The Sourcing Hero
Together, Una and Art of Procurement are excited to bring you epic stories of beating the odds and rising up in procurement. Hear from leading sourcing and supply chain professionals as they share expert insight and tales of business heroism, all in the name of creating exceptional value within procurement. Follow the team: Anthony Clervi -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyclervi/ Kris Lance -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-lance-1b9015175/ Kelly Barner -> https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-barner-6884443/
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Ep 141: Supply Chain Tech and Supplier Onboarding feat. Toni Ann Careccio
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Change is as hard as it is inevitable. Even the most exciting new project can quickly go from “This is fantastic!” to “What on earth were we thinking!” when unexpected questions arise. How those moments are managed, and the tone that is kept in place through the process, ultimately determine the potential for value and success for everyone involved.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Toni Ann Careccio. Toni is the Chief Customer Officer at PortPro, a company that provides transportation management software for drayage carriers - they move freight from an ocean port to its destination.
In this interview, Toni applies her experience onboarding customers to procurement’s constant need to successfully onboard suppliers:
Why tech providers with an operational background in transportation have an advantage over newcomers to the space
Thoughts related to the ongoing debate about which is better: a best-of-breed ecosystem or an end-to-end platform
How a positive onboarding experience can form the foundation for a long, valuable partnership
Links:
Toni Ann Careccio on LinkedIn
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Ep 140: Dispelling Common Myths About Carbon Emissions feat. Alexis Normand
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Businesses that want to see long term impact in terms of sustainability need to commit to short term changes. And while there are many ways to incentivize these changes - such as regulations and customer requirements - procurement and supply chain professionals are absolutely on the front lines, as the overwhelming majority of a company’s emissions are associated with its supply chain in some capacity.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Alexis Normand. Alexis is the CEO and Co-founder at Greenly. Given his expertise in carbon accounting and management, he is an ideal guest to speak with us about some of the practical business challenges facing procurement and supply chain professionals tasked with responsibility for their company’s ESG or sustainability program.
In this interview, Alexis provides critical information about the ongoing effort to manage carbon emissions as well as his perspective on the associated complexity:
What the differences are between Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions
Whether building a more sustainable supply chain will also make it more expensive
How the broader ESG movement is impacting emission reduction initiatives
What decision makers need to know about offsetting carbon emissions as opposed to reducing them
Links:
Alexis Normand on LinkedIn
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Ep 139: Speaking the Language of Non-Verbal Communication feat. Laura Scarfe
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
As human beings, being able to read and use non-verbal cues can determine the outcome of a situation, keeping us safe or strengthening the bonds we build with those around us. For procurement professionals in particular, being aware of non-verbal communication is absolutely essential, especially in situations of high intensity or where first impressions make the difference in measurable outcomes.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Laura Scarfe. Laura is the Director of Business Academy Online, specializing in CIPS procurement training,
negotiation, influencing, and emotional intelligence. Laura helps busy procurement professionals achieve their qualifications to help with their employability, while also helping them understand and manage their emotions and relationships to improve their confidence.
In this interview, Laura draws from a wealth of research and experience to shed some light on the complex world of non-verbal cues:
Why it is best to stay away from behavioral generalizations, instead focusing on observations that are rooted in science
Typical gender-based advantages and differences based on gender
The role that clothing, especially dress level and color, play in how each of us is perceived before we ever speak a word
Links:
Laura Scarfe on LinkedIn
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Ep 138: Procurement Out of This World feat. Kris Lance
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
The U.S. military is accustomed to taking 7 years and a cost plus method to build billion dollar satellites with te help of their supply base. With instability around the world starting to ratchet up concerns about space, the Space Development Authority (SDA) is responding by disrupting traditional procurement practices.
As SDA Director Derek Tournear recently said, “Change is hard; change is necessary. And nothing fights change like the paralyzing behavior of going along to get along.”
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director at Una, for a recurring monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.
