Noel Hacegaba of the Port of Long Beach talks about tariffs, sustainability, infrastructure investments & the creation of a Supply Chain Information Highway.

[02.02] An introduction to Noel, and his role at the Port.

"Our tagline is 'the port of choice.' And one of the reasons we are the port of choice is because we have a team that's committed to excellence."

[03.19] An introduction to the Port and what sets it apart, from sustainability to customer service.

[04.51] The Port's record-breaking year – why they achieved the busiest year in their 114 year history and what made 2024 different.

"What's even more remarkable about our record year is not the number of containers we processed, but the fact that we did so without any congestion, backlogs or delays... Last year set a new standard."

[06.33] The Port's perspective on tariffs and why, despite the challenges, the Port is still thriving.

"There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's what slows investments… In spite of that uncertainty, 2025 is on track to be another record year for the Port of Long Beach… But all these record volumes are not translating across the supply chain."

[09.22] What the remainder of 2025 will bring for the Port.

[10.16] From upgrading infrastructure to capacity expansion, the strategic projects and big investments being made by the Port as they look to enable growth over the next 10 years.

"The best way to predict the future is to create it."

[13.24] The Port's Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility project, its purpose, and why it matters, not just for the region but for the nation's transportation system.

[15.43] The Port's Supply Chain Information Highway, and the impact it will have for the industry.

"We're trying to leverage the power of data sharing… The Supply Chain Information Highway was designed to bring value to the industry by maximizing visibility, velocity, and value. And, by pairing technology with collaboration, we're unleashing the power of data sharing."

[18.30] The importance of sustainability and the Port's commitment to green initiatives, including a new wind turbine project.

[22.14] Noel's prediction for the industry in 2026.

Akash Gupta of GreyOrange talks about warehousing and inventory challenges; taking a vendor-agnostic approach to tech; and hyper-intelligent orchestration.

[03.43] Akash's background and how and why he co-founded GreyOrange.

"When we were in college, we were building humanoids… But the technology wasn't mature enough, so we explored industries that could really benefit from a combination of AI and robotics – and supply chain came to light!"

[06.33] The story behind the name GreyOrange, and why culture is key to business success.

[08.25] An overview of GreyOrange – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

[13.27] The ideal client for GreyOrange.

[15.55] The current challenges and considerations in warehousing and inventory, and why optimizing inventory is crucial.

"Optimizing inventory and working capital has been top of mind for the last few years, and balancing between warehouses and stores – how do you make sure you're able to use every single node?"

[19.56] How industry challenges, and the way businesses are thinking about their changing operations, are driving GreyOrange's approach to innovation with flexibility, machine learning and commercial collaboration in mind.

[23.40] GreyOrange's warehouse orchestration solution GreyMatter, and what makes it 'hyper-intelligent.'

"It's looking at every single aspect of the warehouse every second, and evolving the decision that can be taken for the next second."

[27.54] The challenge of change management, and how GreyOrange encourage tech adoption by empowering teams.

"Change management is still a challenge in the industry… When you go from a manual warehouse to a technology-driven warehouse, leadership can feel that they're losing control, so we give them enough real-time visibility and power to influence decisions."

[31.51] From 30-40% cost-per-unit reduction to 250 thousand units picked per day, how working with GreyOrange drives big results in warehouses.

[35.01] GreyOrange's approach to multi-robot infrastructures.

"We support a wide spectrum of AMR's… GreyOrange is pretty much the only software that can bring all of these technologies together."

[37.45] The growth of GreyOrange's other flagship solution, gStore.

"We've gone from having no presence in retail stores in 2022 to now operating more than 3,000 stores, connected to tens of thousands of IoT devices."

[41.00] Why GreyOrange put a focus on store associates to create a better experience for the end consumer, and why that's crucial for successful tech adoption.

[43.19] A case study exploring how GreyOrange helped Fabletics with store inventory accuracy, boosting sales across their store network by 15-20% and increasing customer satisfaction, in only nine months.

[46.03] Why GreyOrange is investing in building even more intelligent foundational models for warehouses and stores in 2026.

Head over to GreyOrange's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with GreyOrange and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn or YouTube, or you can connect with Akash on LinkedIn.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Anand Medepalli of Shippeo talks about why most supply chain transformations fail; good data; workflows focused on outcomes; and why AI isn't a quick fix.

[03.57] An introduction to Anand and Shippeo.

"Our goal is to provide trustworthy data so you can make decisions. Your supply chains are constantly hit with disruptions – it's no longer a disruption here, a disruption there. It's actually tranquility here, tranquility there, and disruption the rest of the time!"

