Chain Reaction
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -Chain Reaction is the podcast 'All About Supply Chain Advantage' containing regular audio snippets relevant to C suite executives, supply chain professionals, researchers, policy makers in government, students, media commentators and the wider public. New episodes each week discuss hot topics in the news and supply chain ideas relevant to everyone involved in supply chain management. There are special editions too.
Our goal is to keep our listeners updated and informed about the various factors that can influence the dynamics of supply chains. As the world continues to evolve, so too do the complexities of global supply chains. By keeping an eye on these global events, we can anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of supply chains with agility and insight.
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Episodes
Forthcoming Episodes Jan-Feb 2023
January 05, 2023 19:00 - 3 minutes - 2.71 MBThese are some of the forthcoming episodes that you will want to listen to. Topics cover systems thinking, problem solving, managing the external influences and mitigating risks. Supply Chains Improve Cash Flows Economic Outlook for 2023 Problem Solving in Supply Chains Systems Thinking Supply Chain PEST And of course every Saturday we publish the News Round Up all things impacting global supply chains that week. So make sure to subscribe to listen to all episodes. You can follow Cha...
Supply Chains Improve Cash Flows
January 05, 2023 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBSupply Chain Management is critical to improving cash flows. When we think of supply chains we think of material flows and not about cash flows but it is the latter that is equally important and impacted by the actions we take in our supply chains. The big consulting firms bang on about profitability and return on investment both are important but there is one variable even more so. It is cash flow because without cash the business may not continue into the future to earn profit and return o...
News Round Up 31st Dec
December 30, 2022 13:00 - 9 minutes - 6.28 MBTony Hines discusses all things impacting global supply chains this week. Price inflation is still cause for concern - Many prices have risen across the board in the US Russia is China's biggest supplier of Oil and Gas Some analysts are concerened that Elon Musk has paid too much attention to Twitter and not enough on Tessla as the share price is hit. Class Action Lawsuit against Facebook over Data Analytica's breaches of data privacy is worth $725 Million. South Western Airline disrupt...
Reflecting on 2022
December 27, 2022 08:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBTony Hines takes a look back at some of the key moments from 2022. You can catch up with the detail by exploring some or all of the many episodes published in 2022. If you missed any now is the time to catch up. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain st...
News Round Up 17th December
December 17, 2022 12:00 - 20 minutes - 14.1 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week with Tony Hines Demand for energy increases in Europe as cold spell takes hold. War in Ukraine continues. China may get back to normal in 2023. Peak season -what peak season? Manufacturing in the UK falls in 2022 Check out what has happened in US Tech sector jobs Freight costs soften but what happens when China reopens for business Chinese ports operating normally and zero COVID policy has ended Sea lanes getting back to normal A...
Learn and Change
December 14, 2022 18:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBChange is about learning. Learning to do something new is central to change. In supply chains we have to learn and adapt to change practices and processes. Opportunities and threats emerge from change and we have to be ready to grasp opportunities and limit threats. Risk has to be assessed when we want to take opportunities. If you source and procure products and services you will know that risk is introduced through change. You have to know the facts. You need data that are both quantitativ...
News Round Up 10th December
December 11, 2022 18:00 - 14 minutes - 10 MBAll things impacting Global Supply Chains this week. Strikes everywhere in the UK disrupting health, education, border checks, transport and other public services Energy prices still high Turkey has tankers lined up to enter or leave Russia is the world number 2 energy exporter but price caps on oil will impact revenue WTO case review of US Imposed tariffs by President Trump on steel and aluminium challenged Factory gate price falls ease inflation Producer price index PPI falling Ger...
Leading the Team
December 09, 2022 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBEvery leader in every organizations has reached their level of incompetence according to the Peter Principle. Leaders rising up the ranks eventually reach a level at which they have no experience. There are many types of leader. This is why trait theories do not stand up to scrutiny. Some leaders are charismatic, some are competent, others are not. There is no single model of a leader. Leaders must listen, learn and act. Leaders have to motivate people. Leaders have to set strategy in motion...
News Round Up 3rd Dec
December 03, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBTony Hines reviews all things impacting global supply chains this week. Black Friday Numbers are in for the US And UK China protests are leading to change in the Covid restrictions applied H&M second largest fashion business lays off 1500 workers in head office roles as inflation and increasing costs hit. Inditex and Primark are bucking this trend. SMMT in the UK reports on downturn in Sales of automobiles in the UK. Investment is needed in securing battery production for EV's. BYD Ch...
