The Future of Supply Chain

What if your supply chain system didn't just answer questions but took action? In this episode, Lukas Huber from Deloitte explains the real difference between conversational and agentic AI, shares concrete use cases from shortage mitigation to transport disruption, and makes the case for governance by design.

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What happens when supply chain systems stop waiting to be asked — and start taking action on their own?

In this episode we sit down with Lukas Huber, a Conversational and Agentic AI expert at Deloitte, to unpack what these technologies actually mean for supply chain professionals beyond the hype.

Lukas explains the difference between conversational AI, which understands intent and communicates insights, and agentic AI, which executes goal-driven, multi-step workflows; through examples from damage reporting to detecting shortages, evaluating alternatives, and drafting supplier emails, he shows how AI can support planners and operations teams. 

He also highlights the operational and financial risks of errors or hallucinations, making the case for governance by design from day one. 

Looking ahead, Lukas envisions a more intelligent, adaptive, and human-centered supply chain in which AI automates processes but also transforms how decisions are made.
 
What You Will Learn:
• What conversational AI means in an enterprise context and why it's broader than most 
   people think
• What are the key difference between a conversational assistant and an agentic AI system
• What are concrete supply chain use cases: S&OP, shortage mitigation, transport disruption 
   management, shop floor operations
• When voice beats chat and when it doesn't
• What are the three types of governance controls every organization deploying agentic AI 
   needs
• Why "governance by design" is the difference between a promising demo and a scalable 
   enterprise solution
• How Deloitte approaches end-to-end AI transformation in supply chain

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Guest 1: Luka Huber, AI & Data Consultant, Deloitte

Lukas Huber is an AI & Data Consultant at Deloitte, focusing on AI transformation, intelligent automation and the adoption of AI in complex business environments. Beyond his consulting work, he is actively engaged in international AI and leadership communities, including the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community and Young AI Leaders under ITU’s AI for Good initiative. He is also a member of the German Data Science Society and the German Forum for Ethical Machine Decision-Making, contributing to initiatives around AI literacy, responsible AI and the practical adoption of emerging technologies.

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Host 2: Sin To

Sin To brings over 15 years of experience in the digital media and technology industry – primarily in marketing, business development, thought leadership, and editorial. At SAP, they ensure that SAP's supply chain solutions are properly visible with a focus on future trends and sustainable innovations as part of the Thought Leadership & Awareness Supply Chain Team.

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Show Links:
SAP Digital Supply Chain: www.sap.com/scm
AI for Good: https://aiforgood.itu.int/

Supply Chain Management:   
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠       

Follow Us on Social Media : 
Lukas Huber
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huberluk/
Richard Howells:
LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/richardjhowells⁠
Sin To: 
LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/sin-to-5334208⁠
SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   
 
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Kearney's Suketu Gandhi joins us to discuss why the supply chain is now central to corporate strategy—from COO growth optimism and resilience as a competitive weapon to AI industrialization and sustainability's renaissance.

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In this episode, we, together with Suketu Gandhi, unpack the Kearney COO Agenda report. Listen in to hear why 70% of COOs expect double-digit growth, how resilience has become an offensive competitive weapon, and why only 10% of companies close the execution gap. Or to examine with us AI's shift from pilots to industrialization, its net-positive effect on supply chain jobs, and how sustainability has moved beyond compliance into a genuine competitive advantage—quietly thriving without the marketing hype.

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Guest 1: Suketu Gandhi, Global Co-Lead and Chair, Operations and Performance, Partner, Kearney

Based in Chicago, Suketu is a recognized industry leader on a wide range of operations topics, with an emphasis on end-to-end supply chains. “I’m strongly focused on the redesign of supply chains for four critical purposes: growth, cost, resilience, and sustainability,” he comments. “The key to maximizing their effectiveness lies in the combination of human intelligence, AI, and automation, underpinned by a deep understanding of how global operations work.” Across three firms, he has built and run innovation centers, bringing emerging tech to supply chains from design through manufacturing.
 
A Global Leader in Consulting honoree for Excellence in Innovation, Suketu is the founder of the Kearney Supply Chain Institute and has published more than 100 articles on supply chain and AI in outlets such as HBR, MIT Sloan Management Review, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the co-author of Strong Supply Chains Through Resilient Operationsand is currently working on an HBR Press book titled Intelligent Speed at Scale.

Host 1: Richard Howells, SAP

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

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Show Links:
Kearney: https://www.kearney.com

Supply Chain Management:   
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠       

Follow Us on Social Media : 
Suketu Gandhi: LinkedIn
Richard Howells: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   

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Transportation is no longer just a last-mile function. This week we, together with Tushar Bhalla from CloudPaths, and Dmitry Antanovich from LeverX explore how it's becoming the nerve center of modern supply chains.