[07.40] The latest Gartner data on the state of supply chain digitization, and why most transformations fail to deliver the promised value.

"Businesses run out of energy – these are big projects. People think: 'We must architect the whole thing before we can do anything,' so perfect becomes the enemy of good, fast... Digitization doesn't happen because someone has a grand vision, it's the incremental steps you take towards it."

[14.09] Why AI isn't a quick fix for all your digitization challenges.

"It's not a magic wand, you can't just sprinkle AI and think things will work... And the problem is that, particularly the LLM models, have been trained to please you."

[16.07] Why data is the foundation for success, and the importance of building trust.

"It used to be that, when these disruptions happened, even if you didn't have the perfect data at hand to make a decision, you at least had the human capital to be focused on figuring it out. So reactivity was a plausible strategy."

[21.29] How Shippeo is investing in data quality, and why it's so critical as they support customers on their digitization journeys.

[27.21] Why visibility alone isn't enough, and how people, AI, and good data also need to be weaved in to drive success.

"Visibility is not enough – engagement is required. And, if I engage with that, what are the actions that I need to take to overcome the problem?"

[30.39] Why workflows are crucial, and how they help to bridge the gap between 'knowing' and 'doing.'

"Don't get caught up in the buzzwords, or worry that you're missing out… Think: "If I can solve this problem without AI, why aren't I solving it?" Solve it, then challenge yourself to make it better."

[35.58] How to define simple but effective workflows that focus on outcomes.

[42.34] The business impact you can create by working with Shippeo.

"You can live with fewer surprises, let Shippeo give you a little more tranquility."

Head over to Shippeo's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Shippeo and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or X (Twitter), or you can connect with Anand on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Shippeo, check out 443: Mastering Visibility: Insights from LogTech Live with Shippeo, 486: Revealed – The Number One Way To Make Your Supply Chain Future-Proof or 475: Leverage Real-Time Transportation Visibility, with Shippeo

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Natalie Walker talks about her career journey; the importance of mentors in creating space for women; the changing face of workplaces; & the future of robotics.

[04.06] Natalie's education journey, how a family friend inspired an interest in supply chain, and why international business is a crucial, but sometimes overlooked, component of the industry.

"I had this abstract idea of getting into international deal-making, international negotiations… So she encouraged me to check out supply chain."

[07.47] Why supply chain is often misunderstood, and why it's a great career choice for women looking to drive meaningful change.

"When people think about supply chain… especially in traditional manufacturing and operations, there's more of a connotation of heavy, manual labor… For me, it's about explaining what supply chain is and thinking about it more in a corporate sense – how to streamline and centralize operations."

[11.58] Natalie's career journey, how her intentional decision-making built a foundation for where she is now, and the biggest lessons she learned in her early years.

"I started in federal utilities… And starting in the utilities space really piqued my interest in energy as this foundational thing we take for granted… And energy led me to robotics, because it's the next transformational technology that has huge energy requirements."

"Learning about myself, and how to apply my strengths to whatever position I was in, was core."

[19.14] Why collaboration is the future of technology, and the vision for how humans and machines collaborate at Cobot, Natalie's place of work.

"We're not trying to design a product that looks like a human. It's designed with the intent of being safe, smart, and reliable…. And we're not saying we need to wait until a point in time, where AI is at a particular level, to make a difference. We're building a platform that can make a difference today, and improve as AI improves."

[22.55] Natalie's perspective on where supply chain is at, as an industry, with robotics.

"We're talking a lot about reshoring and revitalizing manufacturing… Everyone is under a lot of pressure… Cost volatility coupled with labor shortages and the rising complexity of the environments we're working in are pushing companies to find automation solutions that are flexible, reliable and fast."

[25.09] Natalie's role as Head of Supply Chain and Manufacturing Operations at Cobot.

[30.04] Natalie's experience, as a woman, working across the utilities, oil and gas, clean tech, EV and robotics industries.

"How is the way I represent myself going to be perceived, and how might that affect my eligibility for the job?"

[35.00] The importance of mentors, and the role they've played in Natalie's career so far.

"I can't overstate the value of mentorship."

[39.20] Natalie's experience of boards, and her advice for young people looking to pursue board opportunities.

[42.18] How workplaces are changing, and why collaboration and communication is key.

[48.12] The future for Natalie.

