Handled It: The Supply Chain Podcast

About Handled It: The Supply Chain Podcast

The supply chain is more connected, automated, and data-driven than ever, yet most leaders still feel like they’re managing chaos instead of progress. Handled It: The Supply Chain Podcast confronts that complexity head-on. Hosted by Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand from Carolina Handling, each episode explores how top operations leaders build resilient systems that withstand labor shortages, rising costs, and constant change. If you lead operations, distribution, or warehouse teams, this show delivers the conversations, frameworks, and field-tested lessons you need.

Publisher

Carolina Handling

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

5 Mar 2026

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   The Free Productivity You Walk Past Every Day

   Not every productivity gain needs a capital request. In this episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand sit down with Dan Grupp and Ashley Watkins to talk about the low-hanging fruit,  the low-cost, low-drama changes that can move output right away, before anyone signs off on another hire, a new system, or a robot. If your instinct when the numbers slip is to add people or add technology, this conversation makes the case that you should walk your floor first. The group gets practical fast: shortening default Outlook and Teams meetings, cutting unnecessary standups, reducing wasted walking, relocating supplies, and re-slotting SKUs that clearly aren't where they belong. A dusty box sitting in a prime pick zone might look insignificant, but it can be a signal that your slotting strategy hasn't been questioned in years. From there, the conversation gets into a bigger problem: leaders often confuse "busy" with productive, become blind to waste that's hiding in plain sight, and fail to reanalyze processes that operators already know are broken. Dan and Ashley explain why the people closest to the work often have the best ideas, why incentive structures can keep them from speaking up, and how simple disciplines like Gemba walks and repeatedly asking "why" can uncover improvements without spending a dollar on automation. In this episode, you will learn: Why your cheapest productivity gains may already be hiding on the warehouse floor How meetings, standups, walking paths, and supply placement quietly eat into output Why dust on a box can tell you your slotting strategy needs another look How leaders become "waste blind" and start confusing activity with productivity Why operators often see the problem first — and what keeps them from speaking up How morale, absenteeism, turnover, lighting, and temperature affect measurable performance Why Gemba walks and root-cause thinking should come before expensive automation Before you buy another machine or post another job opening, look at the work that's already happening. The biggest productivity gains may come from removing the friction, wasted motion, and outdated habits your team has learned to work around every day.

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   You Sold the Same Item Twice

   Omnichannel fulfillment is becoming one of the biggest challenges in modern retail, but what happens when the customer promise gets ahead of the supply chain? In this episode, Joe Perkins, Brent Hillabrand, and guests Alex Haines and Aaron Lambe, from Toyota Automated Logistics, break down how retailers can balance store inventory, distribution centers, fulfillment costs, and customer expectations without creating unnecessary complexity. You’ll learn why real-time inventory visibility, flexible automation, and smarter fulfillment strategies are critical to keeping same-day, curbside, and e-commerce promises. The conversation explores how retailers are turning stores into fulfillment nodes, the hidden costs of store-level picking, the role of AI and supply chain orchestration, and why order profiles should influence automation and distribution center decisions. Alex and Aaron also share practical insights on inventory allocation, replenishment, warehouse design, data quality, and when retailers should optimize what they already have instead of investing in new facilities or technology. In this episode, you will learn: Understand how omnichannel fulfillment impacts inventory, stores, distribution centers, and the customer experience Learn why disconnected systems and inaccurate inventory data can undermine fulfillment promises Explore the tradeoffs between store fulfillment, distribution center fulfillment, and localized fulfillment nodes See how automation, AI, and supply chain orchestration can improve inventory visibility and fulfillment efficiency Learn why your order profile should guide warehouse design, automation, and capital investment decisions Don’t risk making customer promises your supply chain can’t keep. Learn how to build a more flexible, efficient omnichannel fulfillment strategy that works in the real world.

3. 