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Transportation planning has evolved from a tactical, last-mile activity into the strategic nerve center of the supply chain. In this episode, Tushar Bhalla from CloudPaths and Dmitry Antanovich from LeverX joined us to discuss how organizations can break down planning silos, connect planning with execution, and use solutions such as SAP IBP and SAP TM to gain real-time visibility. They also share practical advice for leaders beginning their integration journey.

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Guest 1: Dmitry Antanovich, Solutions Director, SAP Supply Chain Management, LeverX

Technology and business leader with a strong focus on growth, strategy, and execution in SAP-driven transformation initiatives. As a Solutions Director, I lead solution strategy and customer engagement across complex SAP programs, helping organizations translate business priorities into clear technology roadmaps. I work closely with executive stakeholders, SAP teams, and partners to guide modernization efforts, moving from legacy landscapes to scalable, cloud-enabled architectures built on SAP S/4HANA and SAP BTP.

Guest 2: Tushar Bhalla, CloudPaths 

Tushar has been guiding customers through their implementation challenges in Digital Supply Chain Strategy, Planning & Transformations for the last 15 years with expertise in SAP IBP, SAP APO, SAP Ariba and more.  Led and delivered projects from planning to stabilization across multiple geographies and industries with more than 25 recognized brands in the Consumer Products, Food, Automotive, Semiconductor, Hi-Tech, Oil & Gas, Chemical sectors.   

Tushar previously held roles with Accenture, Intrigo Systems and HPE.  

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

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Show Links:
LeverX: https://leverx.com/
CloudPaths: https://cloudpaths.com

Supply Chain Management:   
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠       

Follow Us on Social Media : 
Richard Howells: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   

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Can your supply chain make decisions faster than your competitors? We sit down with Brooks Noonan of NTT DATA to explore the shift from digital visibility to true autonomous execution—and what it actually takes to get there.

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What if your supply chain could resolve disruptions before your customers ever noticed? We sit down with Brooks Noonan of NTT DATA to unpack what it really means to go autonomous. We dig into which decisions AI can handle right now, why demand sensing is no longer a nice-to-have but the cost of admission, how real-time data minimizes the bullwhip effect—and why measuring ROI means looking at the balance sheet, not soft metrics. Join us as we discuss the fututre os supply chain!

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Guest 1: Brooks Noonan, Vice President, NTT DATA Business Solutions 

Brooks Noonan is an executive leader and corporate board member specializing in enterprise modernization and SAP business transformation. Currently serving as Vice President at NTT DATA Business Solutions and as a Board Member for Ben Tire Distributors, he excels at bridging technology strategy with execution to drive sustainable business growth.

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP  

Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability.  
 
She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape.  

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Show Links:
NTT DATA Business Solutions: https://nttdata-solutions.com/us/

Supply Chain Management:   
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠       

Follow Us on Social Media : 
Brooks Noonan: LinkedIn
Richard Howells: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠      
SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   

 Please rate us and subscribe to stay up to date on future episodes!

In this episode Amy Brachio explains why product-level carbon accounting is reshaping how supply chains buy, invest and compete. And why two factories with identical operations can legally report completely different carbon figures.

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In this episode, we talk with Amy Brachio, CEO of Carbon Measures and former EY Global Vice Chair for Sustainability. She explains why product-level carbon accounting is fast becoming a core business and procurement issue, from the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to green steel standards and why two factories with identical operations can legally report completely different carbon figures.

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Guest 1: Amy Brachio, CEO of Carbon Measures

Amy Brachio is the CEO of Carbon Measures, a global coalition of businesses committed to reducing carbon emissions by aligning market incentives with the actions needed to drive impact at scale. Amy joined Carbon Measures in September 2025, continuing her leadership at the intersection of climate action, business resilience, and the need for accurate, verifiable data to underpin sound decision-making. Prior to joining Carbon Measures, Amy spent nearly three decades at Ernst & Young (EY), most recently as Partner and Global Vice Chair for Sustainability, where she drove EY's offerings to help global clients achieve their sustainability goals, led the firm's 40% carbon emission reduction by 2025, and established EY as the global leader in sustainability services.

Host 1: Richard Howells

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability.

Host 2: Sin To

Sin To brings over 15 years of experience in the digital media and technology industry – primarily in marketing, business development, thought leadership, and editorial. At SAP, they ensure that SAP's supply chain solutions are properly visible with a focus on future trends and sustainable innovations as part of the Thought Leadership & Awareness Supply Chain Team.

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Show Links:
SAP Digital Supply Chain: www.sap.com/scm
Carbon Measures: Carbon Measures Website
Technical Expert Panel on Carbon Accounting: Technical Expert Panel on Carbon Accounting

Supply Chain Management:   
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠       

Follow Us on Social Media : 
Amy Brachio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amybrachio/
Richard Howells:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/richardjhowells
Sin To: 
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sin-to-5334208
SAP Digital Supply Chain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   
 
Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!