Leveraged Supply Chains

About Leveraged Supply Chains

Leveraged Supply Chains is the podcast for manufacturing and distribution leaders who want less firefighting and more foresight. Each episode features candid conversations with operators and technologists driving AI-powered procurement, supplier performance, and supply chain visibility. Hosted by the team at Leverage AI, we deliver practical strategies to cut costs, improve on-time delivery, and turn supply chain chaos into competitive advantage.

Publisher

Leverage AI

Category

technology

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Aug 2025

Latest episode

24 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   24 Aug 2026

   Episode 12: The 30-Hour Purchasing Problem in Automotive Aftermarket (w/ Jonathan Guerrero, Urban Import)

   What does it take to keep more than 1,000 fitment-specific automotive aftermarket products moving across five in-house brands and two US locations? More than the customer ever sees. In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with Jonathan Guerrero of Urban Import to unpack the operating model behind the catalog. Jonathan explains why some air-suspension management products contain up to 30 components, why inventory may need to be ordered 90 days in advance, and how one missing component can cascade from purchasing to the warehouse to a customer backorder. Before automation, supplier details arrived through email threads and Excel files, purchase orders were entered manually, and specialized team members had to reconcile invoices, packing lists, and physical inventory. Jonathan estimates that the purchasing work consumed at least 30 hours per week, sometimes involving supplier conversations at 2-3 a.m. The conversation covers why Urban Import chose automation rather than spreading the work across more people, how supplier-entered data can improve ERP visibility, what implementation exposed about existing workflows and supplier relationships, and why acknowledgement response rate is now a critical operating metric. You’ll hear about: The inventory-planning challenge created by fitment-specific demand and multi-component kits Why inaccurate quantities create work across the warehouse, customer service, and purchasing The decision logic behind supplier-driven PO automation How implementation can become a useful inspection of existing SOPs and relationships Why better information beats more safety stock when the underlying data is unreliable Jonathan’s advice to follow your gut, make clear declarations, and stay willing to change your mind If your team is still relying on email and spreadsheets to manage supplier acknowledgements, quantities, pricing, or ETAs, this episode offers an operator-level view of what that manual model is really costing the business. Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world conversations on AI, procurement, supplier performance, and operational excellence in manufacturing and distribution.

2. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Episode 11: Why Procurement Tech Still Misses Direct Spend (w/ James Meads, EntProc)

   Procurement technology has exploded. Yet many of the hardest direct-spend problems still live in email, spreadsheets, and ERP screens built decades ago. In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with James Meads, founder of EntProc, host of The Procurement Software Podcast, and creator of the Procurement Tech Maps for SME, mid-market, and enterprise teams. After 16 years inside corporate procurement across automotive and fast-moving consumer goods, James set out to give practitioners a vendor-neutral view of the software market. His maps now cover hundreds of tools, but the map also reveals where investment has lagged, especially across direct materials and supplier execution. They get into: Why mid-market procurement teams should not copy an enterprise technology stack The white-collar waste hiding inside procurement, from supplier chasing to manual ERP updates Where investment has flowed across intake, orchestration, agentic AI, and niche direct-spend tools Why the ERP remains a powerful system of record but often fails as the user experience for supplier collaboration Why supplier portals struggle outside a supplier's largest customers, and why email continues to win How to separate useful AI from unnecessary complexity, including James's warning not to buy a Ferrari after just passing your driving test A practical modernization framework for a $100M manufacturer: understand the spend, eliminate waste, delegate lower-value work, automate the rest, and test the ROI James also gives blunt lightning-round answers on the most overused term in procuretech, the metric procurement teams overvalue, why best-of-breed wins in the mid-market, and why more software founders should sell to the CFO. If you lead procurement, supply chain, operations, or finance at a mid-market manufacturer or distributor, this conversation offers a practical way to decide what belongs in the ERP, what should sit around it, and where AI can create real leverage today. Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more operator-level conversations on AI, supplier performance, procurement technology, and operational excellence.

3. 

