HOW THE DUCK DO YOU KEEP YOUR SUPPLY INTACT?This is one question and many more that Tom Oris the Director of Procurement from 1-800-Flowers.com, will be answering today, in the latest episode of What The Duck?! Tom will be sharing his personal story in the supply-chain space, the ins and outs of ensuring an intact supply in these challenging times, and how you ensure that your suppliers have your back. Show Highlights:The Mid-West pizza madnessTom’s background in food manufacturingJoining the 1-800-Flowers teamThe hardest part of Tom’s jobFacing the big supply-chain challenges of the yearUsing analytics to shift from relationship-based purchasingTreating people with respect helps in the long runThe Tom Oris 2023 strategy in securing supplyQuotes:TOM: The significance of building relationships“I think that relationship is important, and people I don't wanna say they lost focus, I think partly just the times with COVID and, and teams, but I do think it's a very important element is to have those business relationships. Suppliers are such a great source of information when it comes to markets when it comes to three and five years down the road, new technologies. So I think that relationships bring a lot of value.”TOM: How you can ensure your suppliers help you in challenges“Treat people the way you want to be treated. You know, every supplier, I don't care how good they are. They're going to make a mistake. They're going to sell products that are out of spec, they're going to be late. They're going to have carrier issues you're going to see damage and transit. It happens. You know, I try to treat everyone with respect.” Connect with Tom and learn what he’s been duckin’ around with:Thomas Oris | 1800Flowers.comConnect with Sarah and find out more about what the duck she’s up to:LinkedIn | Twitter | SourceDay | SourceDay.comHad fun with the podcast? Leave us a like, share our content, and subscribe! See you soon on the next episode of What The Duck?!