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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, technology and sustainability analyst, keynote speaker and former SAP Global VP 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

Using AI to Build Resilient, Sustainable Supply Chains

April 28, 2025 • Tom Raftery • Season 2 • Episode 65

0:00 | 36:46

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In this episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I’m joined by Jen Chew, Vice President of Solutions and Consulting at Bristlecone. We get into a practical, no-nonsense conversation about where supply chain sustainability and AI adoption really stand today — beyond the hype.

Jen shares how the conversation around AI in supply chains has evolved from experimentation to meaningful implementation, with companies now systematically exploring real use cases like AI-driven sales and operations planning (SNOP). We also discuss the critical difference between traditional AI and generative AI, and why understanding that distinction matters when shaping supply chain strategies.

One key takeaway: sustainability doesn’t have to cost more — in fact, when approached holistically, it should drive efficiency, resilience, and cost savings. Jen explains why organisations need to focus on building data readiness and upgrading their workforce’s analytical skills if they want to succeed with AI and sustainability initiatives.

We also explore:

How AI is already improving supply chain decision-making today
Why sourcing strategies are under renewed pressure from shifting trade policies
How to spot real AI opportunities versus over-hyped features
What roles tools like DeepSeek and enterprise solutions like SAP Joule could play in democratising AI

If you're wondering how to future-proof your supply chain while navigating sustainability goals, regulatory volatility, and the flood of new AI tools, this is the episode for you.

Listen now to learn actionable insights that could make a real impact.

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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I'd like to sincerely thank this podcast's generous Subscribers:

Alicia Farag
Kieran Ognev
Gary Lynch

And remember you too can become a Resilient Supply Chain+ subscriber - it is really easy and hugely important as it will enable me to continue to create more excellent episodes like this one and give you access to bonus episodes of topical, timely supply chain resilience analysis.

🎤 Looking for a keynote speaker on supply chain resilience, AI, and sustainability?
I help leaders understand the forces reshaping global supply chains, from geopolitical disruption and climate risk to AI and real-time decision-making.

Download my Speaker Pack: https://tinyurl.com/spkrpck

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