   3 Sept 2026

   Your Team Isn't Slow. Your Technology Is

   Everybody is talking about the labor shortage. Almost nobody is asking the better question. In this episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand sit down with Eddie Lowry, Automation Systems Engineer at Carolina Handling, and Alex Haines, Head of Accounts at Toyota Automated Logistics, to make the case that most operations don't have a labor problem at all — they have a tooling problem. If your instinct when the numbers slip is to post another job ad, this conversation will challenge where that next dollar should actually go. The group gets specific fast: why so many warehouse managers still read "moving" as "productive," why an empty forklift raises eyebrows but an empty-handed picker doesn't, and how operators learn to look busy just to get by. From there it's a practical tour of what augmentation actually looks like on a floor — goods-to-person, AMRs, conveyor, vertical lift modules, shuttles — and an honest accounting of why these projects fail. Spoiler: it's almost never the equipment. Eddie and Alex get into over-scoping and under-scoping, the assumptions buried in every proposal, the machine rate that doesn't survive contact with a real human being, and the financing and phasing options most operators don't know exist. In this episode, you will learn: Why "we can't find people" is often a tooling problem wearing a labor-shortage costume Why managers reward movement instead of output, and what that costs you How to decide whether the next dollar goes to a new hire or a new tool What actually kills automation projects, and why the box is rarely the culprit Why you should never automate a process you haven't mapped How scaling in, financing, and phased rollouts lower the barrier to entry Why the biggest return may be the people who stop quitting Your team isn't slow. Your technology is. Learn how to take the walking, the searching, and the repetition out of the job so the people you already have can do work worth a human's time.

4. 

   20 Aug 2026

   Why Complexity Is Quietly Eating Your Margin

   Complexity doesn’t announce itself. It accumulates. One extra approval. One redundant system. One workaround that quietly becomes standard practice. Before long, the operation is slower, costlier, and more frustrating despite having more tools and processes than ever. In this POV episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand are joined by Ashley Watkins and Woody Paschal of Carolina Handling to unpack complexity as a hidden cost that rarely appears on a P&L but affects every line of it. Woody shares real-world examples from the field, including a segmented manufacturing operation where “pockets of simplicity” quietly added up to system-wide complexity, and a customer who saved more than $25,000 a year simply by adding a pickup to an already scheduled return trip. The group explores how complexity creeps in without anyone consciously choosing it, how a “process Frankenstein” is built one reasonable decision at a time, why 30% of warehouse labor is spent on non-value-adding work, and why the solution is almost always subtraction, not addition. In this episode, you will learn: Why complexity is something you accumulate, not choose, and why it rarely fixes itself How “pockets of simplicity” create system-wide complexity Why adding process is easy, but removing it is hard What 30% non-value-adding labor really costs Why subtraction beats addition in process improvement When technology simplifies operations and when it adds complexity How Carolina Handling uses data to reveal the real problem The most expensive thing in your operation is the one that never shows up in a budget line. Learn how to find it and take it back.

5. 

   6 Aug 2026

   The One Thing You Underfund That Controls Your Uptime

   Maintenance isn't a line item to cut when the month gets tight. It's the strategy that quietly decides your uptime, your costs, and your culture. In this episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand are joined by David Horak and Lauren Murphy to unpack the reactive maintenance trap: why operational disasters rarely start with a catastrophic failure, but with one PM that got pushed, and then another. From PM compliance and telematics to total cost of ownership and the partnership model behind Carolina Handling's own 10,000-asset fleet, the group breaks down why the cheapest-looking maintenance decision this month is often the most expensive one next quarter. They get into the "stability vs. chaos" gap between a scheduled visit and an emergency call, how deferred maintenance erodes both the equipment and the people running it, and why a documented 3–5x ROI on preventive maintenance still loses, because the real barrier is cultural, not financial. In this episode, you will learn: Why reactive maintenance disasters start with one pushed PM How deferring maintenance "saves" money now and compounds into bigger spend later Why PM compliance is a leading indicator of operational health How telematics turns firefighting into fireproofing Why maintenance is a culture, retention, and safety issue, not just a mechanical one Why total cost of ownership, not purchase price, should be the first number on the table

6. 

