Auto Supply Chain Champions

QAD | Redzone
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

We really can’t predict the future … because nobody can. What we can do, though, is help auto manufacturers recognize, prepare for, and profit from whatever comes next. Auto Supply Chain Champions gives you timely and relevant insights and best practices from industry leaders.

  1. 2h ago

    Supply Chain Challenges in the Ultra Luxury Auto Sector

    The automotive supply chain runs on scale. Volume buys capacity, amortizes tooling, and puts a buyer at the front of the queue. Karma Automotive builds roughly 150 vehicles a year, so none of that leverage exists. A traditional tier-one scrap earns more in a week than Karma needs in twelve months. In this episode of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts sit down with Juan Lalinde, Director of Global Purchasing at Karma Automotive, the California ultra-luxury automaker built from the assets of Fisker. Juan sources a company where a $2 million tooling quote sits against a 150-unit build year. His model is not a smarter algorithm. It is a stronger network. AI clears the noise, and the non-value-added work, and the doors still open the old way, through a knock, an introduction, and a supplier who wants a shot at ultra-luxury. Juan calls it HI. Human intelligence. That approach got tested. Karma pulled a structural program out of Northern Europe, where the Fisker-era extruders had merged, closed, or scrapped the tooling, and localized it with a supplier in Tijuana, two hours down the road. Requalification finished. The tooling was paid for. Then the tariffs on Mexico landed. Juan ran the numbers, saw that China carried heavier-duty and domestic quotes at 10 times the cost, and chose to stay and work the problem with the supplier. What came out of it is a different kind of negotiation. Karma hands the supplier the schedule: deliver 100 parts by the date, and run the job at 1:00 in the morning if that protects the capacity, paying their bills. Juan is also clear that Karma is not a pure EV. The motors are electric, and the engine exists only to charge the battery, which takes charging infrastructure out of the decision, where it still stops buyers. Most supply chain leaders will never buy at 150 units a year, and the lesson holds anyway. When volume stops doing the negotiating, what is left is the relationship, the speed of the call, and whether the supplier believes the business is going somewhere. That work does not automate. Themes Discussed in This Episode Sourcing when scale is not on your sideWhy relationships still open doors that data cannotAI for the noise, human intelligence for the decisionLocalizing to Mexico and absorbing a tariff shock with the supplierDeveloping small suppliers from ISO to IATFSchedule flexibility as a low-volume negotiating toolEREV and the charging anxiety are still holding buyers backBrand desirability as a sourcing asset This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Juan Lalinde Title: Director of Global Purchasing, Karma Automotive About: Juan is Director of Global Purchasing at Karma Automotive, with extensive experience in global supply chain management and process improvement. Known for driving operational efficiency and leading high-performing teams, Juan has delivered multimillion-dollar savings and innovative solutions across the automotive and technology sectors. Juan holds an MBA from the University of San Diego and is fluent in English and Spanish. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Mentioned in the Episode: Beyond the Bottleneck: The State of AI in Automotive Manufacturing and What’s Next, the QAD webinar with Automotive NewsMarques McCammon, CEO of Karma Automotive, on The Automotive Leaders Podcast Episode Highlights [03:11] The Phoenix in the Portfolio: Juan describes the third-generation Revero as the proof of everything Karma has engineered since 2020, with the Gyesera, the Ivara, and the Kaveya super coupe behind it. [04:10] Volume Buys You Nothing: Traditional tier ones and twos scrap more in a week than Karma needs for a year, so the search is for a partner who cares about the part rather than the quantity. [06:16] Everything Matters at 150 Cars a Year: Juan walks through the paint shop and the body-in-white line, where the goal is to give skilled people their time back and keep rework from stealing it. [08:09] “I Know a Guy” Is a Sourcing Strategy: Karma finds the operator who left a big tier two to open a shop, checks for ISO certification, and develops them toward IATF. If they grow, Karma grows. [09:30] AI Clears the Noise, HI Opens the Door: Juan draws the line between what AI is good for and what still requires a person, and explains why Karma has had to hear a lot of noes to get its yeses. [14:56] Not a Pure EV, and That Is the Point: The powertrain is electric, and the engine only generates power for the battery, which Tom credits as a direct answer to range anxiety. [19:19] The Tariff That Landed After the Tooling: Karma localized an aluminum program to a Tijuana supplier, invested in tooling, and then watched duties on Mexico appear. The relationship, not the contract, carried the cost conversation. [21:00] Hand the Supplier the Schedule: Forecasting and open communication let Karma work around a supplier’s capacity instead of competing for it, which is how a 100-piece order stays welcome. Top Quotes [08:09] Juan Lalinde: "The automotive is a big industry, but it's a small space." [09:30] Juan Lalinde: “Even though AI is the future, for us, HI, human intelligence, is what’s taking us to the next step.” [16:57] Juan Lalinde: “It’s a game of Whac-A-Mole. It’s like a trivia pursuit but with tariffs. You don’t know what you’re gonna get in the next roll of dice.” If this episode resonated, share it with a fellow automotive leader and subscribe to the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, where we're closing the gap between insight and action across the global automotive supply chain. Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    Supply Chain Challenges in the Ultra Luxury Auto Sector

