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May 2025

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About the show

As supply chains worldwide take a battering, SMEs are prioritising resilience. In this podcast, we unearth practical SME supply chain goodness. There are so many product SMEs out there fighting the good fight. They’re ambitious, agile and feisty. They love what they make. What are they doing to survive and thrive? Each episode features SME operation experts from those companies to share their techniques for weathering the disruption. This podcast is by Unleashed, the #1 inventory software for SME manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, giving them complete control and instant clarity.

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15 recent

May 22, 20251 hr 24 min

Roundtable: How To Set You Supply Chain To Scale

Scaling an FMCG brand is no easy feat—it takes more than just demand; it requires strategy, flexibility, and strong operational foundations. In our latest roundtable, experts from Borough Broth, Scale 3PL, and Young Foodies shared real-world lessons on growing sustainably, choosing the right channels, impressing buyers, and preparing supply chains for scale. From tech stacks to packaging tweaks, their insights offer a grounded look at what it really takes to grow fast-moving brands without losing control—or sight of your values. Meet the experts: Phil Peters - Director of Supply Chain Services at ⁠YF⁠ Ros Heathcote - Founder and Managing Director of ⁠Borough Broth Ltd⁠ Udhi Silva - Co-Founder and CEO of ⁠Scale 3PL⁠ Topics covered:Is There a Good Time to Scale?The Risks of Scaling Too QuicklyHow Do You Choose the Right Channels?How Do You Set Your Supply Chain to Scale?How Do You Convince a Buyer You're a Safe Bet?What Does a Scale Tech-Stack Look Like?Can Niche Ingredients Block Things Up?Going Global & Staying Green: Key Lessons for Growing BrandsScaling Sustainably: Smart Logistics Over Silver Bullets

January 23, 20251 hr 26 min

Roundtable: Growth Tactics in a High-Cost Economy

Today’s product businesses are fighting a battle on many fronts, with the lingering effects of high inflation, high raw materials costs, supply chain uncertainty and an expensive labour market. But with smart customer retention and sales tactics, combined with ruthless optimisation across the three biggest lines of spend – labour, inventory and production – small-to-medium firms can outperform both their peers and the larger players that dominate the market. As ever we chat to four SME experts to unearth their methodologies to scale in these challenging times. Darren Glanville – Country Manager for UK and EMEA with Fathom Dr Neil Keegan – Manufacturing and Operations Specialist Phil Oakley - Managing Director of Outserve Thomas Laird – MD of Salt of the Earth Deodorants What's discussed? How to drive growth without increasing headcount? What’s the reality of bringing manufacturing in-house? How can manufacturers sustain peak production? How does inventory control help you scale? How do you drive sales in a high-cost economy? How can we avoid the pitfalls of overtrading?

August 27, 20241 hr 22 min

Roundtable: Optimising Supply Chain Fulfilment

Join the following experts as we share the latest fulfilment thinking and practice: Alex Townson – Head of Outsourced Supply Chain – YF an Unleashed Partner Beth Chapman – Managing Director – Starlinks Global a Mintsoft customer Daniel Hayward- Head of Operations – Candy Kittens an Unleashed customer Kate Lester – Founder – Diamond Logistics, a supplier to Unleashed customer TrueStart Growing online retail sales puts increased pressure on the supply chain and fulfilment industry, forcing the entire supply chain to look for ways to optimise processes. Retailers, fulfilment partners, and suppliers alike must enhance operations to meet demand. What's discussed when? 00:00 Introduction 07:57 KPIs 20:47 Monitoring Supplier Performance 33:53 UK Carrier Costs 42:58 Fulfillment Automation 49:52 Personalisation 54:27 Last-mile Innovations and Sustainability 1:02:30 Picking Accuracy 1:05:34 Returns and Exchanges 1:11:02 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 1:16:38 Advice for Supply Chain Professionals

July 18, 20241 hr 6 min

Deep Dive: Josh Mordecai from Good and Proper Tea

Our deep dive sessions grant you exclusive access to a unique conversation with an admired brand or lesser-known trailblazer. A chance to go into detail with a customer. So indulge yourself; shut out the noise and focus in on one voice, one brand, one story. In this episode: Josh has been at Good and Proper for over 7 years and not only heads up operations but also their sales arm. No mean feat. Time to sit up and pay attention. You’ve probably had a cup of Good and Proper tea if you’ve been to your local swanky cafe lately. 80% of their business is on-trade or foodservice. Of course, they have aspirations to get into retail, but right now that’s their focus. Good & Proper are premium tea specialists, loved & served by the UK’s finest cafes, hotels, restaurants and workspaces, as well as a loyal and fast-growing community of tea drinkers at home. From their careful approach to sourcing to their commitment to sustainability, and of course the quality and flavour in every cup, this female-led team is on a mission to show the world how good tea can be, when it's done right. What’s discussed? What are the benefits for adopting software early? What USPs give you the best standout? Hack: How to avoid green tea tannins How does product availability give you the edge? Challenges of an outsourced supply chain. How does your supply chain differ from one product to the next? Demand forecasting wins How have you been protecting margins? Does the market recognise your B Corp creds? Reducing your Scope 3 Sustainability issues in Darjeeling Top tips for scaling FMCGs

