, including supply chain. As you see here, Coach Lawson essentially encourages her players not just to "get through" tough times - - but to get better THROUGH tough times, so that they can not just handle the even TOUGHER times coming up next - - but continue to thrive and aim for what's next.

Hmmm. Supply chain folks can feel that in their bones! 2025 gave organizations plenty of ways to find that next gear, as they grinded through all sorts of challenges.

And then 2026 hit, with some even tougher challenges - - just like Coach Lawson says it happens in life.

Folks, give this wonderful coaching moment - - "coach 'em up" moment - - a view. I hope you have a Coach Lawson in your corner; we all do! But this clip is some of the best Good News I've seen this week. With lots of universal truths, on time and in full.

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

Wednesday morning rundown...let's dive in:

I was in my local Kroger last night (for the 7th time this week already). And I noticed that they had shut down 1 of the 2 self-check out areas...and customers were lining up at 830pm ET to check out. No bueno.

So I called in to the store on my way home, to inquire. I must say: I didn't expect to have a positive, consequential conversation. But Colette answered the phone, as the supervisor on duty. And she patiently (and thoroughly) walked me through a wide range of factors, including how the nice flash of early spring weather here in Kroger happens to change consumer shopping behaviors, shifting some of the volume - - and they are still attempting to staff appropriately. That was just one of 12 factors she shared with me. And a disappointing one: customers are yelling at Colette and her staff regularly, as they attempt to shift with the patterns while balancing other constraints.

I hung up impressed AND with a newfound commitment to PTK every day (patience, tolerance, kindness). Maybe you will too?

On to other things:

- - Seen in the WSJ Logistics Report this morning: "Diesel prices for U.S. truckers rose by a record 25% this past week, an ominous sign for retailers and manufacturers juggling tariffs and bracing for higher shipping costs as the Iran war continues." Also, no bueno.

- - Speaking of tariffs, this potential refund matter is such a mess. Oh my, all the litigation will be a hourly fee/retainer bonanza! As you may know, one of my favs is Costco, who has found themselves front and center in the tariff fiasco. Reported by Supply Chain Dive,  Costco CEO Ron Vachris said last week: "As we’ve done in the past, when legal challenges have recovered charges ... our commitment will be to find the best way to return this value to our members through lower prices and better values. We’ll be transparent in how we plan to do this, if and when we receive any refunds.” I'd like my refund in hot dogs & pizza (no, no, my diet won't allow it).

- - Yesterday, I spent time with a brilliant duo: Akhilesh Agarwal & William McNeill with apexanalytix (@apexanalytix) . They have recently released a terrific whitepaper entitled: "The Quantum Paradox: Separating Hype From Reality for Supply Chain Leaders". Amongst many other things, learned a new acronym (that you should too): HNDL aka "harvest now, decrypt later". Folks, we are approaching a radical new era with quantum computing. Steps must be taken NOW. See the link here (and podcast drops soon on Supply Chain Now): https://t.co/BNlSKmHg99

- - Mark your calendars, National Supply Chain Day® is April 29th. And our SCN team is excited to include new awards this year, recognizing some of the most incredible leaders in global industry. One of my favs is the "Do Good, Give Forward, Be the Change" Award for those leaders out there going the 2nd (and 3rd mile) to serve others in a meaningful fashion. Come join us folks. Link: https://t.co/iWo1Ck2M7m

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

I get a ton of inbound pitches. I bet many of you do too. Folks trying to make it happen. Hey, most of what happens in global business all starts with a closed sale & I respect the hustle. I must say, I get a chuckle out of my inbox every once in a while: from the person that wants to move my non-existent containers to new automation for my non-existent factory floor. Even had someone offer to help me make podcasts. Okay, I'll never be able to dunk a basketball or run a 7 minute mile in this journey of mine, but I THINK I've got the podcast thing down. 😀

But it's the little things in life. And Emily here sent me the first poem I've ever gotten in an inbound note. It was a unique "pattern interrupt" & I replied back, admiring her iambic pentameter & wit, while politely sharing that we weren't a good prospect for her.

And it reminded me for the 1 millionth time, that a "no" is almost as good as a "yes". No one wants to waste time...and clarity is a blessing. I'd rather Emily spend her valuable time on someone that is likely to say YES! It may sound counterintuitive, but getting a big fat NO can be some of the best Good News you'll get all week.