News Round Up 26th Nov
November 26, 2022 01:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThanksgiving in the US with Black Friday and Cyber Monday - what's it all about? Grabbing a bargain or shifting inventory Find out more about Peak Season Demand listening to the episode of the same title with Mario Paginini from Stord Rail strikes move closer in the US how damaging could they be? Saudi Arabia says it is unlikely to increase oil output any time soon OECD says the global economy should avoid recession UK still feeling the cold winds of Brexit as labor problems continue, ...
Black Friday
November 25, 2022 19:00 - 44 seconds - 553 KBThis is a short promo for the News Round Up 26th Nov You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we have special episo...
Black Friday
November 25, 2022 19:00 - 44 seconds - 553 KBThis is a short promo for the News Round Up 26th Nov You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook
Peak Season Demand And More with Mario Paganini from Stord
November 23, 2022 07:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBTony Hines speaks to Mario Paganini, VP Marketing at Stord to learn how supply chains are meeting the challenges of peak season. Stord is a fast-growing business building customer centric supply chains. "Stord untangles and centralizes your supply chain in a single dashboard, so you can focus on what matters." Well it was my pleasure to talk to Mario Paganini this week about the peak season and we had a much wider ranging discussion about all things happening in supply chains and if you w...
SC News 19th November
November 19, 2022 12:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBSC News Round Up - All things impacting global supply chains this week with Tony Hines EU heads for recession and Germany is the worst affected country in the 27 country block. Shrinkage in Germany is forecast at 0.6%. Ireland looks to be the best performer. Falling out of love with the tech sector as it unfriends employees. Is China still a pro-business country? Covid lockdowns have forced many businesses away from China. California ports ban diesel trucks by 2035. Ports in New York an...
SC News 12th Nov
November 12, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week with Tony Hines. Now we could talk about lots of things happening in supply chains this week we've got inflation, we've got interest rates rising, we've got input costs going up, we've got freight rate prices lowering and that's because demand for shipping and container boxes has fallen. We've also got chip prices higher as a result of shortages of supply and we've got strikes building up with wages hit by inflation. So, what else could go...
SC News 5th Nov
November 06, 2022 12:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBWelcome to the News Roundup all things impacting global supply chains this week. Maersk announces downturn in demand for shipping logistics freight rates peaked and demand for container boxes falls. Cop 27 runs from 6th to 18th November in Egypt -listen to what needs to be done to avert the climate emergency. Russian retail sales fall as does employment as interest rates rise. Interest rates up by 0.75% British Volt secures additional funding to avert administration One minute round up...
Get to the Future Fast
November 01, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBIn this episode Tony Hines explains why getting to the future fast is necessary for survival and future profitability. He draws on examples from automobile industry and the race to establish giga factories to serve the electric vehicle industry. Listen to how German industry turned to China to get to a new future. The Key to Unlock the Future In the second part of the episode the questions asked examines how to get to the future fast. Are there lessons to learn? Is being first important? ...
News Round Up 29th October
October 29, 2022 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.2 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Inflation, one, two, three Prime Ministers in three months, big ships in Boston, Putin pushes the West faster to ditch oil and gas, Unilever raise prices, rail strikes and dock strikes. Japan’s driverless vehicles approved Tesco’s retail graduate scheme - Find out more about Tesco's Retail Graduate Programme and apply at https://lnkd.in/g4dVRem ASCM event explaining SCOR- Register today! https://bit.ly/3TWuiDc Kaiser aluminium cost h...
Retail Detail
October 25, 2022 10:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBRetail Detail with Tony Hines What is it like to be a retailer? Many are small businesses - Pop and Mom stores but others are some of the biggest businesses in the world. Leading retailers manage many product categories and lines. They deal with brands and they have their own brands too. Keeping costs low and maintaining margins is critical. This is where sourcing, procurement and operations determine the efficiency of the business and also the ability to satisfy customer demand. In this e...
New Round Up 22nd October
October 20, 2022 16:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. The war in Ukraine continues and takes a new turn targeting energy supply Strikes everywhere and more brewing in the UK China's zero covid tolerance damages market share Xi Ping wants to serve another term The big news in the UK dominates the airwaves as the Prime Minister resigns. You will remember I asked the question last week would she still be in office by Friday - well she's gone - With Truss gone has Trust gone? Autonomous rob...