   23 Jul 2026

   The Lean Habit That Separates Good Floors From Great Ones

   The daily huddle and the visual management board are two of the most powerful, and most consistently wasted, tools on any operations floor. In this episode of Handle It, Joe Perkins, Brent Hillabrand, Ryan Tiller, and Ashley Watkins break down what separates a 10-minute meeting that transforms a shift from a mandatory gathering everyone dreads and nobody acts on. From the football scoreboard analogy to why a board loses all its power the moment the data is wrong, the group gets specific on what great actually looks like: short, consistent huddles, associate ownership that drives behavior instead of just tracking it, and the counterintuitive truth that finding more problems means the system is working. Run with discipline, a huddle and a whiteboard become the operating system your floor actually runs on. In this episode, you will learn: Why most shift meetings are expensive, habitual, and pointless What a great huddle looks like: standing, under 15 minutes, ownership assigned Why a board loses all its integrity the moment the data is wrong How to run a huddle when you walk into a five-alarm fire Why finding more problems means the system is working How to hand the board to associates so it drives behavior, not just tracking Why "problems are good" and what hiding them really signals

7. 

   9 Jul 2026

   Why Misleading Metrics Are Killing Your Operation

   Not all KPIs tell the truth. In this episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins, Brent Hillabrand, and Justin sit down with Adam Flood, Executive Director of Supply Chain at Wellstar Health, to break down the metrics that feel right but lead operations in the wrong direction. From cost-per-pick and fleet utilization to fill rates and incentive pay structures, this conversation exposes how chasing the wrong numbers creates misalignment, gaming, and downstream damage to the customers you're trying to serve. Adam brings real-world examples from healthcare supply chain — including how switching from pallets to carts saved frontline staff 90 minutes a day — and introduces the concept of the "feel rate": not just whether you filled the order, but whether the customer actually felt it. The group also digs into Goodhart's Law, leading vs. lagging indicators, how to build empowered teams that drive their own metrics, and why simplifying your dashboard may be the most powerful operational move you make. In this episode, you will learn: Why cost-per-pick, fill rate, and fleet utilization can mislead more than they reveal How lagging indicators create reactive, firefighting cultures What the "feel rate" is and why it matters more than fill rate How to stop putting ceilings on your team by over-prescribing KPIs Why Goodhart's Law says when a measure becomes a target, it stops being a good measure How to tailor dashboards for different levels of your organization Your best-looking metric may be your biggest blind spot. Learn how to shift from measuring what's easy to measuring what's true — so your operation performs where it actually counts.

8. 

   25 Jun 2026

   Why Your Operation Is Failing Before You Know It

   Operational failures don't come out of nowhere. In this episode of Handled It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand sit down with Meredith Steinmeyer, Director of Fleet Services and Energy at Floor & Decor, to break down the three weak points quietly eroding performance in operations everywhere: handoffs, visibility gaps, and single points of failure. Meredith brings real-world perspective from scaling Floor & Decor from 149 to 270+ stores, managing over 3,000 material handling assets, and navigating everything from COVID disruptions to hydrogen infrastructure risks. This conversation challenges the common assumption that operational breakdowns are unpredictable. The signals are almost always there. The problem is that leaders aren't in the field, the silos are too high, and by the time leadership feels the pain, the customer already has. In this episode, you will learn: Why handoffs don't break operations immediately — they quietly erode performance until the customer feels it How visibility gaps shift operations from controlled to reactive What single points of failure look like in people, systems, and equipment Why you can't justify preventing downtime if you can't quantify it How Floor & Decor uses pink reach trucks, monthly strategy cadences, and cross-functional pilots to stay ahead of failure Your operation isn't broken — but it might be signaling. Learn how to build the visibility, accountability, and team connection that keeps failure from becoming a surprise.

9. 

