In this episode of Chain Reaction, Michael Ostroumov speaks with Marloes Wanrooij, a senior supply chain and cold chain operations expert whose career spans more than 16 years across container leasing, quality leadership, and temperature-controlled logistics. Marloes shares her accidental entry into logistics, how operational experience shaped her perspective on quality, and why quality functions are often misunderstood as “blockers.” She highlights how bringing quality into the conversation early—rather than after failures occur—can prevent customer complaints, protect product integrity, and eliminate waste from end-to-end operations. The conversation explores the unique challenges of cold chain logistics, from temperature excursions and staff turnover to complacency in routine processes. Marloes explains why resilient supply chains rely on proactive risk identification, diversified suppliers, and rigorous training frameworks. She also discusses how AI can enhance root-cause analysis and quality systems, not by replacing humans but by uncovering patterns experts may overlook. Her “magic wand” wish? Better change management—because technology, products, people, and processes are constantly evolving, and only teams that embrace change can maintain high-performance, temperature-controlled operations. GUEST BIO TAKEAWAYS The divide between quality and operations often stems from involving quality too late.Quality is not a blocker—when engaged early, it prevents failures and customer complaints.People—not equipment—cause many cold chain failures due to training gaps or complacency.Staff turnover in third-party warehouses creates hidden vulnerabilities in process consistency.Robust training frameworks and refreshers reduce human error in temperature-controlled operations.Resilience requires proactive risk assessment, supplier diversification, and scenario planning.Innovation must balance engineering ambition with customer needs and cost realities.Effective change management is as important as product design or operational processes.The future of cold chain quality blends human judgment with data-driven insights.CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:37 How Marloes Entered Logistics by Accident 01:50 From Operations to Quality: The Overlap 03:10 Why Quality Is Misunderstood in Logistics 04:51 Customer Experience and Cold Chain Quality 06:14 Temperature Excursions and Process Failures 08:15 Packaging, Transport, and the Last-Mile Weakness 09:25 Why Quality Must Sit Inside Supply Chain 10:53 Production vs Logistics Quality Responsibilities 13:14 How Cold Chain Systems Are Set Up Globally 14:10 Top Problems: Complacency and Training Gaps 16:21 What “Resilient Supply Chains” Really Mean 18:39 Balancing Innovation with Operational Stability 19:33 Waste, Lean Thinking, and Process Bottlenecks 22:40 AI’s Role in Cold Chain Quality Systems 25:38 Using AI to Reduce Bias and Spot Hidden Trends 26:29 Balancing Cost, Quality, and Compliance 27:42 Voice of the Customer in Product Design 29:35 Magic Wand Question: Fixing Change Management 31:10 Closing Thoughts and Thanks Chain Reaction is brought to you by FLOX – The marketplace for connecting businesses with logistics providers. Visit flox.is for additional content. Need flexible partners for storage and distribution as you scale? Explore the marketplace #SupplyChain#Logistics#SupplyChainManagement#LogisticsOperations#SupplyChainStrategy#LogisticsTechnology#SupplyChainVisibility#LogisticsMarketplace#SupplyChainLeadership#FLOX Learn More Chain Reaction is brought to you by FLOX – The marketplace for connecting businesses with logistics providers. Visit flox.is for additional content.