News Round Up 15th October
October 15, 2022 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week with Tony Hines Inflation and strikes along with Russia's war in Ukraine continue to cause disruption Challenges in the automobile industry and aerospace industries Chip shortages continue holding up manufacturing Liverpool dockers strike for 19 days Peel Ports claim they have offered 10 per cent but the Unite Unions disputes that - Dockers holding out Felixstowe too disrupted Royal Mail strikes cause delivery disruptions in the UK O...
News Round Up
October 08, 2022 10:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBNews Round Up all things impacting global supply chains this week. We begin October with a full round up of what has happened. UK Government mini budget crashes economy with pound falling as Bank of England steps in Listen to the special edition on Casino Economics Economics the dismal science and a return to supply side economics with Thatcher's legacy having an encore with Liz Truss Government Nordstream Gas Explosions permanent damage or Putin posturing some think Strikes in railways...
SC News Round Up for September
October 01, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBAll things impacting global supply chains. Employment levels, output and inflation Food inflation still on the rise Real fall in wages of 2.8% year on year in the UK Rail strikes could impact supply chains Inditex sourcing to ensure availability increasing inventory cost DHL contract logistics investing in warehousing in India Three tips to keep supplies flowing 'Balance' China and India increasingly uneasy at Russia's war in Ukraine Europe makes plans for winter Tessla in the news...
Casino Economics
September 28, 2022 14:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBThis episode reflects on recent economic policy changes by the UK Government in its recent mini budget. Market reaction has been critical and this has resulted in lowering the value of the currency. Has the UK taken a big gamble with their economic policies? Is it one spin of the roulette wheel to go for growth? Markets think it looks like this given their response. The International Monetary Fund has also been critical of the UK economic policies. It is unusual for the IMF to rebuke a G7 ec...
Supply Side Economics
September 27, 2022 18:00 - 10 minutes - 7.43 MBGovernment policies often follow a fiscal approach to manage demand and monetary policies through interest rates to attack inflation. These are not the only tools available but they are widely used. In this episode Tony Hines takes listeners through these choices before considering supply side economics and what that can achieve. Interest rates until very recently have been historically low. This has encouraged investment. They are now beginning to rise as inflation bites. As borrowing costs...
Strategy for Growth
September 24, 2022 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.69 MBThis edition takes a look at the UK Mini Budget which is called a strategy for growth. Government policies shape the environment in which businesses operate. The policies enacted give rise to conditions that governments hope are conducive to achieving growth. The newly formed government in the UK has taken a path to achieve growth in an uncertain world economy. An economy ravaged by disruptions from Covid 19 for the past three years and Putin's war in Ukraine spiking energy prices adding to...
Risk Resilience and Responsiveness
September 15, 2022 07:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBResilience is more than risk management. It is a capability to get to the future by limiting the impact of disruptions. Risk management is necessary to manage particular supply chains as well as the supply chain system. Anticipating risks from disruption is an important skill. Assessing risk and assigning probabilities to manage risk are parts of any risk management system. Beyond the immediate supply chain risks there are risks that threaten the total supply system. It is necessary to take...
Europe's Gas Problem
September 07, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBEurope has a short to medium term gas supply problem that it is trying to fix. This has been caused by Russia's reduced output to Europe which has not simply caused problems for European customers but it has pushed up the world market price for everyone. As always in such situations where supply and demand are mismatched there are winners and losers. In this episode Tony Hines explores how this might play out. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show...
SC News Round Up 3rd September 2022
September 03, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Microchips, Inflation, Gazprom stops European supply and the G7 places a price cap on Russian oil supply. NVidia ordered to stop exports of advanced chips to China Moscow and Brussels raise the stakes Gas back in fashion from shale fracking as new investments take shape Energy is a dangerous business in Russia as six industry leaders have died in unusual circumstances this year Oil prices ease on fears of recession Inflation rises in...
Environment Social Governance (ESG) - Concepts Explained in Under 5 Minutes
August 31, 2022 10:00 - 5 minutes - 3.87 MBThis episode takes a look at ESG and its relevance for supply chain management. This is part of the series explaining supply chain concepts in under 5 minutes. ESG is a way of assessing risk in relation to environment, social and givernance factors. When it thcomse to protecting or minimising the harm done to the environment through industrial or business processes a company's supply chain is critical. How organizations procure, produce and distribute their products can impact beyond the org...
