Everything runs in trends, supply chains included. What was once considered a critical strategy can be cancelled in a heartbeat if conditions change - only to be rediscovered and reapplied to great advantage a couple of years later.

In this week’s Art of Supply interview, Kelly Barner welcomes back Professor Thomas Goldsby. Tom is the Dee and Jimmy Haslam Chair of Logistics at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He is also the Co-Executive Director of their Global Supply Chain Institute.

Tom rejoins the show to make a case in support of lean thinking and just-in-time inventory management.

With reshoring becoming an increasing part of the supply chain conversation, the timing may just be right for lean thinking to rebound and once again occupy its rightful place in the supply chain strategy toolkit.

In this episode of the Art of Supply podcast, Kelly and Tom discuss:

• How we need to understand lean thinking before we can apply it successfully
• Whether companies are starting to apply lean thinking again, or just discussing it
• How our supply chains would change if we optimized them to create customer value

Links:

• Thomas Goldsby on LinkedIn
• Supply Chains as Business in Action
• Tennessee on Supply Chain Management
• Kelly Barner on LinkedIn
• Art of Supply LinkedIn newsletter
• Art of Supply on AOP
• Subscribe to This Week in Procurement