Change Management In Supply Chain

As Tariffs Disrupt the Flow, 4 Supply Chain Moves Every Executive Should Make: Tariffs aren’t just a trade issue, they’re a leadership one. As an executive coach, I work with leaders navigating disruption to become more effective in how they think, decide, and lead so their organizations and teams perform at the highest level. Right now, global supply chains are under pressure from shifting tariffs, reshoring mandates, and geopolitical realignment. What used to be a smooth, just-in-time operation is now a daily exercise in adaptability. Here are four strategic shifts every executive should be considering: 🔍 1. Audit Hidden Dependencies Most leaders track Tier 1 suppliers—but disruptions often originate in Tier 2 or Tier 3. Map the full supply chain to understand where risks lie beyond what’s immediately visible. 🌎 2. Go Beyond “China-Plus-One” Relocating from China to Vietnam or Mexico may ease tariff exposure, but true resilience requires a multi-regional approach. Diversify sourcing and distribution to withstand geopolitical shocks. ⚙️ 3. Align Procurement with Enterprise Strategy It’s no longer just about cost. Factor in tariffs, political stability, and fulfillment risk. Ensure procurement and strategy functions are working in tandem—not in silos. 🧠 4. Embrace Supply Chain Intelligence AI tools and digital modeling can help you simulate scenarios and plan proactively. Today’s smart supply chains aren’t static—they’re dynamic, data-driven, and decision-ready. Executives who succeed in today’s environment are the ones who build resilience into their operations and clarity into their leadership. Tariffs may be the current headline, but adaptability, foresight, and strategic alignment are the lasting differentiators. If you are looking for a partner to support you in making your supply chain and your leadership more future-ready, let's connect.

They were hemorrhaging money on digital tools their managers refused to use. The situation: A retail giant in the diamond industry with post-COVID digital sales tools sitting unused. Store managers resisting change. Market volatility crushing performance. Here's what every other company does: More training on features. Explaining benefits harder. Pushing adoption metrics. Here's what my client did instead: They ignored the technology completely. Instead, they trained 200+ managers on something nobody else was teaching; how to fall in love with change itself. For 8 months, we didn't focus on the digital tools once. We taught them Change Enthusiasm®, how to see disruption as opportunity, resistance as data, and overwhelm as information. We certified managers in emotional processing, not technical skills. The results were staggering: → 30% increase in digital adoption (without a single tech training session) →  2X ROI boost for those who embraced the mindset →  25% sales uplift in stores with certified managers →  96% of participants improved business outcomes Here's the breakthrough insight: People don't resist technology. They resist change. Fix the relationship with change, and adoption becomes automatic. While competitors were fighting symptoms, this company cured the disease. The secret wasn't better technology training, it was better humans. When managers learned to thrive through change, they stopped seeing digital tools as threats and started seeing them as allies. Most companies are solving the wrong problem. They're trying to make people adopt technology. We help people embrace transformation. The results speak for themselves. What would happen if you stopped training on tools and started training on change? ♻️ Share if you believe the future belongs to change-ready organizations 🔔 Follow for insights on making transformation inevitable, not optional

Because supply chain failures can bankrupt a company... This infographic shows 7 companies that filed for bankruptcy and the hard lessons: 👉 Revlon (2022); $2B Cosmetics manufacturer ❓ Why: intensified competition for ingredients, and vendors with 75-day payment terms demanding cash in advance for new orders ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: proactively manage supplier risks; diversify supplier base and maintain strong supplier relationships 👉 Party City (2023); $2.16B Party supplies and decorations retailer ❓ Why: global supply chain uncertainty, COVID-19 economic pressures, and the 2019 helium shortage ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: identify alternate sources or substitutes for critical materials; develop contingency plans for critical resource shortages 👉 Bed Bath & Beyond (2023); 5.34 B Home goods and furniture retailer ❓ Why: inability to adapt the company’s supply chain to e-commerce trends ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: align supply chain capabilities with changing consumer preferences; invest to support online and in-store demand shifts 👉 J.C. Penney (2020); $7.6B Department store for apparel, home ❓ Why: inability to adapt to e-commerce channel; excess inventory and markdowns, trapping cash flow ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: optimize inventory management; implement accurate demand forecasting and inventory optimization tools 👉 FoxMeyer Drug (1996); it was a pharmaceutical distributor, $5B in sales ❓ Why: failed ERP implementation disrupted its supply chain operations, leading to significant financial losses ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: effective planning, change management, and thorough testing are critical for successful ERP rollouts 👉 Sears (2018); once a leading American retailer with $53B in sales ❓ Why: Inability to adopt technology-driven supply chain solutions, leading to inefficiencies ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: leverage supply chain efficiency as a competitive advantage; continuous investment in logistics and technology 👉 Tupperware (2023); over $1B Iconic food storage brand ❓ Why: underperformance in direct sales channels, challenges in transitioning to e-commerce, increased costs of labor, freight and raw materials (plastic resin) ✅ Hard Lessons Learned: modernize supply chain to adapt to changing market demands, proactive cost management and sourcing 📒 Note: some of these companies emerged from bankruptcy Any other lessons to add?