SC News Round Up 27th August 2022
August 27, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Energy, Inflation, Strikes UK This week Energy Costs Up for Businesses and Consumers Energy costs add to inflationary pressures The Horn of Africa facing drought and food crops Ford cuts payroll in North America and India as it transitions to EV's Global Market for EV batteries growing Profits lower in China industries -growth slows Big Pharma - Moderna sues Pfizer and Biontec regarding Covid19 vaccines Russia in search of new ma...
SC News Round Up 20th August 2022
August 20, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. UK Inflation hits 10.1% year on year Wayfair Online Furniture Retailer cuts 870 jobs Tessla cust delivery times to 4 weeks Airbus cuts delivery forecasts Boeing also cuts its forecasts for output Labor strikes adding to supply chain disruptions Wage offers frome employers fall well below inflation Felixstowe and Liverpool two major UK Ports have strike action UK Rail industry strikes continue (40,000 employees) Amazon warehouse s...
Energy
August 16, 2022 06:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBIn this episode Tony Hines talks about the global energy crisis and how it is impacting supply chains. Is it more than supply and demand determining prices and energy inflation. When it comes to energy supply most countries want to protect security of supply. Russia's war in Ukraine has disturbed the balance not only in Europe but across the world pushing up prices and contributing to inflationary pressure. At some point physics demands a return to equilibrium but where exactly will that be...
SC News Round Up 13th August 2022
August 13, 2022 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. $430 bn approved by the House of Representatives - Inflation Reduction Act Brent Crude down US Inflation Energy Prices Russia's economy in recession Five Chinese companies listed on the NYSE suspended AI to rate company ESG Eastern European inflation on the rise Cuba oil storage facility fire Sri Lanka Port Peloton revise strategy to improve cash flow and revenue Southern Ukraine Nuclear Plant under attack Kahzakstan sell oil ...
Service Supply Chains
August 10, 2022 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBWhat is different about service supply chains? Tony Hines discusses differences and similarities between service and goods supply chains in this episode. Service requires the organization to be customer focused not product focused. It is something that some product organizations have difficulty with. Find out how your organization can become customer focused and provide service. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain...
Just in Time Explained in under 5 minutes
August 08, 2022 08:00 - 4 minutes - 3.28 MBThis is a new series of shorts explaining supply chain concepts in under five minutes. In this first episode just as Oscar Wilde said news of his demise was greatly exagerated we can say the same about Just-in-Time (JiT) systems. In this episode Tony Hines explains why he thinks Just in Time is here to stay. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been resea...
SC News Round Up 6th August 2022
August 06, 2022 11:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan and China responds angrily Gasoline prices at the pump going down Market for electric aircraft growing year on year Automobile markets for new vehicles are volatile Electric vehicle makers search for deals to secure rare earth metals for batteries Re-engineering the toilet can make a contribution to recycling The first grain ship leaves Odesa destination Lebanon via Istanbul China acknowledges climate change hig...
Resilience and Sustainability
August 03, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBTony Hines says that two of the most important words uttered around supply chains in the past year have been resilience and sustainability and what they mean in differente contexts. In this episodes he revisits some of the episodes in which guests discussed the topic along with some of his thoughts about them and what they mean for leaders in government and in organizations. He spoke to Professor Wendy Phillips earlier about humanatarian logistics and discusses what resilience means in this...
Business Catch Up
August 02, 2022 08:00 - 10 minutes - 7.13 MBThis is the 10 minute update from the corporate world and government policies impacting supply chains. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all...
SC News Round Up 30th July 2022
July 30, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week:- Inflation and energy costs still rising The US Fed raises interest rates Intel and Media Tech Russia attacked Odesa just hours after signing agreement to let grain sale out of the port Gazprom has cut gas supplies again despite reopening Nord Stream1 again Asian Gasoline prices fall China is expected to raise its oil refining operations Just Eat has hiked commission rates Grub Hub strikes a deal with Amazon Prime Amazon is raisi...
Chain Reaction Trailer
July 24, 2022 07:00 - 40 seconds - 532 KBI'm Tony Hines and I'm here to tell you about the Chain Reaction Podcast All About Supply Chain Advantage. I've been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on Supply Chain Strategies in the early 2000's. Each week we have special episodes on particular topics relating to supply chains and we have a weekly news round up every Saturday at 12 noon all things impacting global supply chains in that week. So come and join us on the Chain Reaction Podca...
