The Future of Supply Chain

The Future of Supply Chain podcast is a show hosted by Richard Howells, Sin To, and Oyku Ilgar. The trio discusses hot topics, best practices, and the latest innovations to deliver a risk-resilient and sustainable supply chain. The show features interviews with experts from the world of supply chain, sustainability, AI and automation, who will address the issues of today and tomorrow.This is an ideal podcast for supply chain, R&D, manufacturing, logistics, and operations executives to learn and share ideas and best practices with their peers.

The Future of Supply Chain is a technology podcast hosted by SAP SE, with 184 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

SAP SE hosts The Future of Supply Chain, a technology show with 184 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #177

  Episode 177: Why Asset Management Matters More Than Ever in 2026 and Beyond with Accenture’s John Holmes and SAP’s Andy Hancock

  Aug 18, 202633 min

  John Holmes from Accenture and Andy Hancock from SAP joined us to explore why asset management matters more than ever. The conversation covers EAM and APM convergence, lift-and-shift cloud migration risks, and how AI agents, IoT, and digital twins move maintenance from time- and condition-based approaches toward predictive and prescriptive strategies. We also discuss citizen EAM owners, workforce transformation, autonomous asset management, and supply chain resilience Guest 1: John Holmes, NA Intelligent Asset Management Practice Lead Managing Director Guest 2: Andy Hancock, Global Vice President, Global Head of Domain Advisory Asset Management and Field Service, SAP As a seasoned global executive who has held numerous leadership roles during his 19-year tenure at SAP, he has brought quantifiable results to leading global brands through innovation advocacy. Having worked in more than 40 countries and experienced a vast array of cultures, he understands the importance of challenging the status quo to drive business outcomes and create a competitive diUerentiator in turbulent global markets. Host: Richard Howells ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. ===== Show Links: Accenture: ⁠https://www.accenture.com⁠ Supply Chain Management: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode Transcript Episode Description Follow Us on Social Media : Richard Howells : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

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  The Future of Supply Chain

  Episode 176: The New Era of Field Service and Asset Management with SAP's Ryan Jones

  Aug 12, 202625 min

  Ryan Jones from SAP discusses the new era of field service and asset management, covering AI agents, autonomous operations, and how integrated asset management drives supply chain resilience. ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== Ryan Jones, Product Marketing Manager at SAP, joins us to explore the evolving landscape of field service and asset management. We talked about the risks of operational fragmentation, the ripple effects of asset downtime, and how AI agents transform maintenance from a cost center into a revenue driver. Ryan also shares success stories and discusses SAP's new unified offering, and outlines the journey toward autonomousoperations. ===== Guest 1: Ryan Jones, Product Marketing Manager, Asset Management & Field Service, SAP Ryan Jones has spent the last 10 years at SAP working across enterprise asset management, field service, and ERP. He has held roles in solution advisory, solution management, and product marketing, helping customers connect business processes with practical technology adoption. Before SAP, Ryan was an operations manager and SAP ERP user, giving him a grounded perspective on what it takes to make enterprise systems and AI work in real operations. Host 1: Richard Howells ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape. ===== Show Links: SAP Field Service and Asset Management: The Next Evolution of SAP FieldService Management. LINK Supply Chain Management: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media : Richard Howells : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

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  Episode #175

  Episode 175: How COOs Should Rethink Cybersecurity for Resilient Supply Chains

  Aug 4, 202628 min

  We explore how COOs can rethink supply chain security, from physical risks and open source vulnerabilities to AI threats, data sovereignty, and building a cyber-resilient culture across the business network. Download the ⁠ episode transcript ⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== We sit down with a cybersecurity expert to unpack the full scope of supply chain security, from physical risks like truck hijacking and component integrity to emerging digital threats like AI-driven attacks on open source software. We discuss why COOs must evaluate supplier capabilities, embrace data sovereignty, secure AI projects, and foster ecosystem collaboration to build truly resilient supply chains. ===== Guest 1: Jay Thoden van Velzen, Technical Advisor in SAP’s Office of the Chief Security Officer Jay Thoden van Velzen is Technical Advisor in SAP’s Office of the Chief Security Officer, where he covers and supports security process-, product-, and partner management, putting him in the middle of navigating rising security threats, an increasing compliance burden and rapid technology changes, to secure SAP’s cloud platform expansion, Business AI and the Autonomous Enterprise. He previously led SAP’s cloud infrastructure security operations during the Next Generation Cloud Transformation Program running 2020-2022, establishing key cloud security programs that SAP still relies and builds on today. His relationship to Supply Chain Management remains strong, having functioned earlier as its main Security Expert 2015-2019. Host 1: Richard Howells ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape. ===== Show Links: Supply Chain Management: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media : Richard Howells : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