   11 Jun 2026

   Why Great Operators Don’t Always Make Great Leaders

   Servant leadership is not soft leadership. In this episode of Handle It, Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand sit down with Ryan Tiller and Will Jones, President/CEO of Thompson Children & Family Focus and author, to unpack what servant leadership actually looks like inside real operations, distribution teams, and frontline environments. This conversation challenges the common mistake of promoting great operators into leadership roles without giving them the tools, mindset, or development they need to succeed. From the “flight attendant flying the jet” analogy to daily huddles, floor check-ins, turnover, trust, and the hidden cost of command-and-control leadership, this episode breaks down why leadership is the variable every operation feels but few actually measure. Joe, Brent, Ryan, and Will discuss how strong leaders build trust before tough conversations, stop rescuing people by doing their work for them, and create teams that perform because people feel supported, empowered, and held to a clear standard. In this episode, you will learn: Why great operators do not automatically make great leaders How servant leadership impacts trust, morale, retention, and performance Why leaders should stop doing the work for the people they lead How to build real check-ins during the first hour of a shift Why protecting the standard starts with catching people doing things right Turning your best operator into an unsupported leader can be risky! Learn how to develop leadership that builds trust, improves performance, and helps teams handle pressure without falling into constant firefighting.

10. 

    28 May 2026

    How to Create Stability Without Slowing Growth

    Stability without slowing growth is the tension every operations leader feels, and this episode shows you how to manage it without creating chaos. Stability without slowing growth does not mean moving slower, it means building calm, consistency, and trust that makes execution faster. Stability without slowing growth is the advantage you earn when your team stops mistaking busyness for progress and starts fixing the root causes that keep fires burning. In this episode of Handled It, hosts Joe Perkins (COO) and Brent Hillabrand (President and CEO) are joined by Lauren Murphy (VP of Human Relations) and David Horak (VP of Distribution) to unpack why “calm” can feel uncomfortable, how leaders accidentally create chaos, and what should never change even as the business scales. They break down the difference between urgency and chaos, why motion gets confused for momentum, and how stability creates the space for innovation, retention, and a faster, more focused operation. In this episode, you will learn: How to define stability in a way that supports growth, not stagnation The difference between urgency and chaos, and how leaders confuse the two Why “busy” becomes a badge of honor and how to reset expectations How stability builds trust, and how trust increases speed When stability becomes competitive advantage, and when it turns into resistance What breaks first when stability is ignored: trust, morale, retention, and standards The non negotiables that should never change: values, integrity, priorities, accountability How to spot “firefighting culture” and shift toward root cause problem solving Why consistency without stability is unsustainable, and how to build stable habits and rhythms A practical way to coach leaders who feel lost when nothing is “on fire” Don’t risk confusing chaos for progress and burning out your team while calling it growth. Learn how to create stability without slowing growth so your operation moves faster, retains great people, and scales with trust instead of turbulence.

11. 

    14 May 2026

    Building a Culture That Sticks in an Evolving Industry

    Culture and leadership development are the core keywords in this episode, and this conversation shows you how to build a culture that sticks even when growth, pressure, and turnover hit at the same time. Culture and leadership development are not slogans or posters, they are the daily decisions leaders make when nobody is watching, and you will leave with a clearer way to protect standards without slowing the business. Culture and leadership development matter because the fastest way to lose great people is inconsistent leadership, unclear expectations, and values that change when results are on the line. In this episode, Joe Perkins (COO) and Brent Hillabrand (President and CEO) sit down with Lauren Murphy (VP of Human Relations) to unpack what actually holds a culture together, why strong cultures decay over time, and how leaders unintentionally reward the wrong behaviors. They talk through real examples from inside operations, the strain that growth puts on onboarding and leadership readiness, and why turnover cannot be solved by pay alone. If you lead teams in a fast moving environment, this episode will help you build trust, strengthen standards, and retain great people without defaulting to pizza parties or empty “words on the wall.” In this episode, you will learn: Why culture breaks down when results matter more than how you get them How “high performers” can quietly reset the standard in the wrong direction The difference between culture you design and culture that happens in “a thousand moments” How leadership inconsistency creates “the call after the call” and kills trust What stability looks like when your business is changing fast How growth strains onboarding, coaching time, and leadership readiness Why turnover is a leadership problem first, not a pay problem How to build trust through clear accountability and honest conversations What it means to “treat people great and pay fairly” without chasing the market every week Practical ways to make values real through celebration, not just correction Don’t risk building a culture that only works when things are easy. Learn how to strengthen culture and leadership development now so your standards hold, your people stay, and your growth does not break what made the business work in the first place.

