How To Turn Supply Chain Planning Into a Competitive Advantage With Marcia Williams
Marcia Williams is the Founder and Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain Consulting, a firm that helps growing companies strengthen supply chain planning and performance. With more than 20 years of experience, she specializes in demand forecasting, inventory management, sales and operations planning, and integrated business planning. Marcia has worked with brands including Cummins, Alcoa, Hershey, and Lindt. She is also a TEDx speaker and author of the USA Today bestseller The Supply Chain Playbook.
Here's a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
[4:02] Marcia Williams’ journey from accounting to supply chain management
[7:52] Why collaboration between sales and supply chain teams is essential for preventing costly inventory decisions
[11:34] How Marcia turned her love of writing into the bestselling book The Supply Chain Playbook
[14:04] Marcia shares how she turned a family medical crisis into an opportunity to build a LinkedIn audience
[19:17] The role of mentorship in uncovering career opportunities and encouraging professional growth
[25:42] Marcia’s supply chain toolkit featuring Excel templates, infographics, and practical planning resources
[29:12] What separates sales and operations planning from integrated business planning?
[35:38] Bridging communication gaps between supply chain professionals and other business departments
[44:26] Marcia talks about her upcoming LinkedIn Live sessions and a supply chain planning conference in Denver
In this episode…
As a business grows, keeping inventory, supply capacity, and customer demand in sync becomes more complex. Even strong sales can be undermined by misaligned forecasts and decisions made in silos. How can precise supply chain planning turn those competing priorities into sustainable growth?
Supply chain strategist and bestselling author Marcia Williams emphasizes collaboration across sales, operations, and finance. Instead of accepting demand forecasts at face value, teams should challenge assumptions, account for supplier lead times, and measure how inventory decisions affect cash flow. Marcia recommends using sales and operations planning to align teams around one realistic plan, then advancing to integrated business planning to ask not just “Can we do it?” but “Should we do it?” Clear visuals, shared metrics, and practical planning tools can turn complex information into informed decisions and stronger execution.
In this episode of The Tao of Pizza Podcast, Mark Hiddleson talks with Marcia Williams, Founder and Managing Partner of USM Supply Chain Consulting, about making supply chain planning a growth driver. Marcia explores aligning sales forecasts with inventory and capacity, improving cross-functional communication, and moving from sales and operations planning to integrated business planning. She also shares the story behind The Supply Chain Playbook and its hands-on tools.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Specialized Storage Solutions, Inc. contact phone: 707-732-3892
Mark Hiddleson's email: markhiddleson@aol.com
The Supply Chain Playbook: How to Transform Planning, Inventory, and Execution into Competitive Power by Marcia Williams
Quotable Moments:
“Supply chain is very broad, but we can see that all the areas are interconnected.”
“So when we talk about the language of business, the language of sales, we want to talk in value.”
“We need to challenge the assumptions and the forecast because if we follow exactly what they would like to have, we are going to sit on inventory for years.”
“I have always enjoyed the process of writing.”
“If we don't have inventory, we cannot sell.”
Action Steps:
Strengthen cross-functional relationships: Investing time in building strong connections between sales, supply chain, and other departments helps break down silos and fosters better collaboration.
Implement robust sales and operations planning (S&OP) processes: Adopting structured S&OP meetings ensures all stakeholders are aligned on forecasts, inventory levels, and capacity constraints.
Leverage practical toolkits and infographics: Utilizing user-friendly resources, such as Marcia’s practitioner toolkits and infographics, makes it easier to communicate complex supply chain concepts across teams.
Focus on integrating business planning (IBP): Advancing from basic S&OP to integrated business planning allows organizations to consider not just whether they can do something, but whether they should do it.
Encourage continuous learning and external mentorship: Seeking guidance from mentors and staying engaged with educational resources, books, and industry communities promotes growth and innovation within the team.
Sponsor for this episode:
This episode is brought to you by Specialized Storage Solutions Inc.
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I have been in the logistics and storage industry for several decades. I know I don’t look that old, but it's true.
We provide industry-leading warehouse storage solutions nationwide.
