The podcast explores Black Lake’s successful investment in SpinnakerSCA, a provider of supply chain technology services. Publicis Sapient, the digital transformation arm of the Publicis Groupe, the world’s second largest communications firm, acquired SpinnakerSCA in March 2024. The podcast episode includes John Sharkey, CEO of SpinnakerSCA, and Evan McCaig, Founder of SCA Path, as well as Joe Rodgers, Managing Director of Source Capital, a provider of debt and equity co-investment in the transaction.
AI Forecasting & the Future of Demand Planning
If you’ve spent any length of time in demand planning, you know the drill: Forecasts built on historical data, endless Excel manipulation, and the elusive white whale of “the perfect plan.”
I bet you’ve also noticed how much the supply chain planning landscape has evolved over the years. Not just the rise and adoption of advanced planning systems (APS), but also the need for more scenario-based modeling, adapting to operational constraints, and the strategic gaps left by traditional forecasting methods.
How A5 Fixed A Food Delivery Company’s Commission Crisis With SPIFF
Growing a food delivery business is tough enough without your sales incentive program working against you. But that’s exactly what happened to one of Canada’s biggest food delivery companies. They were scaling fast, adding new territories and partners left and right, but their Sales performance management solution was stuck in the stone age. Sales reps […]
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Can We Trust AI? The Fight Against Hallucinations & Bias
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has swiftly moved from science fiction to a core part of our daily lives. From powering search engines to driving cars and diagnosing diseases, AI systems influence decisions that affect millions. Yet, alongside this progress comes a pressing question: Can we trust AI? A major challenge to trust in AI lies in two […]
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How to Forecast New Product Launches with Confidence (Not Hope)
Have you heard the Yogi Berra quote that “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future”?
This is the unfortunate reality of New Product Introductions (NPI). Far too often NPI result in a costly gap between what you thought was going to happen and what actually does.
When it comes to new product launches, you can’t just hope for the best. A successful NPI forecast is both realistic and risk-aware. It’s built more on consensus and less on guesswork. More anticipation. Less fire-fighting.
In this post, let’s start by digging into “why” and then we’ll take a closer look at “how.”
Marketing Automation That Actually Works: How to Stop Spamming and Start Converting
Sarah, a marketing lead for an electrical equipment manufacturing company, called us in a panic. Email open rates were down to 12%, while text messages were performing with over 60% click-throughs. Her CEO wanted results. She had no answers. Sound familiar? Today’s buyers hop from TikTok to your site to Google to a text message […]
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The Power of Intelligent Document Automation with OpenText
The modern enterprise deals with a relentless influx of documents—both digital and paper-based. From invoices and contracts to customer forms and email attachments, the sheer scale and complexity of documentation can overwhelm even the best-run organizations. Traditionally, managing these documents has been a labor-intensive process, fraught with the risk of errors and delays. However, advancements […]
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AI Governance: Frameworks for Responsible Generative AI Deployment
The rapid ascent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming industries—from automating content creation to turbocharging code development, knowledge management, and personalized customer interactions. As adoption soars, the call for robust AI governance and ethical frameworks has never been more urgent. This blog explores the evolving ethical GenAI landscape, best-practice frameworks for responsible generative […]
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Rethinking Your Warehouse Technology: WMS vs. WES vs. WCS
It’s time to replace the aging systems in your warehouses and everyone in the organization knows it. Your WMS has reached its end-of-life for support. (Not to mention its incompatibility with the rest of your tech stack and some security concerns.) And your WCS is reaching the limits of its ability to support new automation initiatives.
Being the technology leader in your organization, you are trying to steer your company down the right path for modernizing and future-proofing your system investments. But which way should you turn? What’s the right road to take?
Sales Automation for Salesforce: How to Save Time and Drive Revenue
Let’s be honest — no one becomes a sales rep to update CRMs or babysit approvals. Yet, that’s where most of their day goes. According to Salesforce, sales professionals spend just 28% of their time actually selling. The rest is eaten up by manual updates, forecasting guesswork, and repetitive follow-ups. It’s not just frustrating—it’s costing […]
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From Legacy to Cloud: OpenText’s Path to Modern CCM
Customer Communications Management (CCM) has long been a cornerstone of successful enterprises. Legacy CCM systems—once the backbone of high-volume document generation and transactional communications—are now struggling to meet the exponential expectations of today’s digital-first customers. As we move into the experience economy, where personalization, omnichannel delivery, and compliance are mission-critical, transitioning from legacy systems to […]
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