12. 

    30 Apr 2026

    Are You Managing Data… Or Drowning In It?

    Managing data is hard. Drowning in it is expensive. In this episode, managing data vs drowning in it gets real as the team breaks down how dashboards, metrics, and “one more report” can either sharpen decisions or quietly replace leadership. Joe Perkins (COO) and Brent Hillabrand (President and CEO) sit down with Justin Benson (VP of Intralogistics Solutions) and Danny Saleeba (VP of Finance) to unpack why leaders hoard metrics as organizations grow, how data can create a false narrative, and where dashboards give a false sense of control. You’ll hear how “rearview mirror” reporting can derail real-time judgment, why teams chase perfect data and stall momentum, and how to decide which metrics actually matter so you can move faster with more confidence. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why leaders hoard metrics as teams scale and how it impacts trust The difference between visibility and overload, and where dashboards cross the line How reports can replace the conversations leaders should be having When data obscures judgment instead of sharpening it Why dashboards can create false confidence even when “everything is green” How to spot manipulated metrics and misleading storytelling in reporting Which decisions truly need data and which require context, values, and common sense The real cost of waiting for perfect data in fast-moving environments When it is necessary to eliminate metrics, reports, and “needless” data How to build alignment on what matters so data actually drives action Don’t risk decision paralysis, slow execution, and frustrated teams because your organization is drowning in dashboards and conflicting reports. Learn how to simplify your metrics, focus on what actually matters, and make faster decisions with clearer confidence. 0:00 Introduction 1:29 Why Leaders Hoard Metrics 6:19 Can Data Obscure Judgment? 10:56 When Does Data Drive Decisions? 13:24 Dashboards & False Confidence 19:14 The Cost of Waiting for Perfect Data 22:37 When to Eliminate Metrics 28:34 Data Overload & The 97% Stat 36:53 Agree or Disagree

13. 

    16 Apr 2026

    Over-Engineering Is Killing Your Warehouse

    Over-engineering your process quietly kills performance, slows teams down, and drains morale. In this episode, we unpack the real cost of over-engineering your process and show you how complexity creeps in with the best intentions. If your systems feel heavy, bloated, or harder to use than they should be, this conversation will help you simplify without losing control. Joe Perkins (COO) and Brent Hillabrand (President and CEO) are joined by Justin Benson (VP of Intralogistics Solutions) and Ashley Watkins (Continuous Improvement Manager) to break down why leaders over-engineer as they grow, how blurred ownership hides accountability, and why complexity often breaks people before it breaks systems. From warehouse floors to back-office workflows, they share real examples of workarounds, redundant checks, siloed teams, and “no one owns it” moments—and what to do instead. If you lead operations, supply chain, or a growing team, you’ll walk away with a practical lens for removing friction and building processes that scale. What you’ll learn: Why growth often leads to over-engineering—even when leaders don’t intend it The warning signs your system is bloated or no longer being used How blurred ownership destroys accountability and slows execution Why only a small percentage of most processes truly add value The hidden cost of redundant checks and too many handoffs How workarounds form—and what they reveal about broken systems What breaks first under stress: people, flow, quality, or morale How standardization and continuous improvement actually enable innovation Why psychological safety matters when simplifying complex systems A practical way to strip complexity without sacrificing performance Don’t risk burnout, turnover, and stalled growth because your processes are heavier than they need to be. Learn how to identify over-engineering early, remove what no longer serves your team, and build systems that scale without breaking. Article mentioned in the episode: https://www.itpro.com/software/software-complexity-is-burning-through-enterprise-budgets-draining-productivity-and-burning-out-employees-and-its-a-gbp32-billion-problem-that-cant-be-solved IT Pro (https://www.itpro.com/software/software-complexity-is-burning-through-enterprise-budgets-draining-productivity-and-burning-out-employees-and-its-a-gbp32-billion-problem-that-cant-be-solved?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

14. 