   28 Apr 2026

   Episode 10: Your SIOP Is Only as Good as Your Supplier Data (w/ Lisa Anderson, LMA Consulting Group)

   Your SIOP process looks airtight on paper. The S&OP meetings are running. The demand signals are flowing. And your ERP is telling you exactly what you planned to order six weeks ago. What it's not telling you is whether your supplier confirmed it, when they actually plan to ship it, or whether that lead time you're planning against was last validated before inflation hit. In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with Lisa Anderson, President of LMA Consulting Group and one of the most recognized voices in mid-market manufacturing operations. Lisa has spent 30+ years helping manufacturers build SIOP processes that actually hold up under pressure. She wrote the book on it. Literally. The conversation starts where most planning conversations don't: at the supplier. Because a SIOP that's fed by stale acknowledgments, manually updated promise dates, and lead times nobody has checked in months isn't a plan. It's a best guess dressed up in a spreadsheet. What they get into: Why solid SIOP processes still break down at the supplier execution layer, and what the failure modes actually look like The difference between what your ERP thinks is happening and what your suppliers committed to this morning Where AI is genuinely useful in mid-market procurement right now, and where it's still noise Reshoring and supplier diversification: practical, not theoretical What Lisa tells $50M–$300M manufacturers to do in the next 90 days What separates manufacturers who get supply chain right from those who stay stuck Lisa also runs the Harvey Mudd Executive Roundtables for manufacturing CEOs and was appointed to the California District Export Council by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. She knows what happens in planning rooms and on plant floors. This isn't abstract. If your team runs SIOP meetings and still gets surprised by supplier performance, this one is worth your time. Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world conversations on AI, supplier performance, and operational excellence in manufacturing and distribution.

4. 

   16 Mar 2026

   Episode 9: The SaaSpocalypse Is Here — Why AI Breaks the Old Procurement Playbook (w/ Dr. Elouise Epstein, Kearney)

   Your inbox is full of AI pitches, but your team is still living in email, spreadsheets, and an ERP that hasn't changed how work gets done. So what happens when the old SaaS playbook actually breaks? In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with Dr. Elouise Epstein, Partner at Kearney, author, and one of the sharpest critics of procurement technology. Elouise built the spider maps that became a public service for anyone navigating the procurement tech landscape. She's now retired them, and the reason why is the thesis of this episode. Elouise walks through her non-traditional path from the San Francisco Opera to a dot-com procurement startup to nearly 26 years at Kearney, why she felt compelled to call out the "conjoined triangle" of vendors, systems integrators, and analysts propping up a broken model, and what an AI-native procurement organization actually looks like when you stop thinking in suites and start thinking in outcomes. They get into: Why the spider maps are retired and what that says about the end of legacy SaaS categories The vendor-SI-analyst feedback loop that produced inflated ROI cases and widespread implementation failure What Procurement 4.0 means in practice: outcome-based, not process-coded, built around AI platforms instead of monolith architectures AI employees vs. agents vs. copilots, and why mid-market teams should think about renting AI labor instead of buying more transactional systems Her advice to every leader: stop buying tech, do one-year renewals, learn AI yourself, and get on the bus or get out of the way Why governance in the AI era is a way of operating, not a policy document nobody reads The people and culture gap that's wider than the technology gap, and why failure is the metric that matters most Her message to younger professionals: believe in yourself, because nobody else is going to hype you up If you're a mid-market supply chain or procurement leader caught between doing nothing and signing the next seven-figure suite contract, this conversation gives you a framework for what comes next. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world conversations on AI, supplier performance, and operational excellence.

5. 

   24 Jan 2026

   Episode 8: Procurement Systems That Stick: Master Data, Adoption, and the Messy Middle (w/ Steve Andrews)

   Most procurement teams don’t lose time in big, strategic decisions — they lose it in the messy middle: PO acknowledgements, promise dates, pricing mismatches, follow-ups, and exceptions that turn the inbox into the real system of record. In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with Steve Andrews, a supply chain and procurement leader with deep experience across strategic sourcing, ERP-adjacent system implementations, and PE-backed operational scaling. Steve breaks down why procurement systems fail after launch — and what makes them stick six to twelve months later. We dig into the two failure modes he sees constantly: strategy that never translates into buyer day-to-day behavior, and master data governance that gets ignored until trust collapses. He shares a pragmatic buying framework (including how to avoid “snake oil” AI claims), why sandbox trials beat polished demos, and why small, meaningful wins outperform big-bang rollouts. Note: Steve is speaking in his personal capacity based on his professional experience, not on behalf of any employer.

6. 

