Welcome to the Supply Chain Innovation podcast, hosted by IndustryStar Founder & CEO, William Crane. In this podcast series we share real-world lessons learned, big ideas, and resources from some of the top industry change-makers and leaders at firms across supply chain, procurement, quality, materials, logistics, product development, engineering, and manufacturing with the hope that you'll learn new strategies, tips, and tools for improving new product launches.
Bob Feys, Founder & CEO of golf products startup Putter's Eye, shares his experience developing a golf technology hardware product to solve a major pain point in the sport, why it's so important to align yourself with team members and suppliers who understand your vision and share your passion, and how partnering with a supply chain management firm that knows the entire manufacturing process - what it takes to launch a product from idea to production - will help you save substantial amounts of time and money.
IndustryStar's Founder & CEO, William Crane, and VP of Partnerships & Growth, Jason Brewer, recently hosted a webinar on Supply Chain Risk Management: Gaining Greater Visibility to Thrive in an Increasingly Dynamic World. It received so much positive feedback that we decided to take the audio and condense it into a podcast. In this episode, William covers why supply chain risk management matters and what successful implementation looks like, how black swan events like the COVID-19 pandemic impact the global economy, and what actions proactive leaders can take, along with software tools they can use, to mitigate supply chain disruption.
Grey Parker, Principal, CEO and Director of Engineering at design firm Sundberg-Ferar, discusses with William how implementing Agile during the product development process speeds up product time to market, how involving sourcing professionals earlier helps you find manufacturers who are proactive, open minded, and versatile, and why fostering an environment of openness and encouragement sparks new ideas and innovation.
Jeff Simek, General Manager of design and manufacturing company RCO Engineering, joins William to shed light on how utilization and maintenance will be key to the longevity of commercial autonomous mobility fleets, how aerospace OEMs can learn from the automotive supply chain to bring quality products to market more efficiently, why automotive engineers are being recruited by aerospace firms, and why companies who embrace Industry 4.0 will lead the way launching new technologies.
Brad Hunstable, Founder & CEO of smart electric motor company Linear Labs, chats with William and dives deep into the details of how their business model will make electric vehicles more affordable and mainstream, what procurement professionals should know when sourcing electric motor components, and the massive potential for widespread adoption of electric propulsion systems across several industries.
Alan Laing, CEO of the first fully-integrated HVAC solution RHEIA, joins William to talk about the main challenges currently facing homebuilding cycle times and supply chain complexity, major opportunities for disrupting the industry, and tips for building cross-functional teams to launch a new product.
Bill Hall, Principal at Hall Partners, shares his supply chain sustainability insights with William, including examples of how companies are using new technologies to build sustainability into their products, why transparency is critical to assess risk for environmental issues, human rights issues, and disruptions, and why supply chain executives can't afford not to make sustainability a priority.
Sarah Scudder, President of sourcing software company Real Sourcing Network, joins William to discuss common challenges associated with sourcing print and marketing services, why more companies need to develop strategies and implement oversight for sourcing print, where cost reduction opportunities lie, and how AI will impact the future of competitive bidding.
Matthew Johnson-Roberson, CEO & Co-Founder of autonomous delivery vehicle company Refraction AI, joins William to talk about lessons learned as a hardware startup entrepreneur, the massive transition happening within the automotive industry and its impact on specific supply chains, and why there's more to investors and raising capital than just financial resources.
Jim Cook, CFO of modular mobility startup QUADROBOT, joins William to discuss developing a product based on service and longevity instead of volume, why mobility should be approached with the mindset of improving people's quality of life, and how the mobility market and its supply chains in China differ from those in the US and EU.
Ali Ahmed, Co-Founder & CEO of of self-driving grocery store Robomart, shares with William what it has been like developing a new retail segment in the food & beverage industry, potential use cases for future "store hailing" applications, and why the idea behind Robomart is so important to communities with limited or no access to fresher food items and ingredients.
Daniel Laury, CEO & Chief Product Officer at the autonomous cloud-connected delivery company udelv, joins William to shed light on the significance of the current revolution happening in transportation, advantages of using an existing vehicle platform instead of creating a new one, and how outsourcing specific parts of their supply chain improved program timing and the overall product.
Barbara Plante, Founder & President of Boreal Space, stops by to talk to William about supply chain challenges faced by space hardware startups, tips for people looking to build their first functional prototypes, and how more space infrastructure would benefit future space travel.
Space Entrepreneur and Founder of space propulsion systems company Phase Four, Simon Halpern, chats with William about what it takes to build a team to launch a new hardware product, how to partner with suppliers to enhance your team, and how to ensure that supply chain and manufacturing operations are able to maintain high levels of precision, performance, and quality in the space industry.
