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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?

New episodes are published every Monday at 7am CET. Resilient Supply Chain+ subscribers also receive bonus analysis, highlights and briefings on emerging industry trends.

Follow Resilient Supply Chain for practical lessons from the people solving real operational problems—and building supply chains that perform when conditions do not go to plan.

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Resilient Supply Chain — How Leaders Keep Business Moving

The Sustainability Thread: Connecting Data, Compliance & Action

March 17, 2025 • Tom Raftery / Klaus Brettschneider • Season 2 • Episode 59

0:00 | 31:02

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The Sustainability Thread: Digitalising Supply Chain Sustainability

In this episode of The Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I sit down with Klaus Brettschneider, Director of Sustainability Products at Linx-AS, to explore how digitalisation is transforming sustainability management. Klaus introduces the concept of the sustainability thread—an evolution of the digital thread—that connects sustainability data across an organisation, enabling businesses to move beyond compliance and embed sustainability into product lifecycle management (PLM).

We discuss the challenges companies face, from fragmented data to complex supply chains, and how automation can streamline processes like carbon accounting and lifecycle assessments. Klaus shares insights on regulatory pressures such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), highlighting how businesses must align their IT strategies with sustainability goals to stay ahead.

We also cover:
✅ Why sustainability reporting is overwhelming teams—and how to fix it
✅ The role of AI, IoT, and blockchain in supply chain transparency
✅ Why industries like steel and cement are progressing, while agriculture struggles
✅ The importance of supplier collaboration in tracking sustainability data

Klaus argues that digitalisation is the missing link in supply chain sustainability. If companies want to make meaningful progress, they must digitise sustainability data, integrate it into their processes, and ensure seamless data flow across their value chains.

📌 Listen now and learn how to future-proof your sustainability strategy!

Here is the the Sustainability Thread white paper Klaus referenced on the podcast

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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