   3 Jan 2026

   Episode 7: Freight Tech Without the Hype: A Mid-Market Buying Playbook (with Eric Johnson, JOC)

   If you’re a mid-market manufacturer or distributor, your inbox is full of “AI for logistics” and freight-tech pitches — but your team is still living in email threads, spreadsheets, PDFs, and clunky portals. This episode is about closing that gap between the slide deck and what actually works on the ground. Andrew Stroup sits down with Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor at the Journal of Commerce (JOC) and host of LogTech Live and the LogTech Letter. Eric spends his days talking to shippers, forwarders, 3PLs, carriers, and software vendors, giving him a rare “meta-operator” view into what really creates value — and what’s just noise. Together, they break down a no-hype buying playbook for mid-market operators who need results, not buzzwords: A simple map of the freight-tech stack that actually matters for a $100–500M industrial manufacturer or distributor — execution, visibility, compliance, and analytics/AI. How the definition of “10x value” has shifted from 2015 to 2025, and what really tips teams over the line to invest: cost, service failures, customer pressure, and regulatory shocks. Where AI is genuinely moving the needle (exception management, ETA prediction, document and invoice automation) vs. where the “AI” label is mostly cosmetic. Why so many 2025 processes still look like 2005 — and how vertical SaaS plus deep domain expertise can finally change that. The evolving role of 3PLs as an innovation arm, and how to pressure-test whether a partner is truly innovative or just good at marketing. If you’re a VP Supply Chain, COO, or Ops leader evaluating your next freight-tech or “AI” investment, this conversation gives you practical models, a 3–4 step roadmap, and one concrete move you can make in the next seven days — so you can leverage data, not buzzwords.

7. 

   8 Dec 2025

   Episode 6: AI X-Ray Vision for Your Supplier Network (w/ Rob Handfield, NC State + SCRC)

   Most teams still manage risk one supplier at a time. They only see tier-1, they fight fires in email, and they call it “resilience” when they update a slide once a year. In this episode, we zoom out to the network level and ask: how can AI actually give us X-ray vision across the whole supplier base? Andrew Stroup sits down with Professor Rob Handfield, Bank of America University Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management and Executive Director of the Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (SCRC) at NC State, to break down how AI, data, and “disciplined imagination” can be used to stress-test supplier networks and design more collaborative, less fragile ecosystems. They get into: Why Rob prefers “supply chain immunity” over vague “resilience” and what an immune supplier network actually looks like in practice How to use AI with human judgment to map multi-tier supplier networks, not just vendors in your ERP A practical framework for stress testing your network using “disciplined imagination,” from tsunami scenarios to tariff shocks and regional disruptions Concrete levers to respond: inventory plays, dual-sourcing, regionalization, and tariff re-engineering plus where companies are overly optimistic about “leaving China” How to combine vulnerability assessment with opportunity finding so you know where to co-invest, co-develop, or deepen collaboration with key suppliers Rob’s 90-day plan for a $100–300M manufacturer or distributor to build a clean supplier fact base, plug in AI, run scenarios, and walk into the CFO’s office with a clear business case If you’re a supply chain, procurement, or operations leader who’s still thinking in terms of individual suppliers, this episode will help you start thinking and acting in networks.

8. 

   9 Nov 2025

   Episode 5: Exceptions ≤3%, Disputes Down — The Upwell Freight AR Playbook

   In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, Andrew Stroup sits down with Charles “Charley” Dehoney, Co-Founder & CEO of Upwell, to demystify freight brokerage AR and show how operators pull exception rates below 3% and drive disputes down—without piling on back-office burden. Definitions (freight brokerage AR): exception rate = % of invoices rejected at submission by the payer’s AP (portal/EDI/email) for rule/format issues, missing docs, or rate/PO mismatches; dispute rate = % of submitted invoices later challenged for amount/terms or documentation (accessorials, detention, lumper, POD). You’ll hear about: The submission flow where exceptions are caught early (ingest → validate → enrich → route → submit/collect → reconcile) and what to automate vs. leave human-in-the-loop. Upstream root causes that create both exceptions and disputes (missing references, wrong formats, absent docs) and a practical “block-and-tackle” playbook to fix them. A real-world scale example: an enterprise brokerage reducing manual touch to ~4% of ~42k monthly invoices by auto-presenting the rest—freeing experts to focus on the true edge cases. Where automation won’t move the two numbers yet, and how to stage your rollout to get wins now while you clean the data and rules. Team design: exception queues, SLAs, and capturing tribal billing knowledge so improvements stick across lanes and payers. On-air benchmarks to track: Exception rate ≤3% (scrutinize weekly if you’re above it), dispute rate trending down, top exception/dispute reasons, documentation completeness, and first-pass submission quality. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world, numbers-first conversations on AI, supplier performance, and operational excellence.

9. 