SC News Round Up 23rd July 2022
July 23, 2022 11:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Inflation continues to rise Central banks raise interest rates Nord Stream 1 closed since 11th July for maintenance cuting gas supplies to Europe through Poland and Germany Consumers feel the pinch as inflation pushes costs up Product price inflation risning because of energy and fuel CPI 9.4 % in the UK similar highs in the EU and US The Federal Reserve says 40% chance of recession Heat waves caused empty shelves in the UK Extrem...
SC News Round Up 16th July 2022
July 16, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Brent Crude under $100 Euro and US$ at parity LNG Prices fall 1% Is energy falling in price? Nordstrum one closed for maintenance cutting gas to the EU US Production down Israel inflation Heatwaves in Europe 40% - Going Up Climate Change Impact China Economy has lower output in June UK politics a distratction from economic realities US Retails Sales Up as recession looks likely China also heading for recession Aston Martin att...
The Embedded Resource Economy
July 14, 2022 18:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBSupply chains deliver the embedded resource economy. They achieve this by bringing goods from places where there is abundance to places of scarcity. Listen to the episode to find out more about this topic and why it is so important. It has been a key driver of globalization. It has also been shaped as much by politics as market economics. The embedded resource economy is invisible we only see the goods that supply chains deliver. Resources are embedded in the products. It brings with it ben...
SC News Round Up 9th July 2022
July 09, 2022 14:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Inflation Energy Costs Fuel Prices The UK Prime Minister eventually resigns The former Japanese Prime Minister is shot and killed Russia's war continues in Ukraine Elon Musk pulls out of Twitter Deal CEO of Ryan Air blames chaos at UK Airports and the tight labor market on Brexit Beans means trouble for Tesco as Heinz push up prices Sainsbury works hard to keep prices low for consumers Maersk resigns from ICS to maintain its sustainability...
Cycle Time Compression
July 06, 2022 06:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBIn this episode Tony Hines discusses the benefits of Cycle Time Ciompression in the Supply Chain. Identifying the cycles in your supply chain and the time it takes to complete each cycle has potential to bring benefits to the business, the network and to customers. Having data about each of the cycles moving from upstream to downstream enables firms to lower costs, improve throughput times and lower risk. Managing volumes, volatility and velocity to achieve value. It improves cash flows, pro...
SC News Round Up 2nd July 2022
July 02, 2022 11:00 - 18 minutes - 12.8 MBA summary of all things impacting global supply chains this week. In this weeks episode Tony Hines discusses:- Soaring energy prices impacting gloabl supply chains Inflation in Europe Britain's trade outlook What can airports learn from supply chains? Steel tariffs, protectionism and international law what will the WTO make of it? Russian President signs a decree to find new investors after Shell, Mitsui and Mitsibushi leave Gazprom decides not to pay a dividend to investors - first ...
Procurement and Supply Relations
June 29, 2022 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBIn this epsiode Tony Hines discusses procurement and supply relations. These are two areas in which significant value can be created in supply chains. As Edward Deming noted for continuous improvement you must constantly improve supply relationships. It is through those relations that reputations can be developed, responsiveness improved and reliability is built in. You could also construct resilient supply chains through developing effective supplier relationships. You can read more about ...
SC News Round Up 25th June
June 25, 2022 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBAll things impacting global supply chains in the news this week. Inflation Energy Prices Strikes Looming Opportunities to rethink energy supply Fuel prices continue to rise Disruptions to food supplies Where does all the grain go? Russia is China's largest oil supplier Inflation's correlates Google looking to become more prominent in supply chain cloud solutions Accreditations (CILT and CIPS) for Southampton University MSc in Supply Chain New Ocean Shipping Law in the US Higher ...
Storm Clouds Gather
June 23, 2022 10:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBWhen storm clouds gather we need a plan to confront the storm. In this episode Tony Hines investigates the root causes disrupting supply systems. Identifying underlying causes are the key to resolving obstacles. The major root causes are energy and fuel costs. Both of these costs drive the input costs upwards, increasing production and distribution costs. Instability is directly attributable to Russia's war in Ukraine. Uncertainties introduced into global markets add to the extant problems...