So basically, if you have a warehouse that needs Rack, Shelving, Carts, Conveyors, or Mezzanines, we help with....design engineering, installations, inspections, and repairs to help clients optimize their logistics operations.
Sometimes people don’t even realize that we can actually help with permit acquisition services.
We take a holistic look at your entire business supply chain ecosystem to develop the resources for continually improving your operation.
To learn more, visit specialracks.com or give us a call at (707) 732-3892. One of the best ways to learn more about our products and services is to follow us on Instagram. And there’s a link on our website to do that.
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Episode Transcript:
Intro 0:01
Welcome to The Tao of Pizza, where we feature top logistics leaders, entrepreneurs, and supply chain innovators, and share their inspiring stories with a holistic twist.
Mark Hiddleson 0:14
Mark Hiddleson here, host of The Tao of Pizza Podcast, where I talk with top industry innovators in the warehousing, logistics, and supply chain business with a holistic twist. Before I introduce today's guest, this episode is brought to you by Specialized Storage Solutions. Look, I've spent decades building warehouse systems that actually work, and after hundreds of conversations with clients and peers at industry conferences nationwide, one thing's clear: Innovation only matters when it shows up on the warehouse floor. At Specialized Storage Solutions, we provide industry-leading warehouse storage solutions nationwide. So, if you have a facility that needs racking, shelving, carts, conveyors, or mezzanines, we help across the full life cycle: design, engineering, installation, and inspections and repairs, all focused on real throughput, real people, and real constraints. And here's something a lot of people don't realize: we also offer permit acquisition services. We handle the red tape so that you don't have to. We take a holistic view of your entire supply chain ecosystem, blending physical infrastructure with modern thinking around automation, flow, and adaptability to help our clients continuously improve and not just install and move on. To learn more, visit our website specialracks.com, call us at 707-732-3892, and just for podcast listeners, I will give you my personal email, which is markhiddleson@aol.com. Yes, I still use AOL, and yes, I'm proud of it. So, if you're ready to design warehouse systems that are built for where the industry is going, not where it's been, drop us a line. Now, today we're joined by Marcia Williams, a supply chain strategist, author, and expert in supply chain planning and execution. Marcia is the author of The Supply Chain Playbook, which hit the USA Today best-selling list. Her work focuses on helping fast-growing companies build supply chains that actually keep up with their growth. She specializes in SNOP and IBP, demand and supply planning, inventory and materials planning, and sales and operation execution. She's worked with companies and brands including Alcoa, Cummins, Hershey Salty Snacks, Skinny Pop, Lindt Chocolates, Cody, and Covergirl. What I'm excited to explore today is something every growing company eventually discovers: growth is great until your supply chain can't keep up with it. We're going to talk about inventory disruptions, late deliveries, lost sales, rising costs, and how better planning can turn the supply chain from a constraint into an engine for growth. Marcia, welcome to The Tao of Pizza Podcast.
Marcia Williams 2:47
Thank you so much, Mark, for having me. A pleasure to be here.
Mark Hiddleson 2:53
Yeah, I saw your book, and I have a copy of it. I wanted to show it off right away.
Marcia Williams 2:58
Amazing, amazing. It always makes me happy to see that the readers like their book. I'm so happy about that. Thank you for for the support and
Mark Hiddleson 3:13
yeah, and I can't wait to give it. I have bought a few extra copies because I'm going to be handing them out to my best clients, and hopefully people will be ordering it. They hear this because I look at this. There haven't been a lot of books. I mean, there's there's some other good books on it. A friend of mine had Vic Rent Neb on the website. He wrote a book called Was Excellent Something About Execution. Now I can't think.
Marcia Williams 3:34
Okay,
Mark Hiddleson 3:35
I think you might know Vic, but it's about similar things. The three PLs warehouses run into a lot of the same issues, and there's workarounds, and you get really good at the workarounds, and pretty soon everything's a workaround.
Marcia Williams 3:48
I know many challenges. How wide do they have books?
Mark Hiddleson 3:53
Yeah, so I want to dive in, but first, share a little bit about your background and how you got into the supply chain. So share a little bit.