  2. Aug 3

    The Office of Resilience: Automotive's Missing Function

    Resilience is the most used word in automotive, and one of the least staffed functions in it. It turns up in board decks, on conference panels, and in webinar titles, and then the next disruption hits, and the response doesn't look any different from the last one: a war room, a handful of empowered people, and a lot of luck. In this episode, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts sit down with Ambrose Conroy, CEO of Seraph, to put structure behind a phrase most leaders use loosely. Ambrose built his firm on crisis work, and his answer to the resilience question isn't a mindset. It's an org chart. Build an office of resilience, staff it full-time, and have it report to the CEO or the board. The model already exists outside automotive. Shell and Apple run standing teams that watch their value chains down to raw material pricing, and Apple's got roughly 100 people doing it. Toyota does the same work without giving it a name. What separates them from most OEMs and tier ones isn't intent. It's the ability to see across their own data. That's where most companies stop. Multiple ERP instances, disconnected PLM systems, and dozens of cross-reference tables make it slow to answer a simple question: what stops if the rare earth supply is disrupted, or if an earthquake takes out a plant in Japan? Ambrose and Tom are blunt about what dirty master data does to AI. It drifts. It hallucinates. It returns alerts nobody can act on. Speed is the second half of the argument. In the Novelis disruption, three OEMs faced the same problem. One had an alternate capacity locked in within 48 hours. One followed the full qualification process and lost weeks. The third didn't really know what was going on. The mindset shift is the hard part, and Jan says so plainly about her own years running the supply chain. Nobody wants to fund headcount against a risk that hasn't happened yet. The leaders who fund it anyway will be the ones still shipping when the next choke point closes. Themes Discussed in This Episode What an office of resilience actually doesWhy resilience fails as a part-time assignmentBoard and CEO ownership of enterprise riskMaster data as the foundation of risk visibilityChoke points, commodities, and what-if modelingThe end of the annual cost-downDecision speed as a competitive advantageMeasuring resilience against competitors This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Ambrose Conroy Title: Founder and CEO of Seraph Consulting About: Ambrose is the Founder and CEO of Seraph Consulting. He founded Seraph to solve complex, bet-the-business problems for clients and to be the go-to partner for driving operational excellence. Before founding Seraph, Ambrose served as Vice President of Supply Chain Solutions at NAI Global and led the West Coast Global Business Transformation Group at PA Consulting, where he specialized in due diligence, crisis management, and strategic transformation. He began his career as a consultant at CSC. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Mentioned in the Episode: Seraph choke point analysis webinar deck Episode Highlights [00:04:35] What an Office of Resilience Is: Ambrose anchors it to the board risk committee mandate. The office exists to protect your ability to deliver today's products and services, no matter what happens. [00:05:34] Seeing Across Your Own Data: The blocker isn't strategy. It's architecture. Most OEMs and tier ones have built systems that can't give anyone a cross-enterprise view. [00:07:57] AI Drifts on Dirty Data: Fifty reference tables and disconnected PLM systems produce alerts nobody trusts. Tom points out that's exactly where big data analytics projects fell over a decade ago. [00:09:04] If It's Not in the System, It's Risk: Working around the system of record feels faster in a crisis, and it's what leaves you people-dependent when things start going wrong, and people get tired. [00:13:44] The Cost-Down Era Is Over: Annual price decreases aren't coming back. Ambrose argues that if you're not running the what-if scenarios, the crisis and chaos will cost you far more than the five or ten strategic heads you didn't want to fund. [00:16:45] Who Owns It: CEO, CFO, or board. Anywhere below that, silos and politics kill it before it's produced anything. [00:19:42] Part-Time Doesn't Work: You need full-time people from finance, legal, supply chain, and strategy, led by someone with the standing to challenge peers. Ambrose calls it a grooming ground for future senior executives. [00:22:02] Three OEMs, One Disruption: The Novelis situation exposed the gap between empowered decision-making and process compliance, measured in weeks of lost capacity. [00:24:09] Measuring Risk You Prevented: Purchasing savings as a metric is done, and Ambrose points to an OEM that skipped a volume-specific contract to capture some. Success is relative now: how fast your organization absorbs disruption compared with direct competitors. Top Quotes [00:06:33] Ambrose Conroy: "It's not just getting out of China, it's not just regionalization, it's making sure you have business continuity moving forward, no matter what." [00:16:15] Ambrose Conroy: "So an office of resilience needs to be able to take that into account, and you need to have the data to do it. But you also need to have the organization, you need to have the will, and you need to have the sponsorship from a board level or a CEO level to make it work." [00:27:00] Ambrose Conroy: "There's a lot of choke points out there right now that could close, thinking through those proactively and comparing how your organization performs to those of your direct competitors is the cleanest way to measure the impact and success of the office of resilience." If this episode resonated, share it with a fellow automotive leader and subscribe to the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, where we're closing the gap between insight and action across the global automotive supply chain. Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    The Office of Resilience: Automotive's Missing Function

