ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES
Q. HOW DO YOU REFLECT ON THE BALANCE BETWEEN REMAINING AGILE AND REMAINING RESILIENT IN TODAY’ S CLIMATE?
» Many supply chains I’ ve spoken with do not see it as a trade-off or an either / or but an“ and.” We’ ve seen more disruption over the past five to 10 years than anyone could have predicted. Black Swan events are no longer considered Black Swan in the supply chain.
I’ m also proud to say supply chain is a cool and sexy career now. I grew up not knowing what supply chain was until my first job needed me to understand global supply chain complexities in aerospace engineering. Today, my children, who are in grade school, know about global supply chains due to shortages during the pandemic, the Suez Canal issues, tariffs and changes in retailer and manufacturer ordering from overseas.
You have to be agile to react to shifts but also plan for resiliency – understanding risks and mitigating them. The best supply chains I admire are able to do both and no longer see it as balancing a fine line but a must between both.
Q. ARE THERE PARTICULAR PEOPLE, PROCESSES OR TECHNOLOGIES YOU BELIEVE ARE ESSENTIAL TO REMAINING RESILIENT?
» I’ m a big believer in processes and people. You need the right processes for both agility and response, plus mechanisms to handle risk in your supply chain. The processes determine
14 %
average increase in forecasting accuracy across retail organisations
the people, knowledge, skills and empower them to make decisions when situations arise. You don’ t want to have a process without empowered people.
From a technology standpoint, the best supply chains I’ ve seen have implemented some sort of digital twin. A digital twin helps simulate scenarios, aids rapid decision-making instead of waiting weeks for answers. For example, modelling demand fluctuations as risks and deciding next best options quickly.
It’ s a balance of all three, but you have to start with processes and people, then have the right tools and technology to support those people and processes.
110 December 2025