Marcia Williams 4:00
Yes, of course, of course. I started in accounting, so my bachelor degree is in accounting. Then I came to the U.S. to Michigan, Michigan State to get my MBA, and I did that in with two concentrations, supply chain and finance, and since that I have been working and had the opportunity to to work with mid-sized businesses and also Fortune 500 companies, like the one that you mentioned in the introduction.
Mark Hiddleson 4:42
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 4:42
So that I'm coming from that side, and it is connected, right? So we have a supply chain and different areas.
Mark Hiddleson 4:54
Yeah, it's it's. I've been in this business for 30 years, and we're serving our. In the supply chain, and it's really just hitting me now. Especially as we grow, like we have our own supply chain, and we don't even like what we don't look at as like you know I'm scheduling 14 trucks that have to be shipped between tomorrow and Wednesday, and that's that supply chain has to be planning and execution, forecasting the inventory. I mean, so even what we do, we're serving the logistics, but we're everything. I guess that is what I'm saying. Everything is supply chain and logistics. You're trying to get multiple points of information. So, how did you go from the degree side to getting into like the execution and operations.
Marcia Williams 5:42
Yes, I started at Cummins Cummins Engine in Indiana, and I started as you were mentioning, Mark. The supply chain is very broad, but we can see that all the areas are interconnected. So my first job in the supply chain was in procurement, not in planning. And then I started taking more projects, different categories, and then I moved into planning. I also did logistics, warehousing. So I have been in the different areas that greatly help me. That experience greatly helped me to see how everything is connected. Because you were mentioning yes, that is the supply chain. When we scale the tracks and they need to be at a certain time, we know that if we are delivering to some customers, we can get penalties if we don't hit the correct delivery times, and that will also impact the financials. So we can see that we have this relationship. within the different moving parts in the supply chain, and also with other functions, that is what makes this complex.
Mark Hiddleson 7:13
And because of the relationships, so say a little bit more about what you mean between the relationships, because there's a relationship between sales and where they have conflicting goals, right? Like the warehouse wants to be empty, the sales wants it full, right? So share a little bit about how the relationships and the and how that works out in real life.
Marcia Williams 7:33
Yes, yes, and you have probably seen many posts that I create with the relationship between sales and supply chain.
Mark Hiddleson 7:46
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 7:46
If we are in sales, we want to have inventory.
Mark Hiddleson 7:51
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 7:51
Because if we don't have inventory, we cannot sell. And some of my posts are about that. Right when sales start saying we need inventory, we are going to sell all of it. So then we in the supply chain start calling suppliers, looking at capacity. We can secure that. We make huge efforts, and then let's say four weeks, five weeks later, we get that demand change, and then we need to talk to suppliers. We have a pile of inventory that we cannot stop from coming, so that we can see the impact of those relationships, we need to understand the different perspectives. In in this case, sales, we need to challenge the assumptions and the forecast because if we follow exactly what they would like to have, we are going to sit on inventory for years, and also those relationships we can see the importance because we have inventory and it's not so easy or not so quick to reverse those decisions. We need to consider that in many companies we are managing lead times 456 months. So once we secure inventory, is there? There's nothing that we cannot do. So that's why it's essential to work to collaborate and get alignment. See the different risks that could happen. So that is a critical part, and we can see that the relationship with sales is very clear. I have heard so many comments. About that relationship, I don't know what your experience is like.
Mark Hiddleson 10:07
Well, that's my bit. My book is mostly. I have a copy of my book here, the Dallas Pizza. I told you I was going to send you a copy. I haven't done it yet, but it's really about building relationships, and really, you know, start by building a relationship with yourself, but once you can work with people and get a different level of communication where you're focused on the big picture, you know we know the small picture we have to deal with fires putting that out, but also you know how you can collaborate. It's in relationships. I think as I was growing up in the industry, it was kind of like a soft thing. Like it's nice to have a relationship. Relationships have always been important, I think, but people are starting to see there's a financial value to having the right resources, the right relationships, as people can get things done. Decisions can be made, and usually it's not a compromise. If you really get together, whatever you come up with is a better solution than either would have come up on their own, so how does your book address the relationship? I love we just talk the whole thing about about relationships, but well, first what we'll give you the idea to write a book because I know I thought about 10 years ago I wanted to write a book and then I I I had told myself I had to finish and I'm like, this was a this wasn't a very good idea because it's not easy. But what gave you what inspired you to to start it and finish it and and how does it and share more about the relationship piece?