You can connect with Natalie over on LinkedIn or Instagram.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about robotics, check out 294: Optimize Warehouse Productivity, with Locus Robotics, 465: Your Fulfillment Transformation Starts Now, with TGW Logistics or 308: Stabilizing Safety in the Workplace, with Ideal Warehouse Innovations.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Conrad Smith of Graphite Connect talks about building a network to create global efficiency, speeding up communication; and bringing you data you can trust.

[03.42] Conrad's background and career journey.

"I got to Intel and they were doing procurement with paper – white, pink, yellow triplicate requisitions… it blew my mind! Intel in the 90s was THE powerhouse tech company… I showed up, and they were doing paper. That started my career into: 'Let's figure out how to make it better.'"

[06.15] How and why Conrad established Graphite Connect.

"What's the difference between a fax machine and email? It isn't the same magnitude of improvement as snail mail to fax machine. It's not a printed piece of paper, it shows up in an inbox electronic, but it's kind of the same thing. And we've got to figure out how to move past that one-to-one sharing of information. We're stuck."

[14.19] An overview of Graphite Connect – who they are, what they do, and how they help their customers.

"Supplier management starts with onboarding. And that step is what everyone is struggling the most with."

[18.50] The ideal client for Graphite Connect.

[22.01] The biggest challenges impacting Graphite Connect customers, whether procurement can keep up with the pace of modern business, and why supplier risk and data are the 'biggest hairball' in procurement.

"Business friction is a real problem. But you can't just evaporate it, because there are suppliers and situations where risk is a significant concern. You do need friction in some places."

[27.18] Why paperwork, legal, and compliance can make it almost impossible to establish new relationships and do business, and how Graphite Connect can help ease that pressure.

[34.11] Graphite Connect's Rapid Response feature, how it helps to speed up communication, and why that's so crucial.

"Things happen: most recently, tariffs. And the first thing that happened was that executive teams said: 'Which of our suppliers are most impacted by tariffs, and what does that look like?' The answer is: 'I don't know, call procurement.'"

[38.10] A case study exploring how Graphite Connect helped a grocery store chain cut down time spent on their supplier management process by 75%, reduce labor, and improve data quality.

[41.26] The big AI misconception, and the best way to prepare for the future of AI now.

"AI eats data, it lives on it. Data is what makes it work. And I think there's a false belief that AI is going to fix it, like: 'I have an AI magic wand and all of a sudden I'll have clean supplier data.' But it's not going to work that way."

Head over to Graphite Connect's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Graphite Connect and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Conrad on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more about procurement, check out 468: Make Intelligent Purchases Driven by Data, with ProcurementIQ, 462: Procurement Unlocked: Sourcing Best Practices in a Tariff-Driven World, with ProcureAbility or 243: Reinventing Freight Procurement with Emerge.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.

Jason Murray of Shipium talks about AI - its potential, what the future will look like, and why businesses need to commit to AI before they're left behind.

[03.42] Shipium's origin story, how the business has evolved, and what's changed in the industry since their last appearance on the show.

"The pandemic is no longer front and center. The thing that's dominating the narrative now is AI. With us being data-first, it's a comfortable spot. But even we've had to re-think our approach, because the new form of AI acts as an accelerator for all of the data science and machine learning work we've done in the past."

[12.15] Shipium's perspective on tariffs, the trends impacting the industry, and why AI is still dominating the narrative.

"What we hear from our customers is that they don't like the uncertainty… They're having trouble planning, but that speaks to the need for autonomous processes that help you deal with it in a much faster fashion."

"There are going to be things happening all the time, so if you're going to be competitive, you have to get out of this human analyst cycle of six months to make a decision. So you're back to AI again. That is the meta story for everything in 2025."

[14.55] What the future will look like based on the current pace of change and innovation in AI, and why you're not making strategic decisions if you're not embracing AI investment now.

[22.47] Whether or not organizations can move fast enough to stay competitive, and how Shipium talk to their clients about data-driven decision-making.

"People want tangible results. So if you're thinking about a practical way to move into this future, you have to think about it as incremental wins that provide immediate productivity."

[31.57] How new technology can be used to solve industry problems and reduce manual work, and a closer look at Shipium's current AI pilot program.

[35.32] How Shipium are talking to their customers about cost, navigating investment in a cost-sensitive climate, and how AI can help prove ROI.

[39.38] Jason's biggest takeaway from today's discussion.

Head over to Shipium's website now to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with Shipium and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, or you can connect with Jason on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from Shipium, check out 299: Modernize Your Ecommerce Supply Chain, with Shipium or Unlock Retail Growth This Quarter with Multi-Carrier Tech from Shipium.