    2 Apr 2026

    Automation Won’t Fix a Bad Process

    Automation in the supply chain can unlock speed, accuracy, and throughput, but only when the operation is truly ready. In this episode, Joe Perkins (COO) and Brent Hillabrand (President and CEO) break down what “ready for automation” actually looks like and why so many teams buy the wrong solution too early. You will learn how to spot the difference between real automation readiness and a knee jerk purchase that turns into an expensive mess. Joined by Lauren Murphy (VP of HR) and Justin Benson (VP of Intralogistics Solutions), the conversation gets practical fast: how lean fundamentals, defined processes, and frontline input change the outcome, why labor pressure pushes leaders toward shortcuts, and how automation can expose hidden process flaws instead of fixing them. If you are considering robots, software, or material handling automation to solve labor constraints, meet customer demand, or keep up with competitors, this episode gives you the decision framework to do it with confidence. What you will learn: The clearest signals an operation is ready for automation How to avoid automating a bad process and making it worse Why “off the shelf” fixes often fail on the floor The hidden costs of moving too fast and how to unwind a wrong decision When manual systems can still scale and when they hit the wall How labor shortages and customer SLAs distort automation decisions Why involving frontline associates improves results and change adoption How automation can reveal bottlenecks you did not know you had A simple way to define your baseline before choosing any technology How to choose automation that fits your operation, not your competitors Don’t risk a costly automation mistake that creates new bottlenecks, erodes culture, or locks you into the wrong system. Learn how to evaluate automation in the supply chain the right way, build a clean process foundation first, and choose solutions that actually improve performance before it is too late. Article mentioned in the episode: https://www.barrettdistribution.com/most-warehouses-buy-the-wrong-robots-heres-how-barrett-avoids-that

15. 

    19 Mar 2026

    Lessons From 60 Years in Supply Chain

    Sixty years of change in material handling has revealed one hard truth. Most companies repeat the same mistakes, just with better technology. In this episode of Handled It, we unpack what actually drives long term success and what quietly holds leaders back. If you want practical insights on leadership, growth, automation, and operational strategy that actually work, this conversation delivers real world experience, not theory. Joe Perkins, COO, Brent Hillabrand, President and CEO, and Lauren Murphy, VP of HR, reflect on decades of evolution at Carolina Handling, from forklifts to robotics and unpack what has changed, what has not, and where companies still get it wrong. You will learn: • Why garbage in, garbage out still applies in modern automation • How growth exposes operational and leadership gaps • When speed helps and when it hurts your business • Why experience and gut instinct still matter in a data driven world • How culture, trust, and workforce shifts are reshaping material handling Whether you lead operations, manage supply chain strategy, or are navigating automation and workforce challenges, these lessons will help you avoid costly mistakes and make smarter decisions. Do not risk repeating the same leadership errors many companies have made over the last 60 years. Learn how to build systems, teams, and strategies that last. Article mentioned in the episode: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/walmart-close-sams-club-fulfillment-center-texas-affecting-hundreds-employees-2025-06-26/

16. 

    5 Mar 2026

    The Show for People Who Make Supply Chains Work

    The supply chain is more connected, automated, and data-driven than ever, but most leaders still feel like they’re managing chaos instead of progress. Handled It: The Supply Chain Podcast confronts that complexity head-on. Hosted by Joe Perkins and Brent Hillabrand from Carolina Handling, each episode explores how the best operations leaders build resilient systems that can weather labor shortages, rising costs, and constant change. This show uncovers what separates reactive options from resilient ones: better processes, an engaged workforce and a future built with intention. If you lead operations, distribution, or warehouse teams, this show gives you the conversations, frameworks, and field-tested lessons you need.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

18 ratings

Contact Handled It: The Supply Chain Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

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