Marcia Williams 11:34
Yes, yes, I always love writing. So, like a side hustle, we can say before I used to sell content in the supply chain.
Mark Hiddleson 11:50
Okay.
Marcia Williams 11:51
So I have always enjoyed the process of writing, and before this was my first published Book traditionally, but before I had two books self-published, also in supply chain. So for me, it's an area that I really enjoy. I like making complex concepts with a simple, very practical approach. That's how I understand. So I like to communicate that. So to get this book, the supply chain playbook. What happened is that Wiley, that is the publisher, reached out to me, and I just couldn't believe it. To me, it was I. I was so happy to hear that I was going to have that opportunity. So I knew that it needed to be in the supply chain because I live in the supply chain every day, and that is how everything started. I talked to Wiley. I made a proposal, a formal proposal. That is, it was like another book that I wrote before the book. I know it was challenging, and it took a significant time effort. But then writing the book was easier. I didn't do that for my other books because they were self-published. So that is how this book, the supply chain play playbook, was won.
Mark Hiddleson 13:44
Nice. Well, congratulations. That must have been a great feeling getting that call. And so they saw your content. So share a little bit more about how. What kind of content were you creating, and how were you doing that for companies or for your company, how are you doing?
Marcia Williams 14:03
Yes, I started on LinkedIn writing content, and I talk about that experience in my book. That is how I started writing this book because I needed to decide what to include. I know that I wanted a supply chain, but what areas again? That is very broad, and how I started like from the beginning that it was on LinkedIn, and that is because then I grew my audience. That is why Wiley reached out. So I started because my dad got complications in a surgery. That everything was unexpected. So I left home here. I left my husband and my kids. They are teenagers now. I left them and I flew to Uruguay, where I'm originally from, and I stayed there at the hospital. And he was in a very very very difficult situation, then everything turned out well. But during the last few days, when I started seeing that he was improving, I didn't move from the hospital. I spent all the time there, and when he was improving, I stopped everything. Right, I wasn't working at that time, and I was there. So to communicate with others, I started using LinkedIn. Just some posts like I started twice a week, something like that, not too much, and then I started seeing the response, and that's how I added more posts, and then I got to post daily, but everything started from that situation. I think when in moments that challenging moment is like I wanted to communicate, and the only way that I had was in something that I feel confident that it was to play chain, and that's how everything started. So it was an event that we don't want to have, but now he's doing great. Yeah, good.
Mark Hiddleson 16:55
And you're, but
Marcia Williams 16:56
That is how I started.
Mark Hiddleson 16:58
Wow, that is beautiful. That's beautiful, and so he took the pain and needed to have a good positive outlet of writing and writing about supply chain, and he turned it into something that's going to serve other people. Like it's exciting to
Marcia Williams 17:13
Mark Hiddleson 17:15
There's a few. I gave it to my GM. We only looked at it. He already is. We've got about three pages marked, but
Marcia Williams 17:22
ah, okay. You only see that if they are because I explain how I started writing on LinkedIn that it was the beginning of everything, but I was very surprised with the response before I didn't post or one post in I don't know in months.
Mark Hiddleson 17:46
Yeah. So yeah, the podcast kind of for the same reasons that I was writing. Actually, I was having a lot of time struggling putting into words what I wanted to say. I was just talking about building relationships, and a friend of mine suggested, "Well, if the podcast is a way you can show how new relationships start, and you could do interview question, and it's kind of doing the thing you're trying to talk about, and so that's why I started the podcast. But I want there to be pictures in this book too. My book has a lot of pictures, but I want to read this seven sign you're meant for supply
Intro 18:19
chain because
Mark Hiddleson 18:19
I read this and I was getting chills. You love solving puzzles. You thrive under pressure. You balance detail with the big picture. You speak cross functional. I think that one is huge. You hate waste. You're obsessed with data, or you're data obsessed, and you get satisfaction from making things work, man. When I read that list, I'm like, I'm a supply, I'm a supply chain guy, and it's unique. I love that you put that there because it'll inspire people, and certain people will go like that. And if you go like that, it's not for you. But if you have those qualities, it is a really exciting, fun business. So, tell me a little bit about. Have you had any mentors or people who made a big difference to kind of help your career, either you know Wiley or Cummins or one of these other big companies?