  3. Jul 20

    Automotive Supply Chain Resiliency: Trade Shocks, Commodity Risk, and AI Scenario Modeling

    The disruption isn't coming. It arrived with dates attached. July 1 brought the USMCA review, and Canada got left in the cold. July 20 marks the end of the Section 301 investigations. July 24 is when the Section 122 tariffs, currently capped at 10% and set to expire, have no automatic renewal. Q2 wasn't a quarter to review. It was a quarter to survive. In this host-only Q2 review, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts trade the guest chair for a hard look at a quarter that refused to sit still. Trade policy moved. Commodity prices moved. The talent question moved. And underneath all of it sits the problem QAD has named for years: manufacturers don't have a data problem, they have an execution problem. The trade math keeps splitting into smaller pieces. Companies may soon have to separate US and Canadian content, then carry that split through every tier of the chain, where country-of-origin data was already hard to trust. Commodities pull the same thread. With the Strait of Hormuz closed at the time of recording, oil spiked, and aluminum, resin, and plastics moved with it. Tom describes tier ones already using AI to catch index swings against exploded BOMs and recover costs that were once hidden in one analyst's spreadsheet. The data was always there. The speed wasn't. Then there's resiliency, the word every leader defines differently. Jan and Tom settle on a working one: know where your risk sits, and be ready when something breaks. The Novelis fire, a single Nylon 12 plant, an earthquake that takes out paint for the F-150, none of these are hypothetical, and AI now lets a team model that exposure across a region before it lands. The quarter closed on the people who inherit it all. Universities call AI cheating. The employers hiring those same graduates expect it on day one. That gap is real, and it starts to close on a plant floor, not behind a screen. Q2 proved the old playbook can't keep pace. The leaders who win the back half won't wait for stability that isn't coming. They'll have built the data, the scenarios, and the bench before the next headline makes the decision for them. Themes Discussed in This Episode USMCA and the cost of a 10-year breakupSection 301 and Section 122: the tariff deadlines that matterSplitting US and Canadian content across every tierWhy do what-if scenarios decide who holds the marginCommodity volatility and index-based cost recoveryUsing AI to model geopolitical risk in real timeResiliency: knowing where the risk actually sitsPreparing the next generation for an AI-first plant floor This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Mentioned in the Episode: Building the Next Generation of Supply Chain Leaders with Professor Leah Wolf Episode Highlights [02:15] The USMCA Cold Shoulder: The July 1 review signaled the US has little interest in keeping Canada and Mexico together, and this breakup will be bumpy. [03:33] The Dates That Decide Q3: July 20 and July 24 bring Section 301 and Section 122 to a head, with 12.5% duties on 46 countries in play. [05:23] Splitting Content Across the Tiers: Separating US and Canadian content means multiplying already-hard country-of-origin data through every supplier tier. [06:52] What ETL Actually Means: Tom breaks down extract, transform, load in plain terms, and why clean data decides your tariff exposure. [11:00] The Spreadsheet Nobody Can Read: AI can flag index movements for cost recovery instead of trusting the one analyst who understands the file. [12:10] Resiliency Starts With Risk: Know where your exposure sits and have a plan ready before the next plant fire, earthquake, or closed strait. [14:51] From Failed Pilots to Real Wins: AI pilots succeed when they start with a known problem and a defined outcome, not "let's apply AI and see." [17:45] Build the Bench on the Plant Floor: Students need real plants and real AI tools, closing the gap between how they learn and how they'll be expected to work. Top Quotes [06:33] Tom Roberts: " Clean data is going to be incredibly important with those product codes, product classifications to understand what is actually exposed to tariffs, what's not, and I think AI is gonna play a big part in helping to automate some of the cleanup and transformation. " [12:10] Jan Griffiths: "Resiliency is really, step one is understanding where your risk is and being ready when something breaks." If this episode resonated, share it with a fellow automotive leader and subscribe to the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, where we're closing the gap between insight and action across the global automotive supply chain. Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    Automotive Supply Chain Resiliency: Trade Shocks, Commodity Risk, and AI Scenario Modeling