The CEO was staring at $47M in excess inventory and cut straight to the point: "How do we find a supply chain leader who can actually fix this mess?" Their previous hire had all the right credentials - Big 4 consulting, Ivy League MBA, managed massive budgets. Yet after 18 months, they were still battling the same issues: 23% excess inventory, 4-day average lead times, and finger-pointing between procurement and logistics. That's when I got a panicked call from a CPO at 7 PM on Friday: "We need someone who can actually execute, not just strategize." In Transformation work, you need leaders who get their hands dirty with the actual value streams. Successful Transformation Leaders don't just manage - they go to gemba, map current state, and attack root causes systematically. The best supply chain leaders deliver: -30-40% inventory reduction through pull systems -50%+ lead time cuts via flow optimization -15-20% cost savings from waste elimination -Cross-functional problem-solving cultures They turn supply chain from a cost center into a competitive advantage. What questions do you ask to identify leaders who can actually execute lean transformation vs. those who just talk about it? #SupplyChain #LeanManufacturing #ExecutiveLeadership #ContinuousImprovement #OperationalExcellence

We don’t resist change. We resist not knowing where we’ll land. Most pushback is rational. We hold on to what’s worked because the next step isn’t clear. If we don’t see the logic, If it doesn’t feel safe to try we stall. Every time. The job isn’t to “manage resistance.” It’s to de-risk what’s ahead. Here are 7 strategies that have helped my teams (and me) move through change faster: 1. Model it first → If leaders don’t go first, nothing moves. → We follow behavior, not slide decks. 2. Share the why, not just the timeline → Don’t wait for the perfect plan. → Share what’s changing, what’s at stake, and what we’re betting on. 3. Involve the people closest to the work → Real alignment doesn’t come from top-down decisions. → It comes from early input. 4. Make the first step feel doable → We don’t need the full blueprint. → Just a clear first move we can act on with confidence. 5. Train for what’s different → Belief ≠ readiness. → We resist when we don’t feel equipped. 6. Name what’s really going on → Resistance often hides fear or confusion. → Ask early. Ask directly. Don’t let it build. 7. Show it’s working and work hard on what’s not → Small wins build trust. → But trust grows faster when we’re honest about what still needs fixing. Most of us try to scale with complexity. But the real unlock? We simplify. That’s how we move forward - together. * * * I talk about the real mechanics of growth, data, and execution. If that’s what you care about, let’s connect.

“They’re being difficult. They just don’t want to change.” Sound familiar? Let’s talk about what might really be going on: change fatigue, not resistance. And if that's the case, your org might be out of shape. Change fatigue isn’t resistance. It’s a warning sign. And it’s time we treated it like one. I recently hosted a session for our internal Change Management Community of Practice. When I introduced the idea of Change Fitness, most hadn’t heard the term, but instantly recognized its cousin: change fatigue. Change Fitness = an organization’s ability to sustain and absorb transformation over time. It’s not about the volume of change—it’s about the impact. Fatigue shows up as disengagement, silence, missed milestones, and cynicism. According to Prosci, change saturation happens when the disruption exceeds your organization’s capacity to absorb it. Imagine a bucket: The size = your change capacity The water = disruption When it spills = it burnout So what’s filling your org’s bucket? • Too many projects, not enough alignment • Communications that confuse instead of clarify • Leaders pushing isolated changes without visibility (or care) into other efforts • No structured CM plan—causing more chaos than calm Here’s what I often see: Leaders label fatigue as “resistance” and double down on “driving adoption” (usually more emails 🙃). But what’s really needed? Relief. Clarity. Focus. That’s where Change Fitness comes in. Just like physical fitness helps us meet physical demands, Change Fitness allows organizations and individuals to meet the demands of ongoing transformation. Instead of asking: “How do we drive adoption?” Try asking: 🔺 “Did we demonstrate the benefits of the last change?” 🔺“Have we responded to what’s draining our teams?” 🔺“Are we reducing friction—or adding more effort?” If you’ve built that trust, reinforced those muscles, and practiced good CM habits, your org will be more fit than most. Ways to build Change Fitness: • Use Prosci’s Change Saturation Assessment • Audit comms to simplify (less jargon, more showing) • Map your change portfolio to catch collision points • Equip managers as coaches, —not just messengers Because fatigue has a voice, it just speaks quietly...until it runs out of steam. Have you seen fatigue misread as pushback?

