With Peak Season upon us, let’s dive into the changes and challenges facing the 2022 holiday demand.

As consumers, we all have our own stories of running from store to store in search of the gift that will be remembered forever. Typically, with one of two endings: complete satisfaction when you finally set your eyes on it, or utter disappointment when the shelves you face are all empty.

This episode’s guest aims to be present for their customers in spite of the instability that comes with peak shopping seasons. Caitlin Coghlan is the Global Director of E-Commerce at The Cookware Company.

On today’s episode, Caitlin and Alex discuss how her learnings from Amazon help her map out executive strategies for marketing and analytics while avoiding shutdowns when demand is highest.

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Guest Bio

Caitlin has over 10 years of experience in retail operations with brands such as Party City, Liberty Media, and Toys “R” Us where she worked as a buyer, before she joined Amazon as a vendor manager, managing the P&L and determining the strategic direction of the toys category. In 2017, Caitlin became a key part of The Cookware Company.

The Cookware Company is a global cookware manufacturer with worldwide brand presence. Starting in Belgium in 2007 with their original brand, GreenPan, The Cookware Company was the first to introduce PTFE-free non-stick cookware into the market. Winning the Amazon Home Vendor of the year in 2019, The Cookware Company’s brands can be found in retail, grocery, mass market and specialty stores as well as on television shopping channels and retail websites in over 100 countries around the world.

Caitlin leverages her experience at Amazon each and every day in her work at The Cookware Company. She plays a large role in product development based on consumer metrics and engagement in order to hone in on new trends as they develop. Similarly, she consistently has an eye on her supply chain to ensure there's always product ready to be put on shelves.

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Guest Quote

“I want to make sure that we are never out of stock. There’s been a lot of empty shelves in retailers like Walmart. There are places we can fit in. With the growth, the worst thing that we could do to ourselves is not be present for the consumer.” - Caitlin Coghlan

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Time Stamps

*(1:17) Meet Caitlin

*(4:49) Transparency in the supply chain

*(7:26) Developing strategies specific to Amazon

*(13:20) Segment 2: Challenges

*(15:16) Refreshing metrics

*(17:38) Focuses for peak season

*(19:40) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(21:59) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(24:16) What keeps you up at night?

*(27:16) Oprah’s List

*(29:03) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor

What would you do if Katie Couric called you at work and told you that your logistics company was breaking the law? This is a totally true and completely terrifying tale which you can read in our e-book Scary Supply Chain Stories To Tell In The Dark. Grab a free copy at Stord.link/scary and get ready to sleep with the lights on. And now back to the episode.

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Links

Connect with Caitlin Coghlan on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn

Check out the Stord Website

Check out The Cookware Company Website

Round up, and let’s explore what a Circular Supply Chain looks like.

What if we told you that your supply chain waste could be of value to someone else? Or vice versa? Today’s supply chains are linear, but in the future, The Circular Supply Chain Network plans to change that.

Our guest today understands how to make a material’s life span extend to as long as possible. Sneha Kumari is the Head of Industry Trends at The Circular Supply Chain Network.

On today’s episode, Sneha and Alex discuss how waste from one industry can be of value to another, the importance of failure mode and effects analysis, and ways in which you can turn your linear supply chain into a circular one.

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Guest Bio

Sneha is a Six Sigma Certified Green Belt Supply Chain Manager with over 9 years of experience improving customer metrics by reducing costs. She is passionate about customer experience and strives to deliver quality products to her customers on time while reducing operational costs. She is a believer in change and is constantly looking for ideas to innovate the current state. As a leader, Sneha empowers her team with decision-making and enables growth within the organization.

Leading a team of 50+ associates, Sneha has led forward and reverse Supply Chain activities and manufacturing operations across global projects and products she has worked on. Sneha has had experience leading demand planning/buying, managing the Master Production Schedule, inventory financial planning, vendor negotiations and Long Term Agreements (LTA) with suppliers, warehouse fulfillment management, and import compliance activities. Sneha has led New Product Introduction (NPI) projects ensuring 100% on-time customer launch while meeting the cost objectives. She has expertise working with electronics, automotive application products, and Home Automation software and hardware applications.

Sneha has leveraged her analytical skills to forecast annual inventory and build data-driven models for 3% YOY improvement in inventory turns and inventory $$. She is a Transaction Kaizen tool champion and led/facilitated 10 Kaizen events implementing process improvement tools driving efficiency while achieving both cost/time saving for the business.

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Guest Quote

“We want to make sure that you are making use of every single material that you use [in your supply chain] to make that product in the best way possible. The waste that came out of that process either goes back into your supply chain or it goes back to someone else's supply chain.” - Sneha Kumari

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Time Stamps

*(1:34) Meet Sneha

*(3:21) What is the value of a circular supply chain?

*(7:10) Profiting off of Circularity

*(12:25) Segment 2: Challenges

*(15:30) Audit, Audit, Audit!