  4. Jul 6

    Is USMCA Dead? What the 2026 Renegotiation Means for the Auto Supply Chain

    The auto industry didn’t lose USMCA on July 1st. It lost the assumption that the rules would sit still. The agreement isn’t dead. Nobody packed their boxes. But the US declined to renew the deal as written, and it opened what could be a 10-year renegotiation of the trade framework that governs somewhere between 1.6 and 2 trillion dollars a year, with autos at roughly 18% of that. The proposal on the table increases North American content from 75% to 82%, with half of that produced specifically in the US, and 25% tariffs still in place as leverage. In this episode, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts bring back QAD trade experts Ian Berman and Joshua Guy to separate what actually changed from what only sounds like it did. The headline reads like an attack on trade with Mexico and Canada. Ian reframes it fast: the real target is China and Mexico, as the bridge suppliers have used to skate on tariffs. If you’ve been finding loopholes, this is the light being pointed at them. Nothing changes tomorrow. That’s the trap. The suppliers who wait for final rules will be doing origin math under deadline pressure that the prepared ones have already finished. Qualifying under the new content thresholds forces every supplier to expose its true bill of materials, and then to know its supplier’s supplier’s supplier. That’s not a sourcing problem first. It’s a data problem first. Joshua makes the same case from the trade-zone side. Foreign-Trade Zones won’t erase the origin issue, but used well, they’re a lever that mitigates duty exposure, with ROI that usually lands inside year one. 2025 was the largest growth year FTZ usage has seen, and DC is staffing up for another record in 2026. Underneath it all, the hosts keep returning to one message: data quality is the survival trait, systems turn that data into decisions fast enough to matter, and agility is the posture, because the volatility isn’t a phase to wait out. This episode is a reminder that global trade is not back-office reporting. It is a strategic infrastructure. Leaders who treat it as such gain flexibility, cash flow timing advantages, and margin recovery. Those who do not will absorb the cost and call it unavoidable. Themes Discussed in This Episode What actually changed on July 1, and what didn’tWhy the new rules target China, with Mexico as the transshipment bridgeRising US-content and regional-value thresholds under revised rules of originOrigin qualification as a data problem before a sourcing problemKnowing your supplier’s supplier’s supplier across the bill of materialsClean upstream data as a tier-two competitive advantageForeign-Trade Zones as a duty-mitigation lever, not a loophole around originMoving from reactive compliance to proactive planning before the rules are final Featured Guest Name: Ian Berman Title: Global Trade and Transportation Expert About: Ian is the Manager of Business Consulting with QAD Supply Chain. Ian has been with QAD for 11 years and has 20 years of experience in global trade and transportation management. He holds a Masters Degree in Supply Chain Management as well as an ASCM CLTD Certification. Connect: LinkedIn Name: Joshua Guy Title: Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Specialist About: For more than 25 years, Joshua has worked at the intersection of engineering, product leadership, and global trade, helping organizations bring structure and clarity to complex supply chains. Today, he leads strategy for Foreign-Trade Zone solutions that enable multinational importers to manage tariff exposure, reduce compliance risk, and strengthen financial performance. He also led the development of QAD FTZ, an industry-leading Inventory Control and Recordkeeping System that supports manufacturers, distributors, and 3PLs as they move from reactive compliance to proactive, resilient trade strategy in a volatile global environment. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Episode Highlights [01:43] Couples Therapy for Your Sourcing Strategy: Jan opens with Pete Mento’s framing of the July 1 news, and the room agrees the metaphor fits: every sourcing decision now comes with an asterisk. [02:39] The Real Target Isn’t Mexico: Ian reframes the headline. This is aimed at China and the Mexican bridge suppliers have used to skate tariffs, not at North American trade itself. [03:57] A Light on the True Bill of Materials: New content thresholds force origin math that exposes what a product is actually made of, and pushes visibility down to the supplier’s supplier’s supplier. [04:40] Tier Two Data Becomes an Advantage: Josh makes the case that clean, auditable upstream data is what separates the suppliers who survive this from the ones who scramble. [05:19] The Data Sensitivity Problem: Tom names the tension: OEMs want deeper visibility, and tier ones are wary of exposing their supply base and origin data outside their four walls. [09:02] FTZ as a Tool in the Toolbox: Josh explains what Foreign-Trade Zones can and can’t do. They won’t erase the origin issue, but they mitigate duty exposure in export-heavy flows. [11:06] A Record Year for Foreign-Trade Zones: 2025 was the largest FTZ growth year yet, and the DC board is staffing up for another record in 2026. Awareness of the lever is finally catching up. [13:04] The ROI Is a No-Brainer: Josh walks Tom through the math: most companies recoup FTZ setup and software costs inside year one or two, before the deeper savings even count. [15:50] Rules of Origin, in Plain Terms: Ian breaks down what a rule of origin actually is and why knowing your biggest BOM cost line matters more than any headline percentage. [19:48] Stress-Test the BOM Now: Jan lays out the starting move: run 82% regional and 50% US content against your bill of materials, prioritize the parts, then build the action plan. [22:32] The Monday-Morning Playbook: Ian, Josh, and Tom close on three moves: baseline your data, put systems in place, and stay agile, because the volatility isn’t slowing down. Top Quotes [04:15] Ian Berman: “ If you're not doing FTA calculations and origin determinations today, my guess is you'll be doing them tomorrow because that's what's really gonna be tied in if you wanna keep being able to use these aspects.” [12:29] Joshua Guy: “You might not be able to get the full savings that you once might have had, but you can use these different tools available to squeeze out just enough margin to stay competitive.” [22:11] Jan Griffiths: “It's about reducing those decision-making cycle times, being able to grab the situation, grab the ball, and pivot and move with it quickly.” [24:40] Tom Roberts: “You got to have great data, and you got to make some decisions, and it's something you can't leave behind. You can't just kinda wait it out. It's good to get in front of it now.” Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    Is USMCA Dead? What the 2026 Renegotiation Means for the Auto Supply Chain

