How AI and Historical Data Are Transforming Sustainable Manufacturing Artwork

Resilient Supply Chain — How Leaders Keep Business Moving

Resilient Supply Chain is for supply chain, operations, procurement and technology leaders who need practical ways to manage disruption, reduce risk and keep business moving.

Each Monday, former SAP Global VP and technology futurist Tom Raftery speaks with the executives, operators, founders and innovators redesigning how goods, information and decisions move through global supply chains.

These are candid conversations about what works in practice—not polished PR narratives or vague predictions. Guests explain how they are responding to supplier failures, geopolitical shocks, volatile costs, capacity constraints, changing regulations and rising pressure to improve both performance and sustainability.

The podcast examines:
Faster planning and decision-making under uncertainty
Supplier risk, sourcing strategy and business continuity
AI, automation, visibility and operational intelligence
Warehousing, logistics and fulfilment performance
Scope 3 emissions, circularity and responsible sourcing
The systems, incentives and organisational changes needed to turn data into action

The central question is simple: what helps a supply chain withstand disruption, adapt quickly and continue serving the business?

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Resilient Supply Chain — How Leaders Keep Business Moving

How AI and Historical Data Are Transforming Sustainable Manufacturing

December 09, 2024 • Tom Raftery / Aaron Lober • Season 2 • Episode 46

0:00 | 48:55

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In this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I’m joined by Aaron Lober, Vice President of Marketing at CADDi, to explore how data-driven manufacturing is reshaping the industry. Manufacturing, as we know, is the backbone of our global economy, but it’s grappling with challenges like rising costs, a retiring workforce, and the urgent need for sustainability. Aaron shares compelling insights into how leveraging historical data can help address these issues while improving efficiency and profitability.

We dive into CADDi’s innovative approach to manufacturing intelligence, which equips organisations with the tools to make smarter, faster decisions. By centralising decades of historical parts and production data, manufacturers can reduce procurement costs, optimise supply chains, and tackle the perennial question: Have we built this before?

Aaron also touches on the value of institutional knowledge as manufacturers face a wave of retirements in the coming years. We discuss practical strategies for preserving that knowledge through data systems, ensuring a seamless transfer to the next generation of workers.

Sustainability is, of course, a focal point. We talk about how manufacturers can integrate sustainable practices without sacrificing efficiency or profitability, from reshoring suppliers to using AI for carbon footprint analysis.

And looking ahead, Aaron predicts the transformative role of emerging technologies like AI in improving labour productivity, streamlining processes, and supporting better decision-making across the supply chain.

If you’re a manufacturer or supply chain professional, this episode is packed with actionable insights you won’t want to miss.

To download CADDi’s report mentioned in the episode, visit us.caddi.com.

Let me know what you think of the episode – what challenges or solutions resonated most with you?

If disruption hit tomorrow, would you know where your supply chain was most exposed? In 15 minutes my free scorecard helps you assess 27 resilience statements, calculate your score, and turn the result into three priorities and a 30 day action plan. You can download the scorecard free at tomraftery.com/scorecard.

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