Peter Deppe, Founder & CEO of ridesharing and vehicle-to-grid service KUHMUTE, joins William to discuss common challenges faced by startups in the mobility sector, his experience taking a new hardware product to market, and where the future of microbility could be headed.
Erick Stewart, President of Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) services and quality inspection company STEWART Industries LLC, joins William to talk about the business benefits of using FTZ's, examples of success, and how they can be a part of your supply chain risk management strategy in the current volatile trade agreement climate.
Pratt & Miller CGO (Chief Growth Officer), Lynn Bishop, Chats with William about the future of autonomous vehicles, providing key insights on how to overcome cost challenges associated with low-volume emerging markets, and how companies who have a market-driven, "voice of the customer" approach will find success and produce long-term profitability within the broader mobility ecosystem.
Kabir Maiga, Founder & CEO of smart access products and services company Passivebolt, joins William to discuss what leaders of consumer product organizations can do to launch their products on time, tips for engaging large corporate partners, and what will separate the winners and losers in the connected building and smart home spaces.
Pavan Muzumdar, Author of "Venture Perfect" and COO of the nonprofit manufacturing and technology business association Automation Alley, defines "Industry 4.0", discusses how innovators can use smart technology to improve manufacturing operations and explains how to achieve more success by being open to change and developing "learning cultures" within organizations.
Philip Ideson, Managing Director of management consultancy Art of Procurement and host of the top-rated "Art of Procurement" podcast, joins William to discuss proven strategies for sustainable cost saving results, what new technologies and tools will boost sourcing performance, and why scrapping the "vendor" mindset is critical to real innovation.
Automotive legend, Steve Saleen, Founder & CEO of high-performance vehicle OEM Saleen Automotive, joins William to talk about how his racing background and innovative mindset have helped his company pioneer specialized vehicle manufacturing and mass customization, and why supply partners play such a critical role during new product development to slash production lead times.
Charlie Rupert, CEO of tier I automotive lighting and vision systems supplier Singh Vision Systems, joins William to talk about the major role lighting plays in the automotive industry, why it's crucial to use a systems thinking approach when developing manufacturing solutions, and how important the future of optics technology will be for autonomous vehicles.
Learn how autonomous technology will affect last mile delivery when Shadi Mere, Founder & CEO of electric autonomous robotics delivery startup Bedestrian, chats with William about mobility and its impact on the future of health care, as well as Bedestrian's lessons learned taking their product from idea to prototype and the value supply partners can bring to small teams.
Omar Siada, manufacturing specialist and Plant Manager of electric autonomous shuttle startup Navya, talks to William about key elements of leading a new low-volume manufacturing operation, the impact documentation and information sharing have on plant readiness and product time to market, and how the future of the mobility market is tied to the evolution of the automotive industry.
William is joined by Nolan Orfield, Co-founder & CSO of strength tracker startup ShapeLog, who shares his knowledge and experience with successfully innovating in the IoT hardware space, and highlights why it's so important for connected-product startups to focus on hiring the right team members, and to get their products in front of customers earlier for quicker market validation.
Nezar Akeel, Founder & CEO of personal fitness startup MaxFit, discusses with William the obstacles entrepreneurs will face launching a new hardware product and offers valuable advice about setting cost and timeline expectations, partnering with experts and suppliers, and maintaining their vision for the product, even when the journey gets tough.
Steve Polakowski, President of ESG Automotive Inc., joins William to talk about the current and future states of the mobility space, and how collaboration between electrical and electronics engineering and supply chain teams will improve and accelerate the launch of new mobility technologies and vehicles.
Product design and development specialist James Utley, Principal at Dialexa, sheds light on the significance of Design Thinking and involving supply chain team members for a more holistic approach when creating a new product that accurately addresses customers' needs and challenges.
Supply chain expert Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, host of the "Let's Talk Supply Chain" podcast and one of the Top-100 Influential Women in Canadian Supply Chain, provides her insight on the benefits of involving logistics earlier in new product development, not only to reduce costs and timing, but also to improve cross-functional collaboration and workflows.
Sustainability expert Stuart L. Hart, founder of Enterprise for a Sustainable World, talks to William about what companies can do to make existing supply chains more sustainable, and what to prioritize when developing new products.
Matt Forster, Co-Founder & VP Operations at IndustryStar, moderates a Q&A; session with William, discussing Supply Chain's role in new product development and the importance of infusing supply chain intelligence early on during the process to reduce product time to market, cost, and risk.
William discusses getting specific with your data when creating a Plan for Every Part with Tony Lancione, Co-Founder & VP Supply Chain Solutions at IndustryStar.
Supply Chain Innovation host William Crane gives a brief overview of what to expect from the new IndustryStar podcast series Supply Chain Innovation.
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