A few other items to share:

👉 Loved reconnecting with @jennyfroome & friends this week, as we shared all about the wonderful Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards (@_ASCEA). Entries close 4/26 - see link below in comments.

👉 Interviewed quite a duo in Dr. Raymon Krishnan & Brett Marshall, who are doing big things with the LogiSYM organization. Love how they empower professional development & networking, while fostering action-oriented leadership for moving global supply chain forward.

👉 My oldest daughter got her first real pay check this week - - she was a big disappointed: "Why do I have to pay all these taxes?!?"

👉 I'll be with the project44 team & friends at their Decision44 event in April in Chicago, a premier global event where technology, data, and execution come together to redefine what’s possible for your business. See link below. I enjoyed interviewing Jett McCandless at Gartner last year - - and look forward to reconnecting soon.

👉 On "The Buzz" on Monday, I'm joined by the brilliant Karen Betancourt, as we talk about a wide variety of news and developments. Plus, we'll be joined by Tracey Hyatt Bosman, CEcD, CRE®, CSSC for an informative manufacturing industry update. Link below.

👉 MODEX will be here soon, hosted by @poweredbymhi. I look forward to interviewing lots of movers & shakers on Podcast Row, near our neighbors Kevin Lawton, CLTD and Ralph Henderson. They are expecting close to 40,000 attendees this year. Link below (free to attend!)

👉 Big news: the one & only Billy Ray Taylor is keynoting our annual National Supply Chain Day® event on 4/29. Come join us - link below.

👉 Special "With That Said" coming up this weekend, as Mary Kate Love, Katherine Hintz, MBA and Amanda Luton all share intriguing perspective on Women's History Month (and more). Link below.

[Supply Chain Now @_supplychainnow]

Why do AI projects fail on the factory floor?

🎧 @ScottwLuton & guest host Wiley Jones of @Doss_hq sit down with Garuth Acharya of 8090 Industries to talk clean data, operating discipline, & building AI that actually delivers value.

▶️ Catch the replay: https://t.co/yfAAwLuu2S

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

200+ mph cars. Millisecond decisions. Zero room for dropped connections.

Love the story (and business lesson) here.

Perhaps the only thing moving faster than current business velocity is McLaren Racing. Meanwhile, I still drive just 55.

T-Mobile for Business Partner

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

Today marks an exciting milestone and an extraordinary new chapter for Supply Chain Now. I’m very proud to share that Mary Kate Love has been promoted to President of our organization, effective January 1, 2026.

Mary Kate has been a driving force behind our growth & success: helping expand our audience to more than 1 million supply chain professionals, strengthening our partnerships, developing new products, and sharpening our focus on delivering real value for both practitioners and brands. Mary Kate's leadership, along with our team's brilliant contributions, helped create our most successful year yet in 2025 at Supply Chain Now.

Equally as important, we’re entering 2026 supported by an exceptional advisory bench - - leaders that have moved mountains and driven innovation in supply chain & digital media. Visionary business leaders that have truly helped shape the industry: Enrique Alvarez, Jake Barr, Karin Bursa and Jason Hoch.

Combined with Amanda Luton & Katherine Hintz, MBA (production and sales leaders at SCN, respectively), this extraordinary team positions Supply Chain Now for more meaningful, purpose-driven growth in 2026, scaling what works while staying true to our mission: amplifying real supply chain voices through authentic, practitioner-led conversations.

And doing a lot more good; being a lot more change; and giving a lot more forward. Stay tuned, because we've got a few more things up our sleeve.

Excited for what’s ahead. 🚀

Follow us at @_supplychainnow .

More details:
https://t.co/6eLyu6F6cX

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

The future of energy is changing fast — and @SchneiderElec is leading the way.

I just returned from Innovation Summit North America 2025, hosted in Las Vegas, where 2,500+ leaders gathered to tackle skyrocketing energy demand, AI-driven power consumption, and the urgent need to modernize our grid.

In this new video, Ishare my top takeaways — the why, the what, and the so what — including:

- - How AI is driving massive new energy need

- - Schneider Electric’s breakthroughs in electrification, automation & digital intelligence

- - Why energy efficiency is quickly becoming much more than a competitive advantage

Watch the recap to see why Schneider Electric is the trusted energy technology partner shaping the future. See link in comments below.