March 5, 20241 hr 28 min

Roundtable: Sustainability and the Manufacturing Supply Chain

Join the following experts as we share the latest sustainable thinking and practice: Emma Fromberg– Course Director at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership Jessica Short – Operations & Finance Manager at TrueStart Coffee, UK Magnus Firth– Workshop Manager at Renewable Parts Ltd, UK Richard Singleton – Finance & Sustainability Director at Menzies LLP Environmental and social sustainability have become staples of a successful modern firm in today’s business landscape. Investors and customers alike are demanding more transparency around how a company operates – making a sustainable supply chain essential to SMEs going forward. What's discussed when: 2 mins - Brands we admire 6 mins - SME Challenges and opportunities 10 mins - What is ESG? - Richard 13 mins - Are you leveraging your business for good? - Emma 16 mins - TrueStart applying for B Corp status - Jess 19 mins - Where to start and Help staying abreast - Richard 28 mins - Does ESG box ticking go far enough? Emma 32 mins - How green is green energy? - Magnus 34 mins - Carbon Mapping and acting on it - Jess 37 mins - Growth and sustainability - Jess and Emma 41 mins - Measuring your carbon emissions - Scope 4! - Richard 45 mins - We need to be more ambitious - Emma and Richard 52 mins - Carbon Boarder Adjustments - The Emissions game 54 mins - The economic system - a mind shift is needed - Emma 57 mins - Greenshoring to crush your competition - Magnus 101 mins - How ‘local’ and ‘longevity’ is the answer - Emma 109 mins - Reverse logistics and waste innovation - Magnus 116 mins - Scope 3 – Help your suppliers help you - All 121 mins - Where to start? All - Find your Inefficiencies - Jess and Magnus - Focus on a root cause - Tony Chocoloney - Emma Watch the full discussion or skim read the highlights here⁠⁠⁠ Our episode on net zero Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – ⁠book a 20 min chat⁠

January 12, 202454 min

Deep Dive: Ed Williams from Candy Kittens

November 23, 20231 hr 24 min

Roundtable: Optimising the Manufacturing Supply Chain

Optimising your supply chain is a surefire way to create competitive advantage. But it's a broad, fast-moving topic, so we've recruited customers and partners to share best practice and help find ways to refine operations, inventory, purchasing, and distribution. The bottom line is, if you're delivering products at lower costs with higher profit levels, you're succeeding. Easy peasy yeah? The Experts: Neil Keegan – Head of Manufacturing at Automata, robotic lab solutions in London Sam Walker – Systems Architect at Flowstore Systems, Lean manufacturing, engineering, production line and warehouse bespoke solutions in Uxbridge Alex Townson – Head of Outsourced Supply Chain at FY formally known as young foodies, an incubator and community for ambitious FMCG brands - in London Hugh Robinson - Transition and Transformation Senior Manager at flinder (a technology and data-led finance partner) What's discussed when: 6 mins - Demand planning best practice 19 mins - Bottlenecks in robotics , OTIFs, Hidden Factory 34 mins - bottlenecks in FMCG, managing lead times, mitigating risk, 'walking the line' 40 mins - Automata's pivot and nearshoring 47 mins - 3PM benefits 52 mins - Inventory placement and warehouse efficiencies 58 mins - Meeting customer expectations in the NHS and multichannel best practice 105 mins - Reducing cost, capturing cost, BOMs, COGS 108 mins - Performance, supplier analysis, component consolidation, pareto charts cut through, 119 mins - Contribution margin and unit economics Watch or skim the highlights here ⁠ How do you quickly optimise min & max stock levels in Unleashed? And other videos Inventory formulas & live inventory calculators Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat

