The Sourcing Hero

Ep 75: Turmoil Around the Globe: Sri Lanka and the Netherlands feat. Kris Lance

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, and the images coming out of Sri Lanka and the Netherlands may be worth more than that. From economic instability leading to the overturn of a government, to individual families and farm operations fighting to preserve their livelihood, these two stories offer all of us lessons about human motivation and the challenges presented by disruptive chance.
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 talk about the government upheaval in Sri Lanka and the farmers’ strike in the Netherlands:
What is happening in each story and what role are pictures and social media playing in the shaping of public perceptions?
How can supply chain professionals reconcile sustainability regulations that start as government policy but have to be translated into executable processes?
The many things that we all have in common, despite differences in location, career, and philosophy

Ep 74: Creating Opportunities for Networking & Education feat. Kathy Perna

Networking has changed a lot in procurement - and the transition from in-person to digital was underway even before the pandemic hit. Digital networking requires a different kind of energy, and when the whole world stopped and went home to work, the most creative educators in the field of procurement found new ways to bind the community together and add value. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Kathy Perna. Kathy may not be a procurement professional in practice, but she is a critical member of the community that has been hard at work promoting networking and education for thirty years, first as part of the National Association of Purchasing Managers (NAPM) and now as the Executive Director of ISM-New Jersey.  
In this conversation, Kathy shares her perspective on how networking has changed and the variety of educational needs that have to be met for procurement professionals to shine:
How the professional association model has been affected by the very unusual last two years
Why it is important for procurement training and education to go beyond “traditional” topics 
Some of the trends she has watched during her (almost!) three decades working to support the procurement community

Ep 73: Bridging Business Gaps Through Reflective Procurement feat. Thomas Siersbæk Heller-Njor

Procurement can talk about systems and processes all it likes, but without making a real and lasting investment in people, sustained success will remain elusive. In many cases, this means learning to understand the motivations of people quite unlike themselves, walking a mile in their shoes before trying to drive specific types of engagement. 
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Thomas Siersbæk Heller-Njor. Thomas is the Founder and CEO of CostBits, but he has held multiple roles within procurement. He helped lead digital transformation at Maersk, and worked as Head of Operations Consulting at PwC. Now he is applying all of his digital and human experiences to change people’s behavior with regard to procurement. 
In this conversation, Thomas speaks about the different human gaps, challenges, and opportunities procurement must be prepared to address to achieve long term success:
Why every transformation effort must start with an acknowledgement that people come before systems and processes   
Why procurement needs to understand the different personas they support in the company (and outside of it), and why the best approach might be to allow for discussion between personas
The conditions, traits, and skill sets that are required for long term procurement success

Ep 72: Making an Impact Through Mission-Connected Procurement feat. Iris Cooper

How each leader sees procurement has a directional impact on what the team is able to achieve for their larger organization and the community they serve. Savings is often described as ‘table stakes’ for procurement, but even those savings are not just dollars and cents. Whether procurement is working in the public sector or private, there has to be a connection between the numbers and what they mean in a real world sense.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Iris Cooper. Iris is a dedicated procurement professional who has worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Treasury and who is now the Assistant Secretary for Procurement, Contracts & Grants at North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service. All of her work is mission-connected and based on her belief that each procurement team can - and must - make a significant impact in the community they serve.
In this conversation, Iris is open about the passion and techniques she relies upon to positively impact communities through her procurement work and leadership:
Positioning the mission of procurement in the context of public sector health and human services
Ensuring that values such as community support and a service mission are evident in every member of the team
How procurement can build trust between the organizations they are a part of and the communities they serve

Ep 71: Leveraging Logistics and Supply Chain for Ukraine feat. Maureen Woolshlager

There is no end to the opportunities for mission-driven organizations to contribute their knowledge and resources to the world. In order to be successful, these organizations have to remain focused and ensure that their mission converts to action in a way that benefits those in need. 
 In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Maureen Woolshlager. Maureen is the Director of Business Development at Vector Global Logistics. She has a background in manufacturing, supply chain, and account management and is one of the hosts of Logistics with Purpose, part of the Supply Chain Now family of shows.
In this conversation, Maureen shares her perspective on Vector’s efforts to help the Ukrainian people:
How the Vector team made the decision to get involved and where the primary focus of their efforts has been
Some of the challenges they have had to overcome while working to connect global donors with carriers and recipients
Shifting the pace of their work as the conflict stretches on in an effort to make it more sustainable

Ep 70: Looking at the Business Impact of Energy Costs and Availability feat. Kris Lance

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

Ep 69: ‘Small Triumphs and Large Hearts’ feat. Magda Theodate, Ashley Sieb and Kris Lance

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.

Ep 68: Will supply chain challenges make this a Reese’s-free Halloween? feat. Greg White

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