*(20:08) Working in smaller loops

*(23:24) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(28:50) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(33:01) Waste from one industry can be a value to another

*(35:10) A Dell case study

*(39:05) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor

What would you do if Katie Couric called you at work and told you that your logistics company was breaking the law? This is a totally true and completely terrifying tale which you can read in our e-book Scary Supply Chain Stories To Tell In The Dark. Grab a free copy at Stord.link/scary and get ready to sleep with the lights on. And now back to the episode.

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Links

Connect with Sneha Kumari on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn

Check out the Stord Website

Check out the Circular Supply Chain Website

We often talk about speed when it comes to the supply chain, but what about cost? In today’s day and age, lowering costs for your customers can sometimes feel impossible. 
 

Our guest today understands what it takes to do just that while constantly improving the customer experience. Zach Kissel serves as the Vice President of Global E-Fulfillment at Intertape Polymer Group (IPG). 

On today’s episode, Zach discusses anticipating customers’ needs in times of uncertainty, how he bundles products to create cost savings, and why there should be more focus on regional manufacturing. 

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Guest Quote

“The biggest measure of success for me is when a customer asks me to do something else for them. Because that means that we are not only talking the talk, but we're walking the walk.” - Zach Kissel

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Time Stamps 

*(1:11) Meet Zach

*(2:50) IPG’s supply chain layout

*(5:20) The Pandemic Pivot

*(6:15) Zach’s number 1 indicator of success

*(10:00) Segment 2: Challenges

*(12:23) Packaging 101

*(15:03) Bundling products

*(16:54) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(20:26) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(25:42) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor:

Cloud Supply Chain combines the speed and flexibility of the cloud with the physical infrastructure required to compete. Want to learn more? Download our e-book Cloud Supply Chain for Dummies, I mean Savvy Brands, and find out for yourself. Go to Stord.link/dummies to get a copy. 

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Links 

• Connect with Zach Kissel on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn
• Check out the Stord Website
• Check out the IPG’s Website

A challenge that many startup founders face is finding a true partner in your manufacturers. Often, finding a manufacturer who will agree to work with your small inventory in the first place is hard enough.

Our guest today understands what it takes to navigate manufacturing hurdles. Elyse Kaye is the CEO of Bloom Bras and Head of Product Innovation at Aha Product Solutions.

On today’s episode, Elyse discusses the challenges posed by so many factories refusing to work with startups, ways to reduce unnecessary packaging, and how e-commerce is allowing smaller companies to take bigger risks than ever before.

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Guest Quote

“Instead of having 400 products on your site, can you bring it down so that you don’t run a greater risk? There’s been huge challenges in changing algorithms. So whereas it might have been a certain customer acquisition cost a year ago, those numbers have now skyrocketed.” - Elyse Kaye

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Time Stamps

*(1:31) Meet Elyse

*(2:00) What is Bloom Bras?

*(4:30) Manufacturers not willing to work with startups

*(7:30) Supplier diversification

*(10:44) Segment 2: Challenges

*(13:35) Solving for a more efficient supply chain

*(18:03) Retail v E-Commerce

*(20:54) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(26:50) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(27:20) Let’s talk sustainability

*(33:55) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor:

Cloud Supply Chain combines the speed and flexibility of the cloud with the physical infrastructure required to compete. Want to learn more? Download our e-book Cloud Supply Chain for Dummies, I mean Savvy Brands, and find out for yourself. Go to Stord.link/dummies to get a copy.

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Links

Connect with Elyse Kaye on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn

Check out the Stord Website

Check out the Bloom Bras Website

Shipping pallets and replenishing stores are one thing. Getting the products to doorsteps, handling returns swiftly, and accurately forecasting demands are an entirely separate beast. 

If you can accomplish all of those feats your customer experience will outperform your competitor's. 

Our guest today understands what it takes to own your customer experience. Rick Watson is the Founder and CEO of RMW Commerce Consulting. 

On today’s episode, Rick discusses creating a DTC channel that ensures customer loyalty, the importance of accurate forecasting, and why cross functional teams are so crucial for the success of eCommerce businesses.

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Guest Quote

“If your inventory is close to the customer, you're gonna have the best experience possible, which means that your forecasting needs to be really good per region, not just globally” - Rick Watson

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Time Stamps 

*(1:20) Meet Rick

*(7:33) How to improve the DTC customer experience

*(9:51) Segment 2: Challenges

*(11:26) The New Rate Game

*(14:32) How Rick’s work has impacted the bottom line
*(20:59) Don’t be in a silo

*(22:48) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(26:00) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(29:02) The next two years

*(33:33) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor:

Cloud Supply Chain combines the speed and flexibility of the cloud with the physical infrastructure required to compete. Want to learn more? Download our e-book Cloud Supply Chain for Dummies, I mean Savvy Brands, and find out for yourself. Go to Stord.link/dummies to get a copy. 

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Links 

• Connect with Rick Watson on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Kent on Linkedin
• Check out the Stord Website
• Check out the RMW’s Website

What do Kim Kardashian and Amazon’s delivery speed have in common? They’re both unrealistic expectations.
 

Mario Paganini, VP of Marketing at Stord, joins Alex for a bonus episode full of hot takes you need to hear. While everyone is focused on obtaining “Prime-Like Logistics” that solution is not right for hardly any brand. Mario shares what DTC, B2B, and omnibrands *should* have as their logistics North Star. Regardless of where you are in your business growth cycle, this episode will help you reorient on what is important to delivering excellent customer experience by building a custom logistics solution.

