In this episode, Ted Stank is joined by favorite fill-in co-host Lance Saunders to welcome Heather Kettelhohn, executive director of global supply chain planning and logistics at Cummins and a member of the GSCI Advisory Board.

Drawing on a recent two-and-a-half-year planning system implementation, Kettelhohn dismantles the caterpillar-to-butterfly fantasy that surrounds big supply chain initiatives. Going live, she argues, isn't the finish line—it's the starting point of a journey that never truly ends. She and the hosts dig into why "buy, not build" and "configure, not customize" kept Cummins out of the "we're different" trap, why bad processes only get faster (not better) when you layer technology or AI on top, and why customer value—not premium freight savings or inventory reduction—is the ROI that actually matters.

The conversation gets honest about the human side of change and why leaders have to ask new questions—and celebrate quick wins and change champions—to drive real adoption. Along the way, the trio look at today's volatility—shifting tariffs, closed and reopened shipping lanes, scarce metals and helium, softening jobs numbers, and stubbornly high prices—and manage to squeeze in a running debate over Seinfeld, The Office, Ted Lasso, and Friends.

The episode was recorded in person at GSCI's summer Advisory Board meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee on August 13, 2026.

Related links:

• Learn more about Cummins at cummins.com
• Register for Early Access Recruiting Night for GSCI Partners, September 21
• Attend the Fall SCM Career Fair, September 22
• Register for virtual SCM Academies in Finance, Procurement, and Technology
• Save the date for the Fall Supply Chain Forum, Nov. 10–12
• Download free white papers from UT experts
• Become a GSCI partner to learn, network, and recruit with the top supply chain education institution in North America
• Join the Advanced Supply Chain Collaborative to explore advanced concepts in SCM with top industry experts and scholars
• Follow GSCI on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to GSCI’s monthly newsletter
• Read the latest news and insights from GSCI.

Text the Tennessee on Supply Chain Management team!