Marcia Williams 19:16
Yes, yes, at Cummins and at different companies. To me. me, mentors are great because they help you, and not not like they do because they are not supposed to take that action. But if they give you ideas on how about the possibilities? It's like you are at a different level with mentors. So to me, I have had mentors since I started at Commons. There were many options like. What to do if it is more related to data and Six Sigma? They were very strong in Six Sigma or other areas, and that was great to have to know about the possibilities because sometimes that is key, right? Because of their potential and mentors to me they give you more possibilities and then at least in my case I feel encouraged to do more and so I have always had mentors and in different areas.
Mark Hiddleson 20:43
Yeah, is there anyone you want to mention specifically at a certain
Marcia Williams 20:48
yes or
Mark Hiddleson 20:48
or somebody at all even with the book? I know my publisher.
Marcia Williams 20:52
Yes,
Mark Hiddleson 20:52
I didn't know this was going to happen, but my Michelle Prince was actually my publisher. I love to give her a shout out, but there was a lot of support in that process that I didn't expect. So
Marcia Williams 21:04
yes, yes, for the book.
Mark Hiddleson 21:07
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 21:07
Sorry, Mark.
Mark Hiddleson 21:09
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 21:10
Yes, like the team at Wiley, that was great.
Mark Hiddleson 21:15
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 21:16
Always, every time that I needed help, they were there. I also work with Hannah Larson. That she's great. She gave me ideas about marketing the book because writing is one portion, but then many efforts should go into marketing the book. I also work with brand builders that also help me with marketing. So those three teams were imperfect. Very, very helpful.
Mark Hiddleson 22:04
So let's dive a little deeper. So I love marketing so well in marketing. So I was thinking, what? So I want to give this to my clients. Or if we could give them a teaser right now, planning inventory and ex execution into competitive power. What? What is it like? What's some low hanging fruit like? If somebody reads this book, kind of what? What's a teaser? Give me some marketing. I get this book look like, Dave.
Marcia Williams 22:30
Yes, yes. To me, based on this experience, the book is selling really well to the point that I know is ironic, but we ran out. We didn't have enough inventory, so I know, I know, we can't wait to say that.
Mark Hiddleson 22:53
I told you we were going to talk about running out of stuff, right? I promised everything. I promised in the in true,
Marcia Williams 23:01
and I have, and we had to go through allocation too. We needed to decide, so Amazon had priority in many cases, and the book sponsors and some clients that bought the book, we gave them priority. So we went through an allocation process, and also we had the issue of something that was unexpected in Europe too. I was getting messages like my copy first. They told me that my copy is going to arrive, let's say, in two weeks. Now they are moving to three months later, and then I reach out to the publisher to see the situation. And yes, they were working on back orders, so now we are fine. By Friday, we have more books here. Another run is because of the lead time, it takes like four or five weeks to have them available, and then in Europe it's going to be the following Friday that we will have more books. So that was yes a challenge in the supply chain.
Mark Hiddleson 24:23
Yeah, congratulations. That's the right kind of challenge to have. Yeah.
Marcia Williams 24:28
Thank you, thank you. And to answer your question, because you asked me about what you can do. Yes. One area that to me is critical is the pre-orders. In this case, I prepare very strong content, practical materials that the readers can use. So I spent months, and that content is top quality. I. Gave everything away for the pre-orders, so that is one of my recommendations.
Mark Hiddleson 25:09
Yeah. So, are you talking about the free gifts that came when you ordered the book? Talk more about that because I look, I wasn't able to. I mean, I haven't, I didn't dive into it, but the resources. I mean, they slide big. Talk about that free because I looked at it and it's like wow to have access to these resources because you can know it's one thing if the leader reads the book, but then how do you implement it on the floor? That's all my thing. It has to make it to the floor. Has to make it to the floor. So share those resources that you're sharing. So are those still available? Can people still get freedom?
