Today I’m joined by leading tech company, GAINS.
GAINS is the supply chain performance optimization company. Its platform drives faster, smarter decisioning everywhere inventory matters. So, with GAINS, supply chain teams can make all the right decisions – at speed and scale – to right-size inventory, strengthen performance, and fulfill customer promises.
Today Amber Salley, VP of Industry Solutions at GAINS, joins me to talk all about being data-driven. We’re going to be diving into the evolution of data-driven thinking and the new paradigm we should be embracing now. We’ll be exploring the misconceptions about being data-driven, and the challenges of emerging technologies like language learning models. And, we’ll be sharing practical applications and the many benefits of letting the data lead.
Guest Bio:
Amber Salley is a distinguished supply chain expert with over two decades of experience in the industry. Currently serving as the Vice President of Industry Solutions at GAINS, Amber leverages her extensive knowledge to help companies optimize their supply chain performance through innovative, cloud-based solutions. Before joining GAINS, Amber was a Senior Research Director at Gartner, where she advised over 1000 clients spanning software vendors, prospective buyers of software, end-users of software, and institutional investors on advancing their supply chain strategies to drive performance. Her insights have been instrumental in helping organizations become more resilient and decision-centric. Amber holds a degree in Suppply Chain Management and Information Technology from Duquesne University and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and she continues to stay at the forefront of industry trends and advancements.
IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:
[05.43] An introduction to Amber, her background, and role at GAINS.
“I’ve taken all that I learned in the past 25 years and brought it to GAINS, to help them think through: ‘Where should we take our product in the future, and what should we be focusing on to help our customers make the highest-quality decisions for their supply chain?’”
[07.42] The evolution of data-driven thinking, as technology and mindsets have changed.
“You come up with an instinct, a feel for a decision, and then you use the data you have to back it up. You have a lot of confirmation bias in your decision-making.”
[10.50] The new paradigm in data-driven thinking.
“The new paradigm focuses on discovering patterns and finding correlations over explaining causality… It’s not trying to get into the ‘why’ that is – it just IS.”
[16.18] From confirmation bias to managing leadership pride and instinctual approaches, the common misconceptions and challenges around being data-driven.
[21.12] A case study detailing how GAINS helped a key client to get on top of volatile lead time predictability and utilize full data-driven decision-making.
[24.50] The challenges of emerging technologies like Language Learning Models.
“Generative AI is ultimately a predictor, and it’s trained to predict around text. And it’s very good – it knows the rules of language, that are pretty rigid and have been around for a very long time… But, if we’re thinking about forecasting or creating inventory plans or production plans – there’s not an established pattern.”
[27.54] The four stages of data-driven evolution and what they mean for teams.
[32.44] The benefits of letting the data lead, for both teams and businesses.
“For teams, it allows for faster actionable insights and a reduction in manual effort and bias, so they can start to focus on more value-add activities… And the business can achieve better inventory management, better supply chain design, and increase their overall resilience.”
[35.20] Exactly how GAINS can help organizations to adopt a truly data-driven approach.
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:
Head over to GAINS’s website to find out more and discover how they could help you too. You can also connect with GAINS and keep up to date with the latest over on LinkedIn, YouTube, or X (Twitter), or you can connect with Amber on LinkedIn.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear more from GAINS, check out 390: Achieve Real Results And Innovate For The Future, with GAINS, 385: Make The Right Decisions For Your Supply Chain, with GAINS or 374: Achieve Supply Chain Optimization In Record Time, with GAINS.
Check out our other podcasts HERE.
