LEM, SCRM Thought Leader

Volatility is the new normal. In this short video, I share key takeaways from the Gartner Supply Chain Symposium — and why resilience must be built into every aspect of leadership and planning.

I like awards because they spotlight important topics as well as the people who make things happen! Supply Chain Excellence has never been more important; same can be said about the role of SC teams. Why not take a few minutes to recognize your favorite SC professional?

Sadly, society has a lost one of the good guys. Des Newman was many things: father/husband, leader, servant, scholar, mentor…the list goes on. Des’s recent passing gives special meaning to this year’s “Dr. Desmond G. Newman Award for the Supply Chain Excellence”. If you know someone…..

Another example of commercial electronics driving innovation, in this case making consumer devices like phones more powerful and denser. Unfortunately, we’ve also focused on making them cheaper, which means offshoring. If we want to leverage this great micro technology for defense systems, then we have to find a way to secure their supply chains. When people ask what kind of manufacturing comes back to the United States, this is the stuff. Lots of automation supported by a skilled workforce, working in a clean and safe environment. It’s a good bet we’d also capture some commercial business too!

Excited to represent GDCA at this year’s Gartner Supply Chain Symposium/Xpo™ 2025! As global supply chains face mounting pressure, this event is a key opportunity to connect with forward-thinkers tackling challenges in resilience, sustainment, and long-term innovation—something we at GDCA care deeply about. Attending Gartner 2025? Let’s connect. #GartnerSC #SupplyChainInnovation #ObsolescenceManagement #LegacySystems #SustainmentSolutions #GDCAGlobal #Gartner2025

“This is a solid real-world example of the challenges we face in securing a strong national defense: i) reliance on global supply chains for commercial parts, ii) usage of commercial parts for defense systems, iii) surging of defense systems production, and iv) securing resilience in the face of SC weaponization by peer adversaries. Overcoming these challenges in pursuit of a successful Replicator initiative could form the basis of a blueprint (and subsequent playbook) for achieving our wider objectives of a strong US Industrial/Manufacturing base and a strong national defense. Anyone else working on related initiatives to achieve surge capabilities and supply chain resilience?”

🎙️ Had a great time on Amelia Dalton’s Fish Fry podcast discussing how OEMs can tackle obsolescence challenges with smarter legacy support. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gXtSmmwn hashtag#ObsolescenceManagement hashtag#OEM hashtag#LegacySupport hashtag#Podcast

At the Embedded Tech Trends Conference, I had the opportunity to discuss a critical challenge facing embedded OEMs: balancing innovation with long-term product sustainment. In this episode of Insights from the Road, I dive into: ✅ The hidden value in legacy products ✅ Strategies to extend product lifecycles without sacrificing innovation ✅ Why mastering legacy support is key to OEM success

Speaking of forward-leaning innovation, I’m also excited to share the launch of my new YouTube channel, Legacy Insights, where I’ll explore strategies and stories to empower industry and government leaders. Thank you to everyone who made this event memorable. Onward to innovation!

“Fun and informative way to express the chronic problem of electronics obsolescence. Many folks may not know that many active defense systems have obsolete parts in them before the high-rate production run is done. So how do we more affordably sustain these systems throughout lifecycles that span decades?”