  5. Jun 22

    Building the Next Generation of Supply Chain Leaders with Professor Leah Wolf

    The automotive industry spends a lot of time talking about supply chains, but not nearly enough time talking about the people who make them work. In this episode of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts are joined by Leah Wolf, retired General Motors supply chain executive and professor at Central Michigan University, for a conversation about one of the industry's most important and often overlooked challenges: developing the next generation of supply chain talent. After spending 33 years leading supply chain operations at General Motors, Leah now brings real-world experience into the classroom, helping students bridge the gap between theory and execution. From case competitions and plant tours to supplier strategy and inventory management, she shares how universities can prepare students for the realities of today's manufacturing environment. The conversation explores how the skills required for supply chain success are evolving. Technical knowledge remains important, but leadership, teamwork, adaptability, and problem-solving skills continue to set great supply chain professionals apart from the rest. As AI and automation reshape the industry, Leah and Tom discuss why technology will amplify human capability rather than replace it. This conversation challenges supply chain leaders to rethink their talent pipeline. The organizations that build strong partnerships with universities, invest in experiential learning, and engage future talent early will be better positioned to navigate disruption and lead the next era of automotive supply chain excellence. Themes Discussed in This Episode Building the automotive supply chain talent pipelineBridging academia and industry experienceWhy real-world learning matters in supply chain educationThe evolving role of AI in supply chain careersLeadership, teamwork, and problem-solving under pressureDeveloping future-ready supply chain professionalsUniversity partnerships and talent development strategies This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Leah Wolf Title: Professor of Supply Chain Management, Central Michigan University; Retired General Motors Supply Chain Executive About: Professor Leah Wolf spent 33 years with General Motors, primarily serving in global supply chain leadership roles across North America and Europe. Since retiring from GM in 2016, she has focused on developing the next generation of supply chain professionals, teaching graduate and undergraduate supply chain management courses at Central Michigan University and Wayne State University while bringing decades of real-world industry experience into the classroom. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Episode Highlights [02:43] From the Plant Floor to Global Supply Chain: Leah reflects on her 33-year career at General Motors, beginning as a production supervisor and eventually leading supply chain operations across multiple countries and cultures. [04:28] Learning Beyond the Classroom: Students gain hands-on experience through case competitions, trade shows, plant tours, and real-world consulting projects before entering the workforce. [08:53] The Total Enterprise Cost Lesson: Jan and Leah discuss why great supply chain decisions require balancing piece price, inventory, logistics, quality, and supplier relationships rather than focusing on a single metric. [12:19] Teaching Real-World Problem Solving: Leah explains how she challenges students with current supply chain issues and forces them to think through implementation, execution, and business outcomes. [14:22] Making Supply Chain Exciting: Plant tours, warehouse visits, and real manufacturing environments help students understand the fast-paced and dynamic nature of supply chain careers. [18:28] The Skills That Never Go Out of Style: A sense of urgency, leadership, transparency, teamwork, and strong interpersonal relationships remain foundational skills for supply chain success. [19:46] The Blackout That Tested a Team: Leah shares a memorable story from the Northeast Blackout and how a highly engaged team found creative ways to keep production running. [22:31] Why AI Changes the Game: Tom and Leah explore how AI, automation, predictive analytics, and risk mapping are transforming supply chain operations and decision-making. [25:01] Preparing Students for an AI-Powered Future: Students are increasingly exposed to AI applications that automate routine processes and help supply chain professionals make faster, more informed decisions. [26:55] Building a Stronger Talent Pipeline: Leah encourages supply chain leaders to engage with universities early, support internships and experiential learning, and build relationships with future talent before graduation. Top Quotes [10:23] Leah Wolf: “Total enterprise cost is key, and I teach that all day long. You've got to run the numbers, and you've got to do the business case.” [15:18] Leah Wolf: "I would go into work every day thinking I've seen it all. And then, I'd go to work the next day, and something else that I'd never even dreamed would've happened would've happened. " [24:47] Leah Wolf: "Everything you just mentioned, I've done manually, and it's very difficult, and sometimes you can't get all the answers, and maybe until it's too late. But with AI, it's going to change all that. It's just gonna be amazing." Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    Building the Next Generation of Supply Chain Leaders with Professor Leah Wolf