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  Episode #174

  Episode 174: Logistics 2026: What Supply Chains Must Prepare for Now with PwC

  Jul 29, 202624 min

  PwC’s Christian Sachse joins us to talk all things logistics. Discover recent trends such as automation, AI, nearshoring, and sustainability. Download the episode transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== In this episode, Christian Sachse of PwC Germany shares what supply chain leaders must prepare for in logistics, from automation and AI to sustainability, nearshoring, labor shifts, and resilience. He explains how planning, visibility, and control towers support better execution. ===== Guest 1: Christian Sachse, Director, PwC Christian Sachse is a Director at PwC Germany, where he leads the transportation practice within PwC's global Center of Excellence for Logistics Transformation. With a career spanning over a decade in SAP logistics consulting — progressing from ABAP developer to senior leadership roles at firms including IBM, Deloitte, and PwC — he brings deep expertise in SAP Transportation Management and end-to-end supply chain optimization to global organizations across automotive, manufacturing, retail, chemicals, and beyond. In today's discussion, he shares his perspective on the future of supply chain technology and innovation. Host 1: Richard Howells ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape. ===== Show Links: PwC Supply Chain Management: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media : Richard Howells : ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain : ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

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  Episode #173

  Episode 173: Orchestrating the next generation supply chain with KPMG

  Jul 21, 202630 min

  This week, KPMG’s Hernan De la Torre and Stefan Seitz join us to discuss neural supply chain orchestration, agentic AI, clean core governance, and why ERP remains essential for faster, smarter, more resilient supply chains. Download the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ episode transcript ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ===== In this episode, we speak with KPMG’s Hernan De la Torre and Stefan Seitz about the shift from experimental GenAI to industrial embedded AI. We talk about orchestration, agent-based decision-making, clean core governance, human-in-the-loop control, and how AI is reshaping supply chain roles, execution, and resilience. Sounds interesting? Come join us! ===== Guest 1: Hernan De la Torre, Principal, KPMG in the US Hernan De la Torre is a Principal in Advisory at KPMG, leading SAP-enabled supply chain transformation across consumer, retail, and manufacturing sectors. With more than two decades of experience, he focuses on designing business-led operating models powered by SAP and advanced AI capabilities. He is an architect and recognized voice on Neural Supply Chain Orchestration (NSCO), a framework that embeds AI-driven decision intelligence directly into SAP workflows to strengthen supply chain execution, global operations, and trade responsiveness. Hernan partners with executive leaders to translate enterprise strategy into scalable execution, helping organizations navigate tariffs, geopolitical shifts, and cross-border complexity while driving measurable performance across finance and supply chain ecosystems. Guest 2: Stefan Seitz, Director, KPMG in Germany Stefan Seitz is leading KPMG’s global SCM reference model in the SAP space and is at forefront of various digital supply chain transformations in automotive and industrial manufacturing. As an industrial engineer by trade he maintains a strong business focus in applying the newest technology trends. Host 1: Richard Howells ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Richard Howells⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host 2: Oyku Ilgar, SAP Oyku Ilgar is a marketer and thought leader specializing in SAP’s digital supply chain and ERP solutions since 2017. As a marketer, blogger, and podcaster, she creates engaging content that highlights innovative SAP technologies and explores key topics including business trends, AI, Industry 4.0, and sustainability. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Finance & Accounting and English Translation, along with a master’s degree in Business Administration and Foreign Trade, specializing in marketing. With her background in digital transformation, Oyku communicates technology trends and industry insights to help professionals navigate the evolving business landscape. ===== Show Links: KPMG Publication : AI Is Moving Supply Chains from Reactive Execution to Autonomous Orchestration The IDC recognition: KPMG recognized as a ‘Leader’ in the IDC MarketScape for Worldwide Supply Chain SAP Ecosystem Services 2025–2026 Vendor Assessment Supply Chain Management: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Supply Chain Management⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠SAP Insights: Supply Chain⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us on Social Media : Hernan De la Torre: LinkedIn Stefan Seitz: LinkedIn Richard Howells : ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ , Oyku Ilgar: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ SAP Digital Supply Chain : ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!

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