August 6, 2023Episode 81 hr 18 min

Roundtable: Staffing and Manufacturing Supply Chain

While technology has been a focus in supply chain management for many years, in the end successful supply chains depended on people. In this eighth Unleashed Supply Chain Management Roundtable we speak to a collection of experts and industry professionals on their approach to the challenges of staffing and skills management. The Experts: Sergio Da Silva, Supply Chain Analyst, Flava Dot Global Phil Peters, Head of Supply Chain Services at YF Ned Neville-Rolfe, Head of Operations, Sapling Spirits Chris Willcock, Head of Brewing and Supply Chain Operations, 4 Pines Brewing Co. In this episode out panel discuss: 5 mins - What appeals about working in the manufacturing supply chain? 8 mins – State of the nation. What are your staffing challenges? South Africa, Australia and the UK 20 mins - Attracting the right talent and how being a B Corp helps. 27 mins – Is training a ‘magnanimous gesture’? 31 mins - What’s the right personality type for a role in supply chain management? 36 mins – How long should you hold on to someone having invested in training? 38 mins – The halo effect of carbon neutral strategies – i.e. how tree planting retains customers and staff 44 mins - How do you attract and retain millennials for supply chain roles? 49 mins - Are candidates arriving with the right skillset, could more be done at an educational level? 54 mins - What labour challenges are particular to a B Corp? 62 mins - South African brain drain. 64 - What are your top tips when moving to a successful digital workflow? 68 – 4 Pines maintaining agility after buy out. 70 – YF: consultancy, tech advice and how outsourcing your supply chain means you can redeploy your team on more ‘value-add' tasks. 73 - What are the challenges of retaining a highly skilled team? 74 - How do you better engage a larger remote workforce across multiple locations? 75 - What would you say to convince others to join the manufacturing supply chain? Watch or skim the highlights here https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-manufacturing-staff Factory Automation – What It Is & How To Implement ⁠https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/factory-automation-what-it-is-how-to-implement Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat ⁠https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global⁠

May 2, 2023Episode 758 min

Roundtable: Getting Demand Forecasting Right

It would be fair to say the art of traditional demand forecasting has been tested over the last few years and what was a reasonably straight-forward process has many now scratching their heads. More border regulations, macroeconomics, eCommerce growth and siloed data have contributed to muddying the waters. Failing to predict demand, or poor forecasting, can bloat inventory or create stock outs and dampen a brands’ confidence in their capacity to manage without stockpiles. But getting demand forecasting right can lead to better supplier relationships, increased customer satisfaction, and more capital to grow and scale your business without the need for surplus stock as a buffer. Join five SME manufacturing experts as they to unpack their approach to demand forecasting and share their challenges and best practice. Scan the highlights here: The Experts: Nicki Hawkins - Cost Accountant & Head of Purchasing – Ribeye Boats, Premium Leisure Boats in Dartmouth, Devon Mark Houghton - CEO Radical Cloud Solutions, our cloud solution specialist in Zimbabwe Katherine Rowlatt - Head of Operations for AFP Services Ltd, Business Services for Food and Drinks Brands based in Kettering John Toon - Senior Manager, Tech Advisory Lead, Beever and Struthers - Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors in Blackburn James Trevelyan - Business Director at Circle One Surf Co near Exeter In this episode, the panel discuss: 4 mins – Quick fire – What does demand forecasting me to you? 8 mins – Harnessing bottom-up data 15 mins – Katherine in ePOS data and human intervention 17 mins – Correlations between predictions and cash availability - John 20 mins – Mark on data accuracy 21 mins – This is a team sport, don't let the accountant take over 23 mins - Top-down curve balls 25 mins – James’s pre-season forecast musings 28 mins – Juggling long- and short-term planning 30 mins - Nicki: Keep challenging the numbers 33 mins – How are we shielding margins? Or are we? 39 mins – ALC and FX tips from John 41 mins – Small changes can have a big impact - Nicki 44 mins – NPD and Promotions 53 mins – Supplier relationships and China insights 61 mins - One piece of parting advice for those struggling with their demand forecasting To watch the chat or scan the take-aways https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/scr-demand-forecasting What is Demand Planning? [The Ultimate 2023 Guide] https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/what-is-demand-planning Our latest Cash Flow and Over Stock Report https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/cash-flow-overstock-report Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat https://engage.unleashedsoftware.com/book-a-chat-global

February 8, 2023Episode 61 hr 14 min

Roundtable: Improving Cash Flow in a Manufacturing Business

Product businesses are holding more stock than ever before, creating new cash flow problems for manufacturers. In our latest Supply Chain Roundtable, four supply chain experts share their advice on avoiding insolvency during turbulent times. Scan the highlights here: Lauren Du Plooy: 14+ years of accounting experience, Partner at Rae and Associates – specialists in cloud-based accounting James Ewing: Procurement Manager at Renewable Parts Ltd. with 20+ years of supply chain experience Darren Glanville: Country Manager UK & EMEA at Fathom – a technology and data-led finance partner that builds and runs smart finance functions Tim Wright: Founder of two medical equipment manufacturing companies and currently MD of Langcroft Consultancy – specialists in digital transformation In this episode: 3 mins – Quick fire 8 mins – Cash being held up in stock 16 mins – Innovation off the bat of the current climate 18 mins – Production efficiencies 21 mins – Learnings from load shedding in South Africa 23 mins – Planning and Average Landed Costs 26 mins – Don’t be lonely, network and collaborate 32 mins – Credit and getting paid faster 40 mins – Supplier relationships, call-off orders 47 mins – Data driven supply chain 60 mins – How to improve business visibility 65 mins – Pricing and margins 72 mins – A year from now... 77 mins – New equipment considerations Watch the roundtable or scan the take-aways 7 Ways to improve cashflow in a manufacturing business Talk to one of our supply chain consultants – book a 20 min chat