   5 Oct 2025

   Episode 4: Same-Day Without the Burn — The Davinci Micro Fulfillment Playbook

   In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, host Andrew Stroup sits down with Corey Apirian, Founder & CEO of Davinci Micro Fulfillment, to unpack the operating math behind profitable speed—when micro-nodes beat traditional DC/3PL shipping, and when multi-channel fulfillment (MCF) is the better call. We get into the weight/price rule of thumb (>4 lb or >$40 often pencils out; <1 lb or <$20 is no-man’s-land unless optimized), the network science of node placement (maximize 2-day, mostly 1-day, same-day in major metros by starting from carrier zones & lanes), and how “correct before commit” guides forward placement, re-slotting, and seasonality. You’ll hear about: MCF vs. MFC decision logic—both viable; it depends on your business model, SKU mix, and margin goals. The weight/price thresholds that drive parcel cost math and channel steering at checkout. Network design that “follows the NFL cities” as a quick comp—grounded in carrier lanes—to compress zones and split-ships. Inventory turns as the anchor KPI (<3 makes MFC hard; >12 often validates multi-node). Buy vs. build lessons: robotics ROI vs. smaller decentralized nodes; why industrial real estate (docks/flow/pick-pack) is margin-critical; and what you can vs. can’t control. On-air metrics to benchmark: zones/order, avg ship distance, split-ship %, same-/next-day %, parcel $/order, pick+pack mins, break-even throughput & ramp. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world, numbers-first conversations on AI, supplier performance, and operational excellence.

10. 

    26 Sept 2025

    Episode 3: How Major Tool & Machine Uses AI to Streamline Supplier Quality & Win Back 16 Hours/Week per Buyer

    In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, host Andrew Stroup sits down with Dustin Rutledge, Supplier Quality Engineer at Major Tool & Machine (part of Precinmac), to unpack how a high-mix, large-format manufacturer modernized procurement and supplier quality without adding friction for suppliers. Dustin shares how the team moved from reactive email + ERP data entry to automated acknowledgments and change processing written back into Infor Visual/SyteLine, reclaiming roughly 16 hours per buyer per week and improving on-time delivery by ~1.5% YTD—while suppliers praised the email-first, no-login workflow. You’ll also hear how reclaimed time fuels more competitive quoting and dual-sourcing, and the quality metrics they track to keep programs on schedule. You’ll hear about: The reality of 100+ POs in a busy week for a single buyer and the documentation load that comes with it. Why evaluation criteria prioritized ERP compatibility, customization, and low-friction supplier UX—and where a human-in-the-loop still matters. What tasks disappeared first (manual re-keying, chaser emails) and how automated follow-ups close gaps like missed acknowledgments. How time saved is being reinvested into competitive bidding and dual-sourcing to improve price and resiliency. Practical quality KPIs (e.g., nonconformances per PO line) that predict downstream effort. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more real-world conversations with supply chain leaders on AI, supplier performance, and operational excellence.

11. 

    25 Aug 2025

    Episode 2: How PSS Industrial Group Uses AI to Protect Margins and End Procurement Chaos

    In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, host Andrew Stroup sits down with Melanie Baker, Director of Supply Chain at PSS Industrial Group, to unpack how AI is transforming procurement in the energy and industrial supply sector. Melanie shares how her team moved from “chasing their tails” with constant price and lead-time changes to building a resilient, automated workflow that protects margins, reduces accounts payable exceptions, and strengthens supplier relationships. You’ll hear about: The daily chaos of mismatched POs, invoices, and supplier surprises Why PSS abandoned EDI and embraced interactive AI-driven emails How “correct before commit” became a mantra for reducing AP exceptions by 50% The impact of automation on buyer efficiency, supplier adoption, and margin protection (8–9% lift year-over-year) If you’re a distributor or supply chain leader looking to cut wasted hours, improve supplier collaboration, and protect profitability, Melanie’s story offers a practical roadmap for modernizing procurement. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more customer stories and expert insights on how AI is reshaping procurement, supplier management, and operational efficiency.

12. 

    16 Aug 2025

    Episode 1: How General Factory Supply Uses AI to Improve Procurement & Supplier Performance

    In this episode of Leveraged Supply Chains, host Andrew Stroup sits down with Josh Cox, Vice President of Purchasing at General Factory Supply, to explore how AI is reshaping procurement and supplier management in manufacturing. Josh shares how his team moved away from manual, outdated systems and adopted Leverage AI, a procurement automation platform that streamlines purchase orders, improves supplier performance, and boosts on-time delivery. You’ll hear about: The challenges of managing procurement and suppliers with manual processes Why General Factory Supply chose AI to modernize their supply chain Early wins in supplier performance, procurement automation, and customer retention How AI protects margins while driving growth in manufacturing If you’re a procurement leader, supply chain manager, or manufacturing executive, this episode offers a playbook for using technology to cut costs, improve supplier reliability, and scale smarter. 🔔 Subscribe to Leveraged Supply Chains for more expert interviews on AI in supply chain, digital procurement, and operational efficiency.

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