Volume 9 (2026-27)

An end-to-end supply chain is a complex, multilevel system typically composed of geographically distributed operations, including companies in different time zones and countries that may not want to share data to protect confidentiality, current or future competitive advantage, and/or for reasons of legal compliance. Furthermore, what data is shared may be noise corrupted, delayed, and/or intermittently unavailable. Engineers and applied mathematicians have been using control theory (CT) to manage systems in real time, ranging from automotive cruise controls through communications, and chemical and industrial processes. Although such systems rarely face the challenges of visibility and distributed data of a supply chain, the focus of this paper is to identify opportunities to use CT to improve supply chain management. As supply chains evolve from sequential, functionally siloed processes to more connected end-to-end models, the challenge is no longer just planning but coordinating decisions across the entire network. This shift towards supply chain orchestration requires organisations to sense changes earlier, evaluate trade-offs more effectively, and respond in a coordinated way. In this context, adaptability becomes a key differentiator. This paper explores how principles from control theory can help improve responsiveness, stability, and decision making to enhance the performance of supply chains. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: supply chain management; control theory; resilience; responsiveness; stability

Transportation managers must balance stability and flexibility when allocating truckload capacity between asset-based carriers and third party logistics providers in increasingly volatile freight markets. This paper presents a volume–volatility framework that integrates demand scale and multidimensional volatility metrics to systematically guide allocation decisions. It defines volatility through three complementary measures — weekly and daily coefficients of variation and zero shipment day frequency — enabling more precise assessment of operational feasibility alongside volume thresholds. By combining these dimensions into a structured matrix, the framework establishes objective criteria for determining when dedicated capacity is appropriate and when flexible sourcing is required. A key innovation is the aggregation of individual shipping lanes into geographic corridors, allowing risk pooling to reduce variability and increase effective volume density. Empirical application across two large food manufacturing networks demonstrates that corridorbased analysis significantly improves asset allocation suitability, increasing asset-suitable volume by 40–50 per cent. A pilot implementation further validates the approach, showing improved service levels, higher tender acceptance rates, and measurable cost reductions through more effective carrier alignment. The framework translates intuitive decision making into a repeatable analytical method using standard transportation management system data, providing transportation managers with a practical tool to optimise carrier portfolios, improve procurement strategies, and enhance resilience in dynamic freight environments. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: truckload procurement; capacity allocation; demand volatility; volume–volatility matrix; risk pooling; carrier portfolio; geographic aggregation; asset-based carriers

This paper examines the evolution of global supply chains over the past 25 years, segmenting the quarter-century into five eras shaped by economic, geopolitical, and technological disruptions. The analysis leverages PwC’s Supply Chain Monitor, a data-driven model using key indicators such as trade, uncertainty, shipping, freight, inventory, production, demand, and costs, to provide a comprehensive view of supply chain health and performance. Each era is defined by unique inflection points: the acceleration of globalisation (2000–2007), the shock of the global financial crisis (2008–2010), the rise of resilience and digitalisation (2011–2015), trade turbulence and societal and environmental regulations (2016–2019), and the paradigm shift triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical crises (2020–2025). Taken together, these eras demonstrate that efficiency-dominant supply chain designs systematically increase exposure to low-probability, high-impact disruptions, forcing companies into recurrent phases of structural reconfiguration. To prepare for the unexpected and to provide actionable insights, the paper introduces the ‘Anticipation and Adaptation Blueprint’ framework, which emphasises understanding, knowing, and preparing a multifaceted approach to withstanding the ever-changing global supply chain environment. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: supply chain; globalisation; resilience; efficiency; trade; adaptation

Women represent a significant proportion of the global supply chain workforce, yet their presence declines sharply at senior leadership levels, highlighting a persistent and widening representation gap. This paper examines the structural, cultural, and organisational factors that sustain this imbalance, drawing on industry data, practitioner insight, and research to map the disparity across career stages. It identifies critical barriers including mid-career attrition linked to the ‘motherhood penalty’ and burnout, the lack of sponsorship and access to influential networks, unconscious bias in hiring and promotion, and structural constraints such as inflexible operating models and narrow role definitions. The paper also explores how entrenched workplace cultures and the separation of operational and functional career paths limit progression opportunities for women. Alongside these systemic factors, it considers the role of individual agency and leadership visibility in shaping career outcomes. The analysis highlights that early pipeline representation does not translate into executive diversity without sustained intervention. A practical framework is presented, outlining targeted strategies for organisations to improve representation, including embedding accountability at leadership level, redesigning roles for flexibility, strengthening sponsorship programmes, and removing bias from talent processes. The paper concludes that closing the gender gap is both a strategic and operational imperative for supply chain organisations seeking to strengthen leadership capability. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: gender diversity; supply chain leadership; women in management; talent pipeline; organisational inclusion; career progression

In today’s fast-evolving business terrain, the supply chain management (SCM) field faces growing importance as a major competitive differentiator in the market for many companies. The required skills and capabilities of supply chain personnel, however, are rapidly changing due to the development and application of advanced technologies. As a result, the field faces mounting challenges including acute talent shortages, rapid digital transformation, global disruptions, adoption of artificial intelligence tools in SCM decision making, and shifting workforce expectations. Effective talent management has therefore become not just a human resource concern but a strategic imperative for organisations seeking resilience and growth in logistics, procurement, inventory management, demand management, and overall improved organisational performance. This paper presents a comprehensive summary and examination of traditional and innovative talent management and development strategies that are specifically applicable to the SCM field, based on a synthesis of industry panel discussions, academic research results, and practitioner reports. It defines the individual roles that academic programmes and industry professionals play in effective SCM talent management strategies and suggests major changes that both groups should consider with respect to how they develop the contemporary workforce. The paper explores effective approaches to attract, retain, and develop skilled professionals, examining how leading global organisations and industry disruptors are tackling skills gaps, adapting to digitalisation, and reimagining workforce management in supply chains; and it advocates for a collaborative effort to address these challenges. These approaches demonstrate the agility that companies as well as academic programmes must cultivate to maintain an effective pipeline of SCM talent to meet the fast-changing landscape of business requirements. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: artificial intelligence; academic-industry partnership; supply chain workforce development; supply chain education; supply chain talent development

This paper examines the phenomenon commonly described as ‘Queen Bee’ behaviour within procurement and supply chain leadership. Challenging explanations that attribute female-on-female friction to individual personality traits, it argues that such behaviour is better understood as a rational response to structural conditions within male-dominated environments. Drawing on social identity theory, tokenism, role congruity theory and the glass cliff, alongside survey data from women working across procurement and supply chain functions, the paper demonstrates how leadership scarcity, heightened scrutiny and unequal expectations encourage distancing behaviours and intrasexual competition. It concludes that lasting change requires systemic reform rather than individual behavioural interventions. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
Keywords: Queen Bee dynamics; procurement; supply chain; tokenism; gender bias; leadership representation; organisational behaviour; workplace dynamics