  6. Jun 8

    Turning Data Into Action on the Shop Floor

    Data is everywhere in manufacturing. Competitive advantage comes from turning it into action, where the work happens. In this episode of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast, Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts sit down with Tom Luttrell, CIO of CSP, to discuss what it takes to modernize technology inside an automotive manufacturing company and why the future belongs to companies that move beyond systems of record and embrace systems of action. With more than three decades of experience leading technology transformations across automotive manufacturing, Tom shares how he approached his first year at CSP by listening first, understanding business problems before technology solutions, and building a roadmap centered on simplification, automation, and employee empowerment. The conversation explores the realities of disconnected systems, fragmented workflows, and siloed data that slow execution across manufacturing organizations. Tom explains why modern ERP platforms, AI-powered workflows, and agentic technologies can place critical information directly in the hands of maintenance technicians, operators, and frontline teams when they need it most. Rather than focusing on technology for technology's sake, Tom emphasizes a people-first approach. Success comes from making employees' jobs easier, reducing friction, improving decision-making, and creating tools that respect human expertise while accelerating action. In the latter part of the episode, QAD's Tom Roberts reflects on the shift from systems of record to systems of action, the role AI plays in uncovering the "why" behind operational issues, and why technology leaders must communicate in business terms rather than technical language. Themes Discussed in This Episode Why manufacturing leaders must move from systems of record to systems of actionBuilding a data-first culture that drives execution, not just visibilityModernizing legacy technology without disrupting the businessUsing Agentic AI to put knowledge in the hands of frontline teamsEmpowering maintenance technicians and operators with real-time decision supportMaking manufacturing execution systems work for the people doing the workDesigning technology around human behavior and user adoptionEliminating friction between data, decisions, and actionBalancing cybersecurity, productivity, and business outcomesLeading enterprise transformation through trust, relationships, and business alignment This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Tom Luttrell Title: Chief Information Officer at CSP About: Tom is Chief Information Officer at CSP, bringing more than 30 years of experience leading digital transformation, ERP modernization, cybersecurity, and business growth initiatives across the automotive and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining CSP, he held CIO leadership roles at RealTruck, Shiloh Industries, and Masco Cabinetry, where he led large-scale global technology transformations, ERP integrations, and operational improvement initiatives. He holds degrees in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration and continues to advance his expertise in cybersecurity and risk management. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Episode Highlights [02:17] Building a Data-First Culture: Tom explains his mission at CSP: modernize the technology foundation, create a data-first culture, and make it measurably easier for employees to do their jobs. [03:23] Listen Before You Lead: Technology transformation begins with understanding the business. Tom spent his first ninety days assessing systems, processes, talent, and trust before making changes. [06:40] From Systems of Record to Systems of Action: Traditional ERP systems capture transactions. Modern systems sense issues, trigger action, and help teams respond in real time before problems escalate. [08:30] AI for the Frontline: Instead of searching through hundreds of documents, maintenance technicians could use AI-powered tools to instantly access answers and solve problems faster. [10:46] The Point of Impact: The greatest value comes when critical information reaches the person closest to the problem, enabling faster decisions and better quality outcomes. [12:18] Reimagining the Shop Floor Experience: Tom outlines his vision for manufacturing execution systems that provide real-time visibility, automate routine transactions, and simplify work for operators. [13:46] Technology That Works for People: Whether through automation, scanning, image recognition, or AI-driven workflows, technology should remove friction rather than create it. [15:39] Speaking the Language of Business: One of Tom's biggest leadership lessons was learning to frame technology initiatives around business outcomes, not technical specifications. [17:42] Cybersecurity Without Creating Friction: Security matters, but successful technology leaders balance risk mitigation with maintaining productivity and enabling business operations. [21:08] The Power of Systems of Action: Tom Roberts explains how AI can move organizations beyond reporting what happened toward understanding why it happened and what action should happen next. Top Quotes [02:52] Tom Luttrell: “ The reason why I came in was to modernize our technology foundation for the company and to build a data-first culture, and to make it measurably easier for our employees to get their jobs done.” [10:55] Tom Luttrell: "You're putting the information in the hands of what I would call the point of impact, which would be the maintenance tech at that specific press looking at that specific problem." [16:20] Tom Luttrell: “ You have to primarily come at things from what problem are you trying to solve from a business perspective.” Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    Turning Data Into Action on the Shop Floor

  7. May 11

    From Playing With AI to Putting It to Work: A Practical Guide for Supply Chain and IT Leaders

