Supply Chain Symphony
Supply Chain Symphony
Podcast Description
Supply Chain Symphony: Exploring the Future of Global CommerceSeries DescriptionWelcome to Supply Chain Symphony, where we untangle the complex global networks that bring the products and services we love to life. I'm your host, Drew Zabrocki, and I've spent my career diving deep into the challenges and opportunities that define modern supply chains.In this podcast series, we're bringing together the voices that matter - from pioneering technologists to seasoned industry veterans, from innovative startups to global logistics leaders. Each episode explores how emerging technologies, collaborative approaches, and fresh thinking are reshaping how goods move around our planet.Whether we're discussing the predictive power of IoT sensors, the transparency potential of blockchain, the efficiency gains of AI, or the sustainability imperatives driving change, our conversations go beyond the buzzwords to uncover practical insights you can actually use.What sets Supply Chain Symphony apart is our commitment to showing how these pieces fit together. Like any great orchestra, a supply chain is more than the sum of its parts – it requires coordination, timing, and a shared vision of the outcome. We celebrate the innovators who are conducting this complex symphony and the unsung heroes making it all work behind the scenes.Our production team brings these stories to life with help from our talented editor Martha King (who somehow manages to make complex supply chain concepts actually sound interesting), sound design from James at Next Day, fact-checking from the meticulous Sarah Jane, and our tech and business whisperer Rob Trice, who grounds our loftiest ideas in practical reality while keeping one eye firmly on the horizon. Whether you're a supply chain professional looking to stay ahead of the curve, a business leader navigating logistics challenges, or simply curious about how the stuff in your life gets to you, Supply Chain Symphony offers insights that inform, entertain, and inspire.Join us as we explore the technologies, trends, and people harmonizing the future of global commerce – one episode at a time.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on topics such as data in the food supply chain, blockchain applications, and AI's role in logistics, with episodes like 'Data: The Missing Ingredient in the Food Supply Chain' showcasing how data inefficiencies affect food distribution.
Supply Chain Symphony: Exploring the Future of Global Commerce
Series Description
Welcome to Supply Chain Symphony, where we untangle the complex global networks that bring the products and services we love to life. I’m your host, Drew Zabrocki, and I’ve spent my career diving deep into the challenges and opportunities that define modern supply chains.
In this podcast series, we’re bringing together the voices that matter – from pioneering technologists to seasoned industry veterans, from innovative startups to global logistics leaders. Each episode explores how emerging technologies, collaborative approaches, and fresh thinking are reshaping how goods move around our planet.
Whether we’re discussing the predictive power of IoT sensors, the transparency potential of blockchain, the efficiency gains of AI, or the sustainability imperatives driving change, our conversations go beyond the buzzwords to uncover practical insights you can actually use.
What sets Supply Chain Symphony apart is our commitment to showing how these pieces fit together. Like any great orchestra, a supply chain is more than the sum of its parts – it requires coordination, timing, and a shared vision of the outcome. We celebrate the innovators who are conducting this complex symphony and the unsung heroes making it all work behind the scenes.
Our production team brings these stories to life with help from our talented editor Martha King (who somehow manages to make complex supply chain concepts actually sound interesting), sound design from James at Next Day, fact-checking from the meticulous Sarah Jane, and our tech and business whisperer Rob Trice, who grounds our loftiest ideas in practical reality while keeping one eye firmly on the horizon.
Whether you’re a supply chain professional looking to stay ahead of the curve, a business leader navigating logistics challenges, or simply curious about how the stuff in your life gets to you, Supply Chain Symphony offers insights that inform, entertain, and inspire.
Join us as we explore the technologies, trends, and people harmonizing the future of global commerce – one episode at a time.
Data: The Missing Ingredient in the Food Supply Chain
Episode 2 | 30 minutes
What if the most critical ingredient in our food system isn’t grown in fields or manufactured in facilities? What if it’s data?
In this revealing second episode of our four-part series, host Drew Zabrocki explores why data has become the essential yet often missing ingredient that could transform everything from field to fork. Despite living in an age of smartphones and quantum computing, much of our food system still runs on paper – creating inefficiency, waste, and missed opportunities throughout the supply chain.
You’ll hear from:
- Farmers juggling six different platforms and 10 customer portals
- Industry experts grappling with terminology that means different things to different stakeholders
- Technology leaders developing innovative “smart data escrow” solutions
- Major retailers finding mutual benefit through strategic data sharing
This episode reveals the three-stage progression most organizations face: digitization, interoperability, and data sovereignty. Through insights from “The Tomato Experience” simulation, we witness how a single incorrect digit can cascade through the entire system, and why digitization without accuracy can actually amplify problems.
But it’s not just a story of challenges. Drew explores promising solutions emerging across the industry – from interconnectivity models that preserve data ownership to AI systems that extract more value from available information, all while addressing the crucial human factor in our increasingly digital supply chains.
Featured Voices:
- Aaron Ault (Farmer & Technology Expert, Purdue University)
- Andy Kennedy (FDA Food Safety Modernization Act architect)
- Chuck Tillmon (Walmart)
- Lainey Moules (Driscoll’s)
- Michael Darden (DFM Data Corp, ASTM F49 Executive Council)
- Liz Sertl (Standards Expert, GS1)
- Mike Laws (Laws Logistics)
- Industry participants from the Supply Chain Summit
Key Insights:
- Why “container availability” means completely different things depending on who you ask
- How PTI labels currently fail 4 out of 10 times while UPC barcodes fail once every 400,000 scans
- The fundamental incentive misalignment: everyone wants others to share data, but few are eager to share their own
- Why interconnectivity – not just interoperability – may be the key to preserving data sovereignty while enabling collaboration
Show Notes:
- Learn about smart data escrow and federated learning approaches at www.supplychainofthefuture.org
Produced by Drew Zabrocki with editing by Martha King, sound design by James at Next Day, and fact checking by Sarah Jane. Published by the Totem Innovation Network. Copyright 2025, Totem, LLC.
Contact and Engagement
For more information or to join the initiative: visit www.supplychainofthefuture.org for additional resources and case studies
Next Episode Preview: Join us as we explore trust issues in competitive food systems – examining how organizations can collaborate effectively while preserving their distinct interests and advantages.
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