The Chain Podcast

The Secret Life of Your Package

Ready to unbox the world of packaging? Abe Eshkenazi and Professor Doug Thomas dive into the intricate world of packaging and delivery.
Discover the fascinating process behind assembling, storing and shipping your orders. Tune in now to learn more about the secrets of your package and the power of visibility and traceability.  
 
Did you know visibility and traceability is the #6 need-to-know supply chain trend of 2025? Leading supply chain organizations are leveraging advanced technologies to enhance visibility and traceability across their operations.
If you want to prepare yourself and your company to face the challenges ahead, download ASCM's Top 10 Supply Chain Trends of 2025. 
Want more supply chain knowledge? Visit ASCM.org.
For more details on The Chain Podcast visit ascm.org/podcast
Register for CHAINge now and join supply chain leaders from around the globe at ASCM's transformative supply chain conference.

Tariff Predictions

Kicking off 2025, we are talking tariffs. Join ASCM CEO, Abe Eshkenazi, and special guest, Alastair Charatan, as they give their tariff predictions. 
 
We examine the proposed tariffs and their potential effects on supply chains and consumers. Our discussion sheds light on the broader implications for global trade and the economy. 
 
Did you know global trade is the #2 need-to-know supply chain trend of 2025? Global trade dynamics and geopolitical policies continue to evolve, posing significant supply chain challenges. If you want to prepare yourself and your company to face the challenges ahead, download ASCM's Top 10 Supply Chain Trends of 2025. 
 
Want more supply chain knowledge? Visit ASCM.org.
For more details on The Chain Podcast visit ascm.org/podcast
Register for CHAINge now and join supply chain leaders from around the globe at ASCM's transformative supply chain conference.

Be Fearless, Not Flawless: The Retail Revolution

The supply chain touches everything, even the clothes on your back!
Join us as we explore the complex world of retail supply chains in this episode of ASCM's The Chain podcast. Dive into the conversation with our guest, Frankie Mossman, CCO of Dropit. She reveals the challenges retailers face on a day-to-day basis to bring you the latest goods and threads for your wardrobe. 
“From the shirt on your back to the shoes on your feet, the modern apparel industry hinges on an effective supply chain. In this episode,  Abe and I take a clear-eyed look at the increasingly complex apparel supply chain and ask a critical question: how can we in the apparel and retail industry move toward a brighter, more sustainable future? “ - Frankie Mossman.

Sci-Fi and Supply Chain -- A Lesson in Resilience, Part 2

Welcome (back) to part two of our series on supply chain futurecasting.
We continue our conversation with our guest, Brian David Johnson. This time, we discuss:
What are the future stressors for the supply chain?
How will the next generation of professionals shape supply chains?
How can organizations implement futurecasting in their businesses today?
 
Want more supply chain knowledge? Visit ASCM.org.
For more details on The Chain Podcast visit ascm.org/podcast
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Sci-Fi and Supply Chain: A Lesson in Resilience, Part 1

“You know when you’re watching sci-fi movies, and the heroes enter a grocery store and see empty shelves, you know the zombies are coming.” -Brian David Johnson
What does sci-fi have to do with the supply chain? Well, supply chains' inner workings were non-existent for the average consumer. But, as soon as there’s a toilet paper shortage, suddenly this invisible link comes into full view. There is always going to be disruptions.  Supply chains and the people who run them, find their resilience in their preparation for the future.
Our guest, Brian David Johnson, shares his expertise as a Futurist and Threatcaster for leading tech organizations and how that translates to supply chains and consumers.
Part one of this two-part episode will explore:
What is futurecasting, threatcasting, and scenario planning?
How does futurecasting function in supply chain?
How have disruptions changed the mindsets of consumers and businesses?

The Rise of Eco-tourism and a Lesson in Sustainability from Antarctica

Sustainability, supply chains, and Antarctica?  
Listen to episode two of The Chain Podcast, recorded live from ASCM Connect: North America Conference 2024.
Abe Eshkenazi invited eco-tourism expert and executive producer, Richard Crawford, to share how one of the world's coldest, driest, most remote places is helping lead the charge in creating sustainable supply chains. 
To get the full picture of how to operate supply chains in Antarctica, visit our YouTube page and watch the episode on demand.
Ready to elevate your supply chain and achieve sustainability goals? Download the ASCM Enterprise Standards for Sustainability today and gain a competitive edge in the global market.

Supply Chain: A Consumer Story

How do you tell a story about global supply chains? It's easier said than done. For The Chain's inaugural episode, host and ASCM's CEO, Abe Eshkenazi, is joined by the creative minds at WAG Entertainment to discuss how they created the soon to be released documentary, The Chain.
The documentary is a six part series that breaks down how some of the most critical industries create the products and services we use everyday. 
Hear how working on the docuseries opened the documentarian's eyes to the hidden world of supply chains. Learn how they made the docuseries, the stories it presents and the communities influenced by our global supply chains — and why we must all understand the intricacies of this system to create a better world.

The reBound: That's All Folks

Abe Eshkenazi and Bob Trebilcock launched The reBound in the spring of 2020 with a simple goal: In the thick of the pandemic, let’s highlight the best of what’s happening in an industry grappling with labor challenges, parts shortages and unpredictable shutdowns.  
After four years and nearly 70 guests, now was the time to look back at those guests and events that left a lasting impression on us as ASCM charts a new course for the podcast. Be sure to listen wherever you get your podcasts. And thanks for your support.

The reBound: How Pitney Bowes is Innovating with Autonomous Vehicles

On this episode of The reBound, Stephanie Cannon joins Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, and Bob Trebilcock, consulting editor of Supply Chain Management Review, to discuss a new approach to mid-mile deliveries in the e-commerce supply chain. Cannon is the senior vice president of operations excellence and collaborative innovation at Pitney Bowes, where her team is working with the startup community to bring in high levels of automatic sortation and robotics to its distribution centers and now autonomous trucks to deliver parcels from its distribution centers to USPS depots in several states.
Cannon explains why one of the world’s leaders in global shipping and mailing decided to adopt autonomous trucks; how it worked with a solution provider to design a system for autonomous deliveries; and how it piloted and is now rolling out the fleet of trucks in multiple locations.

The reBound: Looking for Talent In All the Right Places: How Essendant is Revolutionizing Recruitment

The shortage of supply chain talent, especially on the line, isn’t new: It just became more visible during the pandemic. What’s more, with baby boomers retiring every day, it’s only likely to become more of a challenge in the future. What’s a supply chain manager to do? The answer is to begin looking for talent among overlooked and underutilized communities.
On this episode of The reBound, Tim Engstrom joins Abe Eshkenazi, CEO of the Association for Supply Chain Management, and Bob Trebilcock, consulting editor of Supply Chain Management Review, to discuss a new approach to recruitment. As the SVP of supply chain at Essendant and an adjunct professor at Elmhurst College, Engstrom and his team have developed a playbook to bring people with disabilities, second chance hires and veterans into operations. They have also launched a program to train and educate young hires with the potential to lead. The results are impressive.