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

As I wrapped Day 1 of the Innovation Summit North America 2025, powered by @SchneiderElec - I have been pondering some of the data points that have been part of my conversations here:

- - The U.S. alone will need to find some 200 GW of new energy capacity by 2030.

- - HALF of that new demand is driven by AI (you knew that already!)

- - To put it into some sort of perspective, as shared a while back by the DOE: Marty McFly drove Doc Brown’s supercool DeLorean back to the future, which required 1.21 gigawatts per trip.

- - But that aside: one gigawatt-hour of energy would power roughly 750,000 homes for an hour. It’s not a perfect science, and has lots of variables, but that is a good general rule of thumb.

To meet these colossal energy needs (that grow by the hour), we must embrace a different approach. That’s where Schneider Electric comes in, as this trusted energy technology partner for industry is driving innovation and transformation out across global business. Stay tuned, as the organization is rolling out exciting new developments to help businesses, big and small, find a more successful, scalable, sustainable path forward.

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

It’s a wrap! The Innovation Summit North America 2025, which was powered by @SchneiderElec, was an incredible, thought-provoking experience.

As I share in this video, one of the highlights of my time at the event in Las Vegas was touring the Innovation Park (three times, I think!). The Innovation Park was a large, 45,000-square-foot exhibit space where attendees could engage in hands-on demonstrations and explore cutting-edge technologies and solutions related to energy management, automation, AI, and sustainable infrastructure. Industry leaders and experts provided insights and practical strategies within this interactive environment. I am pretty sure I left the Park with 3 new certifications.

However, two of my favorite themes that emerged from ISNA2025 weren’t necessarily technology-focused - - and they really reinforced what I already know to be true:

- - The most successful companies in the world know that one of the best ways of optimizing innovation & resilience is by investing in their supply chain ecosystem. I think Schneider Electric illustrates that perfectly. As just one example, the company is working closely with thousands of its suppliers to explore new supply chain decarbonization approaches. Innovations & outcomes certainly come out of these investments, but more importantly, they build trust. And you can move mountains with trust.

- - Digital transformation starts with the powerful human factor. And there are tremendous opportunities available, especially to those who are willing to: Learn, Apply, & Volunteer. Those amongst us who are willing to learn and apply something new every day, as well as volunteer for new projects & initiatives: the sky is the limit. As Tom Wilk with Plant Services mentioned to me, the theme of this golden age of supply chain tech should be the lyrics from a John Fogerty song: “Oh, put me in, coach! I'm ready to play today.”

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews, details & perspectives via Supply Chain Now in the weeks ahead. We’ve got a lot of good stuff coming up, including my sit-down with Mourad Tamoud, CSCO at Schneider Electric, where, amongst many things, I get his proven perspective on how to build supply chains that perform under pressure. Mourad’s response would make David Bowie & Freddie Mercury proud!

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

As I wrapped Day 1 of the Innovation Summit North America 2025, powered by our friends at @SchneiderElec, I have been pondering some of the data points that have been part of my conversations here:

💥 The U.S. alone will need to find some 200 GW of new energy capacity by 2030.

💥 HALF of that new demand is driven by AI (you knew that already!)

💥 Data centers that power AI can create up to 10x more heat - requiring all sorts of new cooling requirements & management technology

But I want to go back to those 200 gigawatts we’ve gotta find somewhere by 2030. Just what the heck is a gigawatt?

💥 To put it into some sort of perspective, as shared a while back by the DOE: Marty McFly drove Doc Brown’s supercool DeLorean back to the future, which required 1.21 gigawatts per trip.

💥 But that aside: one gigawatt-hour of energy would power roughly 750,000 homes for an hour. It’s not a perfect science, and has lots of variables, but that is a good general rule of thumb.

To meet these colossal energy needs (that grow by the hour), we must embrace a different approach. That’s where Schneider Electric comes in, as this trusted energy technology partner for industry is driving innovation and transformation out across global business. Stay tuned, as the organization is rolling out exciting new developments to help businesses, big and small, find a more successful, scalable, sustainable path forward.

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews, details & perspectives coming via @_supplychainnow in the weeks ahead.

#schneiderelectric #SchneiderElectricInnovationSummit #ISNA2025 #InnovationSummitLasVegas #EnergyTechLeaders #ad

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

It’s a wrap! The Innovation Summit North America 2025, which was powered by our friends at @SchneiderElec, was an incredible, thought-provoking experience.