Marcia Williams 25:42
Yes, if they reach out to me, because the only way is to complete a form, so we can give them access to the platform. We use Cash Avi, that is quite well known for everything to to hold content online and when we like with courses programs community so I was already using Kashabi so for the book I created different modules. One that is the practitioner toolkit, and there I included all the files in Excel because some readers use Excel and they don't have advanced systems. So I wanted to do something that everyone can use and can benefit from, and so the first practitioner toolkit has 10 fundamental files. It has one for the demand, for the supply, for capacity, the master data. All the files are there, and they are related. So it's like a complete system. That is one portion. Another one is everything about infographics, and this is to your point, Mark, that the infographics can help us to show what we do to other functions in an easier way, so we have there 100 full resolution infographics organized by area, and then the slide decks, so the readers can use them complete with the information because sometimes I get the question, but what should I show in demand review? What should I show if I need to talk about inventory, inventory projections, inventory health? What can I use? I included all the content there in PowerPoint, so they can make changes. That is the first resource. That is the practitioner toolkit. Then another resource at that moment, I was giving access to one of the chapters, and we are going to have a LinkedIn group for discussion that is coming in October, and then the last resource that I'm giving away with the book, the SNOP video series that are three videos, three master classes. One what SNOP is about, another one from SNOP to integrated business planning to advance with maturity, and then we also have another one on metrics in SNOP. So those are the resources.
Mark Hiddleson 28:55
And SNOP, most people, if they listen to this podcast, they know what it means. But the sales and operations planning, right? SNOP, but we say it so much we just shortened it. And then, what about IBP? I didn't look up IBP, and I'll admit, what's IBP? Inventory.
Marcia Williams 29:11
I know with the acronyms, they cause confusion. Integrated business planning, and I consider that like the most advanced phase in SNOP.
Mark Hiddleson 29:23
I'm glad we said integrated because that's the word I like to use for everything to be a fully integrated whole person. That means you're taking challenges that are kind of integrated to me. It means like what happened with your dad and you were in that space and then you used your creativity. That is integrated planning because you're integrating what's really happening. It's the pain. It's whatever we don't like. Like you said, you don't want to go through those things. But as long as you stay alive, that's going to happen, right? As long as you're in business, it's going to happen. So that integrated part means. It's not perfect, but we take the imperfections and make it better. I guess the short, the short version, is that right?
Marcia Williams 30:08
Yes.
Mark Hiddleson 30:09
Yeah.
Marcia Williams 30:10
Yes, and I completely agree. SNOP that acronym comm is misleading in a way because we are talking about sales and operation, and it's not only sales and operations.
Mark Hiddleson 30:24
Yeah, so we're misleading.
Mark Hiddleson 30:27
Yeah, go ahead. Go talk about integrated business.
Marcia Williams 30:31
Yes, when we talk about integrated business planning, it is considering all the different functions, and the key difference is that in SNOP we see if we can do it right. Can we produce this in month six? Yes or no, and we will find different ways. In IVP, it's a different level because the question is, should we do it? We may, we may have the capabilities, but is that what we should do? So it gets to that level, and then there are other differences. But that is the key in a way to remember is like SNOP. Can we do it? IVP. Should we do it? That is how I see it. Good
Mark Hiddleson 31:30
one. Yeah, my biggest lesson in business was a was a could have been a should we do it versus can we do it because we could do it, we did it, and then we found out why maybe wasn't a great idea in the first place? A larger, you know, taking on a really large project that was 10 times bigger than anything we had done. We can do it, but should we do it? Yeah, that's a great IBF. I love that. So we have a little bit of time. I want to. I want to learn more about where you said you moved to the states, but you didn't say where from. So share a little bit just about your background and the cultural differences and how that and maybe a fun story about travel or or something else one of your passions.