    Most of us are playing with AI; a few are putting it to work. The gap between the two is the difference between curiosity and a competitive edge. Jan Griffiths and Tom Roberts sit down with Cheryl Thompson, founder of the Cheryl Thompson AI Adoption Advisory Practice and one of the most practical voices in AI adoption today. With over 1,400 hours of hands-on learning, Cheryl has gone deep on what works, what doesn't, and where most people get stuck. This conversation is for the supply chain and IT professional who has dabbled in ChatGPT, gotten frustrated, and walked away. Cheryl breaks down the real difference between an AI assistant, a specialist, and an AI employee in plain English. She shares the prompt structure she uses every day, the mindset shift that separates the curious from the capable, and three things every supply chain professional should do this week to move from playing around to producing results. Themes Discussed in This Episode Why AI isn't going to take your job, but someone who knows AI willThe RCRQ prompt structure: Role, Context, Request, QuestionsAI assistant vs. specialist vs. AI employee, explained The Custom GPT, Claude project, and Gemini Gem comparison in plain EnglishWhy AI will lie to you confidently if you don't push backThe Parkinson's law trap: what to do with the time AI gives backPractical use cases for procurement: RFQ documentation, supplier evaluation, negotiation prepWhy human relationships still matter more than ever in supplier developmentThree things to do this week to move from playing with AI to using it This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Cheryl Thompson Title: Founder, Cheryl Thompson AI Adoption Advisory Practice About: Cheryl is on a mission to help small business owners and corporate professionals stop playing with AI and start getting real value from it. With more than 1,400 hours of dedicated AI learning and three rounds through an intensive 12-week training program, she has built a practice focused on practical adoption, not hype. Cheryl runs workshops and learning labs tailored by function, including supply chain and procurement, helping professionals build prompts, specialists, and AI workflows that fit how they actually work. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Mentioned in this Episode: Henry Cloud, BoundariesDavid Allen, Getting Things DoneThe Eisenhower MatrixCheryl's upcoming Learning Lab for supply chain and procurement professionals Episode Highlights [03:11] The 1,400-Hour Rabbit Hole: How Cheryl’s curiosity about AI turned into an obsession and a full-scale commitment to helping people adopt AI with confidence. [08:20] The RCRQ Prompt Structure That Actually Works: Cheryl breaks down her practical framework for prompting AI effectively using role, context, request, and clarifying questions. [09:15] Custom GPT, Claude Project, Gemini Gem: Different platforms. Same concept. Cheryl explains how AI specialists and agents work behind the scenes. [12:57] AI Is the Loud, Confident Colleague Who Sometimes Makes Things Up: Why AI hallucinations happen, how people misuse AI like a search engine, and the importance of pushing back on outputs. [14:05] Parkinson’s Law Meets AI: Tom explores the real challenge companies face once AI gives employees back hours of productive time. [17:29] Only 27% of the Workday Is Real Work: Cheryl shares Asana research showing how administrative overload prevents professionals from focusing on high-value work. [18:20] Negotiation Prep Is an Ideal AI Use Case: From supplier negotiations to procurement strategy, Cheryl explains how AI can sharpen preparation and confidence. [19:37] Why Human Skills Matter More Than Ever: Jan reflects on how AI creates space for relationship-building, supplier collaboration, and the human side of supply chain leadership. [21:50] Three Practical Ways to Start Using AI This Week: Cheryl gives supply chain and IT professionals a simple roadmap for moving beyond experimentation into real AI adoption. Top Quotes [13:34] Cheryl Thompson: “AI is not going to take your job. Someone that knows AI is going to take your job.” [14:32] Tom Roberts: “Are people ready to say, okay, I've saved all this time, great. Now, what do I do?” [19:43] Cheryl Thompson: “Yeah, and I'm so glad you said that because we have to remember the human in this AI world.” Connect With Cheryl Thompson Find Cheryl on LinkedIn and learn more about her workshops and learning labs at her website (link in show notes). Connect With Us We want to hear from you. What are your biggest supply chain challenges right now? What conversations do you want to hear on this podcast? Drop us a comment on the podcast website. The link is in the show notes. Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    From Playing With AI to Putting It to Work: A Practical Guide for Supply Chain and IT Leaders