In this conversation, Kris and Kelly talk about how the Space Development Agency, part of the U.S. Space Force, is shaking up procurement processes and approaches:
Finding ways to speed up the procurement process so the U.S. can stay competitive with China in satellite manufacture
Breaking free from the ‘going along to get along’ mentality in order to deliver vastly different results
Putting pressure on suppliers to go beyond traditional demonstrations of capabilities and competitive advantages
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Ep 137: Using Visibility to Combat Supply Chain Abstraction feat. Frank Kenney
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
In the race to build global empires of data and digital systems, today’s businesses must not risk forgetting what all of those zeroes and ones mean. Sometimes walking a mile in someone’s shoes and listening to their firsthand experience is the only way to pull together all of the pieces of a modern supply chain puzzle.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Frank Kenney. Frank is the Director of Market Strategy at Cleo, where he is focused on helping companies get ahead and stay ahead despite persistent supply chain complexity.
In this interview, Frank talks about the importance of supply chain visibility for the sake of optionality and accountability:
Why the ultimate goal of supply chain visibility is not just to ‘see’ but also to make effective decisions
The importance of leveraging systems and data without losing connection with the real-life meaning and impact they represent
The risk that abstraction poses to procurement and supply chain professionals - and consumers as well
Links:
Frank Kenney on LinkedIn
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Ep 136: Making the Impossible Possible in Global Sourcing feat. Chris Volz
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Global supply chains reach the furthest corners of the earth, bringing back valuable, well-made goods and putting us in touch with people we may never meet. Some of the challenges of this are logistical like time zone differences and travel delays. Others are more cultural, and tie into the most core issues of relationship building: culture, communication, and trust.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Chris Volz, a Client Success Manager at China Performance Group. Chris has over two decades worth of experience in different verticals. He prides himself on his empathy, attention to detail, and innovative ideas… traits we could all use in greater concentration!
In this interview, Chris shares his experience and perspective on how businesses from different parts of the world and in countries with very different cultures can come together for mutual gain:
What he suggests companies focus on when sourcing internationally
How procurement teams can invest in communication and then build on that to establish long term trust-based relationships
The importance of recognizing the ‘win-win people’ in every situation
Links:
Chris Volz on LinkedIn
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Ep 135: Packaging is a Magical Place feat. Matthew Wright
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Packaging is everywhere, from plastic clamshells to cardboard boxes, and protective wraps to banana peels. The most successful packaging gets the core product where it needs to go in the right condition, and contributes to the customer experience in a way that it rewards the purchase process.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Matthew Wright. Matthew is the Founder and CEO of Specright, where he applies his 25+ years of experience in packaging to help companies derive maximum value from this constantly changing and highly strategic category. Matthew is also the author of “The Evolution of Products & Packaging: How a spec-first approach is revolutionizing the way companies make things.”
In this interview, Matthew shares his point of view on some of the procurement-specific challenges and opportunities associated with packaging category spend:
What is packaging and what are some of the top business challenges and objectives that intersect with this category of spend?
How should companies think about what they are communicating (or not) and achieving (or not) through their packaging?
What are some of the common data challenges associated with packaging specifications?
How can procurement encourage the business to make decisions that take a broad range of objectives into consideration when selecting packaging designs and suppliers?
Links:
Matthew Wright on LinkedIn
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Ep 134: The Complexity of Navigating the Panama Canal feat. Kris Lance
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
40 percent of all U.S. shipping containers travel through the Panama Canal each year, representing an annual cargo value of $270 Billion. It is the shortest operational ocean route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and plays a critical role in U.S. supply chains and those of global trading partners as well.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Kris Lance, Senior Director at Una, for a recurring monthly conversation about current news stories. Kris has experience in multiple industries and has his finger on the pulse of the trends and topics that procurement, sourcing, and supply chain professionals need to be aware of.
In this conversation, Kris and Kelly talk about recent news stories associated with the Panama canal, some of which are getting a lot of attention and others almost none at all:
Drought conditions have led authorities to reduce traffic through the canal, leaving as many as 200 ships stuck waiting to get through
Other opportunities for Panama to be a strategic partner to the United States, including semiconductor production
Geopolitical risk associated with the safety and ownership of the Panama canal given recent activity from China and Iran
Links:
Kris Lance on LinkedIn
Episode 130: Building and Understanding Trust with Kris Lance
Episode 125: When Implanted Neuro Chips Are Top of Mind with Kris Lance
Episode 121: Agriculture as a Political Hot Topic with Kris Lance