Marcia Williams 32:11
Yes, yes. So I started in procurement and then I was in the different functions, as I mentioned before. My expertise now I'm doing projects in planning, so everything related to that, and I have that experience with sales and many others. Sales when we start an SNOP process, it is like the function that we need to get on board, because if we see these relationships, these interdependencies, we start everything with the forecast. If we don't know, or if we don't have the input from sales, we are not going to get it right. Even if we are using AI, because there is data based again on relationships that we don't know. For example, sales could have gained new distribution. There's no way for AI to know that. So that is what we need to do to get to those inputs, so we can have a better forecast. Then the forecast will go to supply planning, and supply planning will say, "Okay, we can do it or not." And then the next step is against the financial targets in a simplified way, right? So that why is so important that relationship with sales, and we also want to understand their perspective, how they see inventory, because we see inventory in a different way, and it's not that they are being like difficult or they are being mean in all of this, sometimes they don't see the impact or what they need to provide to us. So there are many aspects that we need to look at to build those relationships and to have sales on board. Because if we don't have them, we are not going to have a strong SNOP.
Mark Hiddleson 34:44
So I'm assuming, and that's that's what you created the free toolkit for, or that's a resource for better communication, and then I forget what you call it, but it's like cross functional discipline, and that's what I thought a lot about. A lot of our clients are third party warehouses. I don't know. Well, it seems like you deal with mostly brands or manufacturers, but in three PL, the best salespeople they're the operators because they really only know what they can really sell or what they're selling is capacity or the ability to deliver. So I'm assuming that this share is how the toolkit is designed to get sales, operations, planning, procurement, on the same page. Tools, resources, language to call. Like one thing is, we can be speaking different languages, right? Some of it is like the different acronyms. Like that's one of the things I love to just explain. So she'll share a little bit more about that.
Marcia Williams 35:38
Sure, exactly. And one of the resources, the focus is on that. Yeah, that's why they are different areas, and I included infographics because infographics is a way that is easier to understand than when we talk. And you are right, Mark. If we start talking about different acronyms, it's so hard, and that is one of the challenges of using acronyms and different languages. So to that point, say they have incentives, right, and they speak in dollars or in value, we for the planning in supply chain we also need units. So it's great that we understand that we talk about dollar value, but we need units because that's how we do the plan, and we know the capacity. We have enough inventory, so that is one of the differences, and we need to be mindful of those differences and speak that language. So when we talk about the language of business, the language of sales, we want to talk about value, so we will need to have both. For us, we need units and we need physical units, but for sales and for the business, we want to talk about value. That is how they understand. So those infographics are for that, and there's one section of the infographics that is to explain what we do, what SNOP means, and other areas that we do in the supply chain to outsiders. It's on purpose. It's not for the supply chain that we know what we are doing and expectations, but is for non-supply chain team members.
Mark Hiddleson 37:55
Yeah, I love it. People are going to need to get this book. So before I ask the best way to reach out to you, I do. I asked you to share a personal story. You avoided the questions. Ask me again. Tell me some funny stories or passions. What do you like to travel or do you know something that everybody might not know? Oh yes, yeah.
Marcia Williams 38:16
Ah yes, yes, yes. I like one. Now everyone knows one is writing. I always love writing and reading, but another one that I like is hiking. I enjoyed going to Peru. I also talk about that in the book because I enjoy it so much, but I really like to challenge myself, and I like the mountains. If you ask me, like, what do you like better, like a beach or mountains? I will go with the mountains. So I enjoy that. I really like nature. I went also. I enjoy traveling. A few months ago, I went to Costa Rica. There's a volcano there, so I really enjoy that.
Mark Hiddleson 39:15
Yeah, Aaron All. It's been a long time since I saw the volcano, and there's like lava sliding down the side of it. It's because I've been to other volcanoes, and you look at it's just a rock. But that one in Costa Rica, that is
Marcia Williams 39:28
ah yes,
Mark Hiddleson 39:30
It's incredible. Yeah.
Marcia Williams 39:32
Yes. Yes. So I enjoy those trips. In particular, if I challenge myself like in Peru, that is yes very challenging, but I enjoy it. Yeah, I like it a lot, a lot.