  8. Apr 27

    When the Hacker Changes a One to a Zero

    The real cyber threat isn't someone stealing your data. It's someone quietly changing a one to a zero on your shop floor, and you not noticing until something breaks. Cybersecurity used to be the topic everyone talked about. Then it went quiet. Now, with AI accelerating attack capability and quantum computing on the horizon, it's more urgent than ever, and most automotive manufacturers are not ready. In this episode, Jan Griffiths and co-host Tom Roberts sit down with Klint Walker, co-founder of Rule of Three Security and a 20-year veteran of federal cyber leadership. Klint has spent his career protecting critical infrastructure across the southeast, and he knows exactly where the holes are in manufacturing operations. This conversation goes beyond the headlines. The flashy denial-of-service stories get the press, but the real risk is the integrity attack, the quiet manipulation that changes a value, degrades a part, or corrupts a backup. In a world where OT, IT, and IoT have all converged, the attack surface is bigger than most C-suites realize. Themes Discussed in This Episode Why integrity attacks, not data breaches, are the threat manufacturers should fear mostHow OT systems built for standalone operation became cyber liabilities the moment they got connectedWhy "convenience is the opposite of security" and what that means for your shop floorConfidentiality, availability, and integrity: the three pillars and why you can't optimize for all three at onceAI as a force multiplier for both defenders and attackers, and why only AI can defend against AIThe quantum computing arms race and why your encryption catalog matters nowWhy 70% of cybersecurity is policy, process, and people, not technologyThe disconnect between the C-suite and the front line on what actually needs protectingWhy containerizing AI matters: the cautionary tale of an AI that exposed CEO downsizing memosTabletop exercises: making the hard decisions before you are in crisis This podcast is powered by QAD RedZone. Featured Guest Name: Klint Walker Title: Co-Founder, Rule of Three Security About: Klint has 20 years of experience spanning federal, DOD, and private industry cybersecurity leadership. He has protected critical infrastructure across the southeast United States and holds a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Homeland Security and Defense. At Rule of Three Security, he helps organizations build cybersecurity programs grounded in the three pillars of the field: confidentiality, availability, and integrity. Connect: LinkedIn About Your Hosts Jan Griffiths Jan is the host and producer of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and The Automotive Leaders Podcast. A former automotive manufacturing and supply chain executive, Jan is recognized as a Champion for Culture Change in the automotive industry. She brings direct, grounded conversations to leaders navigating execution, disruption, and transformation across the global automotive ecosystem. Tom Roberts (Co-host) Tom is Co-host of the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast and Vice President of Strategic Industry Development at QAD. He works closely with automotive and industrial manufacturers to close the gap between insight and execution, helping leaders move from visibility to systems of action that drive real operational outcomes. Episode Highlights [00:03:21] What is cybersecurity, really? Klint opens with the question every C-suite should be able to answer but rarely can. It comes down to three pillars: confidentiality, availability, and integrity, and what those mean is different for every organization. [00:07:30] The integrity attack nobody is talking about. Threat actors changing a one to a zero. Manipulating a girder spec. Degrading a part. The attacks that don't make the news but can quietly compromise everything you ship. [00:10:00] The bank ransomware integrity story. Klint walks through how attackers can poison backups so that when you restore, you restore their fraudulent accounts as trusted data. Now apply that to a manufacturing BOM, a quality record, or a contract. [00:12:43] AI as the new attacker advantage. Reconnaissance that used to take weeks now takes 15 minutes. Threat actors are using AI to map employees, build social engineering campaigns, and stay undetected once inside. [00:16:50] The quantum arms race. Most organizations cannot tell you where they are using encryption, let alone whether it is quantum-ready. That cataloging exercise has to start now. [00:19:45] The five things a manufacturing C-suite should do. It starts with one question: have you defined cybersecurity for your organization? Most boards have never been briefed on the state of their own program. [00:21:30] The bank teller test. From the teller to the C-suite, every level of a bank gives a different answer to "what is the most important thing this business does?" If your front line is protecting the wrong thing, your cybersecurity program is broken before it starts. [00:24:22] The AI containment story. A single prompt pulled a draft executive downsizing memo from the CEO's inbox. Most organizations have not told their AI what it can and cannot touch. [00:28:14] The Rule of Three. The name of Klint's company comes from the three pillars. The job is making sure all three have visibility in your organization, and knowing which one matters most when something has to give. Top Quotes [00:06:58] Klint Walker: “Convenience is the opposite of security, and if you build something into convenience, you've bypassed security for it.” [00:08:12] Klint Walker: “The real threats out there might actually be what we call the integrity attacks. These get no love in the media, but these are where the threat actors are going in and they're manipulating data.” [00:23:43] Klint Walker: “If cybersecurity is not a culture of your organization, then it's just an add-on.” Don't Miss the Follow-Up Klint is coming back later this year to go deeper on tabletop exercises and the practical work of building a cybersecurity culture in a manufacturing environment. Subscribe so you do not miss it. Follow the Auto Supply Chain Champions Podcast for real conversations with leaders who are making hard choices, focusing their bets, and leading with intent. 🎧 Follow the podcast: 🔗 Learn more about QAD Redzone: https://www.qad.com/

    When the Hacker Changes a One to a Zero
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We really can’t predict the future … because nobody can. What we can do, though, is help auto manufacturers recognize, prepare for, and profit from whatever comes next. Auto Supply Chain Champions gives you timely and relevant insights and best practices from industry leaders.

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  • Creator
    QAD | Redzone
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    115
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Powered by QAD | Redzone
  • Show Website
    Auto Supply Chain Champions