In this episode of What the Duck?! Sarah Scudder brings together a panel of seasoned experts – Bo Bradshaw, Sarah Hardecopf, and Mike Ryan – to delve deep into the world of supply chain intricacies. They share their journeys and real-life tales, covering topics like wrangling inventory, the critical importance of precise bills of materials, nurturing supplier relationships, grappling with prolonged lead times, and even the surprising role of sales. Throughout, the theme of cross-functional collaboration shines, underlining the need for strong supplier connections and adaptability in our ever-evolving markets. This episode offers a personal touch to the vital role of supply chain management in today's business landscape, providing invaluable insights for professionals navigating these complex waters. SHOW HIGHLIGHTSInventory Management and Addressing Inventory DiscrepanciesThe Importance of Accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs) Supplier Relationships and Creative Problem-SolvingDealing with Extended Lead Times and Sourcing AlternativesThe Role of Sales in Supply Chain Management MOMENTS TO DUCK AROUNDMIKE: On Inventory Problems “It’s interesting because typically, you know, people tend to forget that inventory is an output. It's the result of the balance or imbalance between supply and demand. So, if there is a mountain of inventory or a molehill of inventory, it's a direct result of something upstream. It could be an optimistic sales forecast; it could be a procurement agent that got a bargain and bought a year's supply of a raw material.”BO: The Importance of Accurate Bill of Materials (BOMs)“In addition to making sure that the BOMs are accurate like Sarah mentions, you've also got to make sure that the engineers that are putting the BOMs together are taking the technical ownership for what they need the BOM for. So, that they understand what is available, what may be going end of life, what may be going into service, what the new replacement is. Is it like for like? Does it need to be qualified internally? All of those kinds of things, because what we see a lot is a tendency to go to procurement for those things.”SARAH: How to Deal with Long Lead Times “In the industries that I've worked in, is that a lot of the challenges that we saw was, you know, these crazy long lead times. There was, you know, when I was in aluminum, just the sheer lead time to get something within two weeks now is taking 30 weeks. And a lot of it was based off of kind of the raw commodity struggles with when it came to aluminum. Just getting the raw billets into the aluminum press manufacturers, they were hugely constrained.” Connect with Bo and learn what he’s been duckin’ around with:Bo Bradshaw | Drax GroupConnect with Sarah and learn what she’s been duckin’ around with:Sarah Hardecorpf | Tron Solutions GroupConnect with Mike and learn what he’s been duckin’ around with:Mike Ryan | The M. Ryan GroupConnect with Sarah and find out more about what the duck she’s up toLinkedIn |Twitter |SourceDay |SourceDay.com Had fun with the podcast? Leave us a like, share our content, and subscribe! See you soon on the next episode of What The Duck?!