Guest: Zac Rogers of Colorado State University on supply chains in 2025; What ports want from the new administration; Cutting corners on the job

Our guest on this week's episode is Zac Rogers, associate professor of operations and supply chain management, Colorado State University. 2025 is just two weeks old and most of us have barely settled into the new year.  Considering the unknown economic outlook, politics, possible tariffs, and ongoing turmoil around the world, it could be another interesting and a possibly volatile year for supply chains. Our guest shares his insights based data from on his role in helping to produce the monthly Logistics Managers' Index.

We’re in the middle of the transition season for a new administration in Washington DC. There are a lot of unknowns in this time of change, but one thing that's definitely happening is that business interests are busy lobbying politicians to protect their interests. And this week we saw some details that show what policies supply chain interest groups might want to happen in coming years. This was news from the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), which released an eight-point wish-list for its recommended policy agenda to support the nation’s seaports.

Manufacturing and logistics workers are raising a red flag over workplace quality issues according to industry research released this week. And it’s all related to internal and external pressures that are causing workers to cut corners, risking both safety and compliance demands. 

 Supply Chain Xchange  also offers a podcast series called Supply Chain in the Fast Lane.  It is co-produced with the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals. A series of ten episodes is now available on the "State of Logistics." The episodes provide in-depth looks into the current states of key transportation modes, such as trucking, rail, air, and ocean. It also looks at inventory management, 3PLs and more.  All ten episodes are available to stream now. Go to your favorite podcast platform to subscribe and to listen to past and future episodes. The podcast is also available at www.thescxchange.com.


Articles and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Colorado State University Supply Chain Management Program
• AAPA lobbies incoming administration on seaport policies
• Study shows industrial workers bypass essential process amid mounting stress
• Visit Supply Chain Xchange
• Listen to CSCMP and Supply Chain Xchange's Supply Chain in the Fast Lane podcast
• Send feedback about this podcast to [e-mail]

Podcast is sponsored by: CSCMP EDGE 2025

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