The Sourcing Hero

The economy has dominated news headlines for a while now, but of all the costs presenting challenges to businesses and consumers, energy is on the top of the list. Businesses and consumers are changing their spending habits in response to increasing costs, many of which end up being combined and compounded. 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 interview, Kris and Kelly Barner talk about the many ways energy costs and availability are affecting businesses and consumers alike: The potential for nationwide rolling blackouts this summer, as legacy energy sources go offline before newer sources are sufficiently online, and weather conditions complicate matters How prices at the pump are not just a pain for consumers, but potentially operationally prohibitive for freight providers Sources of ‘mental energy’ that professionals may want to tap into if the sustained pressure of their role has them running on an empty tank

As the host of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Kelly Barner brings listeners a new guest every week. They share their stories, experiences, and expertise in a casual format - so everyone can learn from them and also to share a bit of their human side.  Each guest goes through a pre-interview to talk about their background and pick their main topic… and then, Kelly warns them.  Every episode ends with an exceptionally hard question that draws our correspondingly fascinating responses. Guests are presented with two options: to share their definition of a sourcing hero, or to explain what they think heroism looks like in a business context. In this episode, Kelly shares three of the most inspiring responses she has heard in the last six months, as well as a relevant quote from author Mary Roach”  “Heroism doesn’t always happen in a burst of glory. Sometimes small triumphs and large hearts change the course of history.” Listen in to hear thoughts on heroism from Magda Theodate, Ashley Sieb, and Una’s own Kris Lance, and then try to answer those two questions for yourself.

Although everyone and their brother considers themselves a supply chain expert for being able to find toilet paper over the last two years, career supply chain professionals know that the complexity of today’s supply chains is far beyond most people’s perception. So when a news item comes out that questions the availability of Hershey’s products - Reese’s in particular - we know it makes sense to take notice, listen, and learn.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Greg White. Greg has decades’ worth of supply chain experience, operationally as well as from an investment perspective. You’ve likely seen and heard him on Supply Chain Now’s livestreams and webinars, and he never pulls a punch. In fact, to use his own words, Greg has “unfinished business” with the supply chain. In this conversation, Greg reviews recent news coverage based on Hershey’s warning that Reese’s products may be in short supply this Halloween and gives us transferable lessons we can act on today: The many ways in which labor shortages are making other systemic supply chain issues harder to recover from The ‘slack’ that exists in all supply chains, and how the corresponding efficiency levels and profit margins are distributed Why we should all be suspicious of people who are new to the ‘supply chain party,’ even if they are enthusiastic and seem to have ‘disruptive’ ideas

With in-person events starting back up, procurement professionals have the opportunity to ‘get back out there’ and start adding to their knowledge and networks - but are they picking up where they left off or have the last two years changed everything? In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes back Philip Ideson. Phil is the Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement, a procurement consulting, membership, and content company that provides CPOs and their teams the resources they need to enable company growth. He has also worked at both Procurian & Accenture and has experience across the entire Indirect and Direct procurement value chain. In this interview, Phil shares what he has been hearing at recent in-person industry conferences and whether it provides evidence that the procurement community is staying current on the most important topics: How conference topics, speakers, and attendees have - or have not - changed as a result of the last two years  What procurement should be investing in and focusing on now to be prepared for the conditions we are likely to be working through six months from now Whether the combined pressures of inflation, recession, and ESG will alter the general tone of supplier relationship efforts

Working in supply chain over the last couple of years has been an exercise in ‘weathering the storm.’ As the disruptions continue, and the stakes rise higher, it seems reasonable to ask whether we are truly in the midst of a perfect storm.   In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Kris Lance. Kris has experience in multiple industries, but a particular focus in healthcare and technology. We also have it on good authority that he is an “optimist with a raincoat” - something we learn more about in this conversation.   In this interview, Kris shares his perspective on the critical situation around food supply chains, whether it is a short term price hike or a humanitarian crisis on the horizon: The macro events currently serving as an indication that food shortages are going to be an ongoing challenge Available strategies that companies can explore to protect themselves from disruption and protect their market share General lessons learned from the disruptions of the last two years that procurement and supply chain professionals should consider baking into ongoing processes

Corporate programs like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) are growing increasingly common and high visibility. And while the stated vision they are associated with is admirable, they aren’t enough to drive the changes most of us want to see. For that, we’re going to need a strong combination of empathy and entrepreneurship.   In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Karl Sona. Karl was working his way through a successful career in medical device sales when he realized something was missing. There was part of himself that he wasn’t able to bring to bear in his work - so he joined the ‘Great Resignation’ and struck out on his own.    Today he is the Founder and CEO of The Kas Company, a firm that specializes in brokering profitable partnerships between corporate brands and black-owned businesses, and the host of his own podcast, Dear Black CEO.  In this interview, Karl talks about his philosophy - and incentives - for brokering profitable partnerships between corporations and minority-owned businesses: His perspective on the nature of relationships between corporations and their suppliers Whether relationships with minority-owned and other diverse-owned businesses should be different  The role that regulations play in driving companies to increase their investments in ESG versus inadvertently incentivizing box checking The best pieces of advice and take-aways that he has heard from black CEOs on his podcast

For a long time, procurement has struggled to reconcile the tension between tactical activities and strategic goals. A few organizations have broken free and stepped into the leadership space through innovative approaches to talent and technology, but most are still mired in ‘stone age’ thinking and approaches.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Patrick Jonsson. Patrick is the Founder of DigiProCure who provide a Category Management Tool focused on streamlining the category management process. He has led many digital procurement transformations involving a wide array of systems, and witnessed firsthand the need for tools that adapt to each team’s maturity and needs. In this interview, Patrick describes and defends his “provocative” approach to understanding the changes procurement needs to make: Why he thinks procurement organizations are in an “adapt or die” moment and what that means The most common pain points procurement and sourcing organizations need to deal with before they can prosper A list of practical enablers procurement teams should embrace to get their paradigm shift started

Procurement transformation requires vision, strategy, and skilled execution, but none of those come into play until the situation has been accurately diagnosed. Every organization is different, and the long term vision for each procurement team has to reflect the unique culture and priorities in place.  In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Steve Trussell. Steve is career sourcing and procurement professional with experience in a wide range of industries and focus areas. After starting his career in manufacturing, he went on to work in retail, automotive, aerospace, and heavy equipment sourcing. Today he is applying his knowledge to the challenges of other procurement teams, helping them understand and address their challenges. In this conversation, Steve shares a wealth of seasoned advice about leading transformation, communication, and building the right culture and mindset around problem solving: What to look for when trying to diagnose a new company culture or challenge to be solved How to separate the symptoms of a procurement problem from the cause of that problem (the ‘true’ problem) Creating an environment where the team will work collaboratively with other functions to find solutions How to help people keep their eye on the horizon even while facing urgent, short term issues