At the latest SCLA Think Tank, Kira Caban delivered a timely and data-rich briefing on a pivotal—and often misunderstood—lever in today’s supply chain strategy: the hourly workforce.

At our March 20 SCLA Think Tank, Don Unser, Chief Retail Strategist at Circana, shared an in-depth look at the health of the U.S. consumer and the shifting dynamics in retail and commerce. With inflation cooling but purchasing power still under pressure, Don emphasized that uncertainty is the new norm—and supply chain leaders must stay agile, informed, and connected.

On March 6, 2025, the SCLA Think Tank convened for an insightful discussion on reverse logistics and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Led by Dr. Harold Krikke, a leading authority in reverse logistics and a professor at the Open University of the Netherlands, the session explored the complexities and opportunities within product stewardship and the circular economy.

The SCLA Think Tank convenes twice a month, bringing together leaders from industry and academia to examine the most pressing supply chain challenges and opportunities. In February, we were pleased to feature Jim Tompkins, Ph.D., Founder and Chairman of Tompkins Ventures, who shared his insights on ReGlobalization and U.S. Nearshoring, with a focus on the Dominican Republic’s potential as a strategic logistics hub.

On the SCLA Think Tank February 6th session, top supply chain leaders joined thought leader Chris Jones (formerly with Descartes) for an in-depth look at what to expect in the labor market. The SCLA is the leading think tank in supply chain, and our executive members come together every other week to delve into the top challenges and explore actionable solutions.

SCLA Think Tank welcomed Dean Myers, author of Boardroom Buddha, as a Think Tank presenter to SCLA’s top executives in supply chain. During his talk, Dean—formerly a senior executive at Coca-Cola and now author and public speaker—shared powerful insights on mindful leadership, the importance of strategic presence, and how to cultivate resilience in today’s business world.

On Thursday, December 5, 2024, members of SCLA (Supply Chain Leaders in Action)—the industry’s premier global think tank composed of top executives from leading multinational corporations—convened virtually for a dynamic roundtable featuring Javier Zarzua Ruiz, a noted expert on Mexico’s nearshoring environment and global trade patterns.

At the forefront of global supply chain innovation, the Supply Chain Leaders in Action (SCLA) Think Tank brought together its senior executives for a critical session led by geopolitical expert Roger Baker. In this timely discussion, Baker shared strategic insights on what the Trump administration's return means for global supply chains and how leaders can position their organizations for resilience and advantage in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape.

The Supply Chain Leaders in Action (SCLA) Think Tank, the foremost think tank in global supply chain, brings together C-level executives from the Fortune 500 companies driving the world's top 50 supply chains. The SCLA community addresses urgent challenges and creates forward-thinking solutions through collaborative leadership.

On September 12, 2024, the SCLA, the premier global supply chain Think Tank, gathered to discuss how economic shifts and the upcoming presidential election are impacting supply chains and the broader economy. We explored several key topics, including supply chain stabilization, Federal Reserve actions, and the energy sector’s evolving role in global trade.

Senior supply chain leaders from Fortune 100 companies came together to discuss their top challenges and, more importantly, how they are solving them. This elite group forms the top think tank in supply chain, fostering a unique culture in a non-competitive environment where each company represents the best in class in their industry.

On August 1, 2024, the SCLA the premier global supply chain Think Tank convened to explore the intricate challenges facing global supply chains today. The discussions were rich, encompassing the pressing need for resilience, sustainability, and transparency in an increasingly volatile and complex world. Here’s a detailed recap of our key takeaways and the strategic next steps we’ve outlined.

Supply Chain Leaders in Action (SCLA) announces EDRAY Collaborative Port Logistics (EDRAY’s) victory in the 2024 Pitch Tank competition. Held annually, the SCLA Pitch Tank selects four companies from various categories that represent innovative solutions meeting vital supply chain needs. This year’s competition took place at the SCLA annual event on June 5th in Florida, featuring top senior-level executives from the supply chain industry.

As a guest presenter to our SCLA Executive Think Tank group back in mid-November, Antonio "Tony" Castillo, the founder and managing partner of Vigilant Training Group LLC, led a fantastic discussion about dealing with the power of leadership gracefully.

My article today is based on an outstanding recent presentation to our SCLA Executive Think Tank group by Bart A. De Muynck, Chief Industry Officer at project44, who highlighted a little bit of good news in the supply chain world: the spirit of collaboration is getting stronger!

There's no question about it—the topic of "digital twins" in the supply chain industry is quite buzzy at this moment in time. This is because the digital twin concept promises to substantially mitigate risk.

I have spent some time recently reflecting on all the fantastic presentations we've had in our SCLA Executive Think Tank group during the first half of 2022. With discussions about topics as diverse as the effects of home delivery failures and leveraging Big Data to reduce ocean shipping challenges, we have created a powerful forum for supply chain leaders to share knowledge and network. That's priceless.

In late May, the SCLA Executive Think Tank had the pleasure of talking with leaders from supply chain visibility platform project44. The company—often happy to go by simply “p44”—takes its name from a historic transportation and supply chain solution: Highway 44, which in 1953 became the first major bypass for the famous but by then overburdened Route 66.

Back at the beginning of March, our SCLA Executive Think Tank group heard a fantastic presentation from our colleague Chris Jones, EVP Industry & Services at Descartes Systems Group. Mr. Jones shared insights from his organization's recently released Ecommerce study, which takes a deep dive into online shopping and home delivery sentiments of North Americans and Europeans as of January 2022.

It’s not news at this point that our supply chains continue to be intensely challenged on just about every front. And, at no time was this more evident than during the 2021 holiday shopping season. (A time when the average consumer got a primary education in some of our biggest challenges based on difficulties they faced in gift shopping.)