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Guest Quote

“I think there's actually something that's more important than speed. Before you can have speed, you need to have consistency and reliability.” - Mario Paganini 

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Time Stamps 

*(0:30) Meet Mario

*(1:40) Mario’s Hot Take

*(4:55) Why Prime should not be a comparison tool

*(12:40) Acquiring Capital vs Making a Profit

*(21:15) Finding YOUR North Star

*(24:13) In Conclusion

*(25:27) Quick Hitters

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Sponsor:

This podcast is powered by the team at Stord. Turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Go to Stord.com to learn more.

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Links 

• Connect with Mario Paganini on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Kent on Linkedin
• Check out the Stord Website

Transparency. It’s a characteristic critical to a healthy relationship and something supply chains need to have as well. 

Clean, ethical, you name it. Brands often use those words to market their products, but fail to demonstrate a transparent supply chain from top to bottom. 

Our guest not only works hard to provide a vegan and cruelty free product to her customers, but she is able to do so on a bootstrapped budget. 

As CEO and co-Founder of MASAMI Haircare, Lynn Power discusses her jump from the ad world to entrepreneurship, the struggles behind sourcing packaging, and how she ensures vegan and cruelty free materials.

Guest Quote

“We want to be as transparent as possible. So we want to understand exactly where and how things are sourced. You need to be able to trace all that stuff in order to submit that paperwork and then maintain it. And that's a whole process.” - Lynn Power

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Time Stamps 

*(1:26) Meet Lynn

*(6:42) Formulating from Japan

*(8:50) How ethically sourced product can be advantageous 

*(11:46) The vegan and cruelty free certification process

*(14:44) Segment 2: Challenges

*(18:30) Sourcing overseas vs US

*(21:22) Segment 3: The Venting Couch

*(23:22) Segment 4: Back to the Future

*(27:38) Segment 5: Quick Hitters

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Sponsor:

This podcast is powered by the team at Stord. Turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Go to Stord.com to learn more.

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Links 

• Connect with Lynn Power on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn
• Check out the Stord Website
• Check out the MASAMI’s Website

Do you ever go grocery shopping without any sort of list and end up forgetting half of what you actually needed? Not fun, right? So why would you take that same approach with how you operate your supply chain?

On our season finale of Supply Chain Therapy, listen to how Rebeca Illsley, COO of Thermacell Repellents, successfully incorporates process into an ever-growing demand pipeline. Yet another veteran in the industry, Rebecca held a variety of roles at The Clorox Company, including Director of Manufacturing & Director of Supply Chain Integration, before making the leap to Thermacell.

In the conversation with Alex and Michelle, Rebecca shares what big lessons she’s brought to the Thermacell team, and what she’s prioritized first since joining the organization. Some of the highlights include segmentation, team building, and focusing on S&OP first and foremost. Given that Thermacell products are EPA registered, Rebecca highlights the ways in which your manufacturing is impacted when producing safe, high-quality products.

Later on, you’ll also hear Rebecca talk about what it was like to partially step away from her career in order to build her family and raise her two daughters. Hint – It’s totally possible! In addition, she gives her take on how her experience has been in this male-dominated industry, and what advice she has for others looking to tighten the gender gap.

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Guest Bio

Rebecca Illsley is the Chief Operating Officer of Thermacell Repellents Inc. She started her career in consumer packaged goods 24 years ago in Research and Development with Frito-Lay followed by Coca-Cola. Rebecca took a pause in her career for six years opting to stay at home with her two daughters. She returned to work full time at The Clorox Company where she held a variety of roles in supply chain over 14 years.

Those roles included Manager of Contract Manufacturing, Director of Global Quality Assurance, Director of Supply Chain Integration and Director of Manufacturing. Rebecca is very proud to be leading a talented supply chain organization at Thermacell, driving growth by disrupting the mosquito repellent category with exciting product innovation.

Rebecca grew up in Nova Scotia Canada and has a BSc in Food Science from Acadia University and a MS in Food Science from the University of Minnesota.

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Guest Quote

“My opinion is: S&OP is the brain of the supply chain. So if you don’t have S&OP where it needs to be, then you really can't manage your demand. And you really can't manage your inventory, and you can't manage your supply plans.” - Rebecca Illsley

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Time Stamps

*(2:00) Dynamic logistics in VMS

*(7:56) All about Thermacell Repellents

*(9:37) Joining the team from Clorox

*(12:39) Recuperating in-house manufacturing

*(16:16) Why you need to reinvest in your supply chain

*(19:14) How to shift to a quality control mindset

*(22:21) Overcoming the gender gap in supply chain

*(27:35) Advice for ensuring equity

*(30:55) Speed round

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Sponsor

This podcast is powered by the team at Stord. Turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Go to Stord.com to learn more.

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Links

• Connect with Rebecca Illsley on LinkedIn

• Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn

• Connect with Michelle McNamara on LinkedIn
• Check out the Stord Website
• Learn more about Thermacell Repellents