Mark Hiddleson 39:50
I like that. I think nature is our best teacher, and then and then challenging your body and being in nature. It's a great way to relax, but also rejuvenate it, so you can come back and. And write more books. So
Marcia Williams 40:02
yes,
Mark Hiddleson 40:03
What's the best way to engage with you? What do you want? Obviously on LinkedIn, a very prolific publisher. So that's a great way to connect. People can get the book on Amazon, or is there a better way? Is there a better way to get your book?
Marcia Williams 40:18
It is on Amazon. Yes, we have stock. We have stock. It's on Amazon and also on other banks and Novel, the other other bookstores. So it's available and as you were saying, yes, the best way to reach out is through LinkedIn. I also write a newsletter every Saturday that I expand. I take mainly one of the infographics and I expand with ideas. Again, they are very practical. Like when we were talking about sales and supply chain, I say sales says this, and then I say what action to take and what to say. I include in some of the words that I use that I hope that is helpful. So the newsletter is also. something that is a greater resource to know more about supply chain and the link is also on LinkedIn is in the feature section.
Mark Hiddleson 41:37
So we'll have a…I always so the podcast is on all the platforms like Spotify and Apple and iTunes and everything, but I also have it on the blog. If you go to the blog on our website, it'll have the show notes, and so people will just be able to click a link. There'll be a click to link to your LinkedIn profile, but it's Marcia Williams on LinkedIn. Yeah, yeah, and that's been great. So I also like to ask some guests what's your favorite podcast? Like, I know this one is now number one, but what is your favorite, or do you have a few?
Marcia Williams 42:09
Yes, I have many, but one of the ones that I listen to quite frequently, The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett, yes, and then Mel Robbins podcast. The other day I watched the one with Oprah, yes.
Mark Hiddleson 42:35
Mel Robbins, so she wrote the book, Let them. Is that Mel Robbins?
Marcia Williams 42:39
Yes. Yes, I I yes I read it yes yeah
Mark Hiddleson 42:43
That's a good book and it was popular I went to buy that book was out of stock when I went to buy it I actually ended up buying another book called Us by Terry Real that's about relationships I mean that that Mel Robbins that's a good book about relationships right
Marcia Williams 42:57
yes yes and one book that I'm looking forward to reading is situated. That is a new book.
Mark Hiddleson 43:09
Okay.
Marcia Williams 43:10
Yes. The same post or that grid. That is yes. I like that because it talks about the importance of mentors, about the environment. So all of those conditions make us better. And sometimes the conditions are not good, but we want to move from those conditions to others that are better, so I'm looking forward to reading that book now.
Mark Hiddleson 43:45
Yeah, I'm gonna send you a copy of mine too. I hope I think you'll love it. After looking at what you put in, I think you're gonna like the way I think and the puzzle solving thing about it is interesting because it is it. I get excited about a puzzle. It's like, and it is a puzzle because the pieces have to fit together in a certain way. It's not that you just have like these links in a chain. Like it's not really a supply chain. It's a supply puzzle, 3d puzzle or 4d puzzle. Like,
Marcia Williams 44:14
yes, it's
Mark Hiddleson 44:15
a lot of fun. This has been awesome. Thank you for joining me. I know you're going to be. Or do you have any other podcasts you're going to be on that you know for sure that people can check out?
Marcia Williams 44:26
I will be doing some LinkedIn Lives. Okay. Like tomorrow on Saturday we have one, and then I have two more for the end of October, and then I will be also in the Gardner event for supply chain planning in Denver in November at the beginning of November.
Mark Hiddleson 44:56
That's great. That's another question. I like to. I love conferences. So, people will be able to check that out, and this has been absolutely amazing. Thank you, thank you for joining
Marcia Williams 45:08
us. Oh no, thank you so much, Mark, for the invitation and for all the support. I really appreciate your support and look forward to reading your book.
Mark Hiddleson 45:19
Yeah, thank you, and we'll be staying in touch. You're doing some great things in the supply chain.
Marcia Williams 45:24
Great, great.
Mark Hiddleson 45:26
Thank you.
Marcia Williams 45:27
Perfect. Thank you.
Outro 45:30
Thanks for listening to The Tao of Pizza Podcast. We'll see you again next time, and be sure to click subscribe to get future episodes.
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