How do you take a resistant team and guide them through a successful transformation? I led a team that went from evaluating programs to developing them—a complete transformation. At first, there was a lot of pushback, but by understanding their concerns and using a thoughtful approach, we made the transition work.   ---Here’s what I learned--- 🔸Resistance isn’t about the change—it’s about fear of loss. Through candid one-on-one conversations, I discovered the team feared losing their expertise. 🔸Facts don’t inspire change. Stories do. Rather than overwhelm them with reasons for the shift, I shared stories. Emotional buy-in through storytelling sparked curiosity. 🔸Small behavioral nudges lead to lasting change. We didn’t push the team into full-scale program development right away. Instead, we used small steps that eased them into the transition. This made the change feel natural, not overwhelming. 🔸Your biggest resister can become your strongest advocate. I focused on the team’s informal leader—the person everyone trusted. Once he embraced the change, the rest followed. 🔸Embrace failure as a stepping stone to success. We reframed setbacks as learning opportunities. By openly discussing challenges and solutions, we created a culture where innovation thrived and fear of failure diminished. 🏡 Think of change like remodeling a house. Exciting, but full of unexpected snags. In business, it’s the same—something always comes up. Plan for it. Expect it. 💡 Key Lesson: Resistance isn’t a roadblock—it’s part of the process. Expect pushback and guide your team with strategic nudges. What unexpected challenges have you faced when leading change?

I’ve seen this play out too often: A CEO decides their organization needs to embark on a lean transformation. The first step? Hire someone from Danaher or another organization known for operational excellence. The next step? Quickly abdicate their own leadership role in driving the change. Suddenly, the transformation is in the hands of an outside “prophet,” while the leadership team sits on their hands, waiting for direction. This approach misses the mark entirely. Lean isn’t something you delegate. It’s not a program or a checklist. It’s a cultural transformation, and that starts with the CEO and senior leadership fully owning the change—not outsourcing it. If you’re serious about transformation, ask yourself: What will I stop doing to make time for leading this effort? How will I set the example for others to follow? Am I willing to confront the brutal realities within my organization, starting with my own role? Lean succeeds when leadership is all in—not just in words, but in action. Anything less, and you’re just rearranging deck chairs. So here’s the challenge: Are you leading the change, or are you outsourcing your responsibility?

𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗱𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 €𝟱𝟬𝟬 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗔𝗣 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Seven years. 1,000 employees. Hundreds of consultants. Zero ROI. The German retail giant had to scrap their entire eLWIS project and revert to legacy systems. What went catastrophically wrong? ➤ Refused to adapt processes to SAP standards (insisted on purchase price vs retail price inventory valuation) ➤ Massive over-customization that broke system integrity ➤ Executive turnover killed project continuity (CEO + Head of IT both left mid-project) ➤ Inadequate change management despite massive investment The kicker? SAP awarded Lidl a "best customer" prize in April 2017... then Lidl killed the project 15 months later. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝟱𝟱-𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁? 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀: ✅ Set hard budget escalation limits (50%, 100%, 150% triggers) ✅ Limit customization to TRUE competitive differentiators ✅ Ensure leadership stability during multi-year projects ✅ Change management isn't optional - it's survival ERP success isn't about buying the best software. It's about executing the best transformation strategy. #ERP #DigitalTransformation #CFO #ProjectManagement #SAP Key lessons for finance leaders:  Set hard budget escalation limits (50%, 100%, 150% triggers)  Limit customization to TRUE competitive differentiators  Ensure leadership stability during multi-year projects  Change management isn't optional - it's survival ERP success isn't about buying the best software. It's about executing the best transformation strategy. What's the most expensive implementation mistake you've witnessed? #ERP #DigitalTransformation #CFO #ProjectManagement #SAP

"Middle management is where change goes to die." I’ve watched this exact scenario play out in every company I’ve led. ↳ C-suite announces transformation ↳ Middle managers smile and nod ↳ Six months later, nothing has changed. After 20 years of leading teams for Wall Street giants to startups, I’ve learned the real problem isn’t resistance. It’s fear. 😨 You see, middle management is actually the most insecure layer of the org. They are not high enough to shape the vision, nor close enough to the ground to execute without friction. So, when you roll out change, they start thinking: 💭 "I might become irrelevant." "This will expose my knowledge gaps." "What if my team resists and I lose credibility?" The breakthrough? Make them change champions, not change victims. Here’s how I do it: 1) Involve them early 🛠️ Invite them to strategy sessions and map out how the change will roll out. People back what they help build. 2) Let them win early 🏆 Pilot projects show success and build their credibility. 3) Explain why 📢 Give them the real reasons for transformation—the data, the customer impact, the risks of staying the same. 4) Build a learning safety net 🌱 Create space to ask questions and experiment without fear. 5) Recognize leadership 💡 Celebrate their efforts publicly. People repeat what gets noticed. ________ Change doesn’t die because it’s hard. It dies because it triggers fear—of failing, looking lost, or becoming irrelevant. Middle managers nod, stay quiet, then slow everything down. Not because they’re the problem. Because no one made them part of the solution. ⚠️ Fix that or keep watching your best ideas collect dust.