As I share in this video, one of the highlights of my time at the event in Las Vegas was touring the Innovation Park (three times, I think!). The Innovation Park was a large, 45,000-square-foot exhibit space where attendees could engage in hands-on demonstrations and explore cutting-edge technologies and solutions related to energy management, automation, AI, and sustainable infrastructure. Industry leaders and experts provided insights and practical strategies within this interactive environment. I am pretty sure I left the Park with 3 new certifications. 😀

However, two of my favorite themes that emerged from #ISNA2025 weren’t necessarily technology-focused - - and they really reinforced what I already know to be true:

⚡ The most successful companies in the world know that one of the best ways of optimizing innovation & resilience is by investing in their supply chain ecosystem. I think Schneider Electric illustrates that perfectly. As just one example, the company is working closely with thousands of its suppliers to explore new supply chain decarbonization approaches. Innovations & outcomes certainly come out of these investments, but more importantly, they build trust. And you can move mountains with trust.

⚡ Digital transformation starts with the powerful human factor. And there are tremendous opportunities available, especially to those who are willing to: Learn, Apply, & Volunteer. Those amongst us who are willing to learn and apply something new every day, as well as volunteer for new projects & initiatives: the sky is the limit. As Tom Wilk with Plant Services mentioned to me, the theme of this golden age of supply chain tech should be the lyrics from a John Fogerty song: “Oh, put me in, coach! I'm ready to play today.”

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews, details & perspectives via @_supplychainnow in the weeks ahead. We’ve got a lot of good stuff coming up, including my sit-down with Mourad TAMOUD, CSCO at Schneider Electric, where, amongst many things, I get his proven perspective on how to build supply chains that perform under pressure. Mourad’s response would make David Bowie & Freddie Mercury proud!

#ad #schneiderelectric #SchneiderElectricInnovationSummit #ISNA2025 #InnovationSummitLasVegas #EnergyTechLeaders

[Supply Chain Now @_supplychainnow]

Breaking News Now: Release of AutoScheduler's New Warehouse Decision Agent https://t.co/E2gW3hD92E

[Scott W. Luton @ScottWLuton]

Here in 2025, I chose to reinvent our industry event strategy & approach. As everyone knows, you can attend a supply chain-related event every day of the week - - and NEVER get work done! 😃

However, some of the industry events out there offer very meaningful programming, networking, professional development and market intel gathering - - that you really miss out on if you don't venture out. I've been in the space for over 20 years & love to connect with folks in person. There's TONS of Good News in that fellowship & in those conversations.

So this year, we did our homework & carefully chose a handful of very targeted events, based on a variety of factors. And it has been a very successful & rewarding experiment. But we're not done. We still have a variety of events that we'll be at through the end of the year.

With that in mind, we created this message that highlights three of the next events we look forward to participating in - along with a couple of highlights on each:

👉 CHAINge North America 2025 - September 9-10, powered by the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM). Held in Columbus, OH. @ascm_hq

👉 AME International Conference - October 6-9, powered by the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME). I love the manufacturing industry & reflect back on my experiences in that industry often. Held in St. Louis. @AMEConnect

👉 Gartner Supply Chain Planning Summit in Denver - December 2-3, powered by Gartner for Supply Chain. The power of focus! And if we are gonna focus on any one thing: supply chain planning would be on the short list, right? @Gartner_inc

Folks, let me know what top events are on your schedule the rest of the year. We are still adding (judiciously) to ours. Unlike Evelyn Quan Wang, I cannot be everything everywhere all at once - - but I try to be somethings in some places here and there.

BTW: you can keep up with our event travels, interviews & content via our Supply Chain Now website. We have a big new site rolling out soon, but for now: https://t.co/owXfmXGurd

Folks - have a great weekend. Lend a helping hand to someone in need. Life is short. Be nice. 🙌

[Supply Chain Now @_supplychainnow]

@ScottWLuton is in Cape Town at the SAPICS Annual Conference, where he spent time this morning with Thato Moloi, President of SAPICS. Stay tuned as we publish these interviews in the weeks ahead. #supplychain #africa @jennyfroome @SAPICS01

[Supply Chain Now @_supplychainnow]

Cal State Long Beach celebrates all the supply chain pros making the world run smoother—today and every day. Happy @NationalSCDay!

#NationalSupplyChainDay #CSULB #SupplyChainStrong #SCNCommunity