Episode 56: A Nutty Journey to Supply Chain Synchronization with Blue Diamond Grower’s Steve Birgfeld

From nuts to crackers to milk, Blue Diamond Growers’ (BDG) complex ecosystem is a force of nature. On this week’s episode, Steve Birgfield from BDG joins us to discuss how their company built a technical foundation tough enough to withstand expedited growth, through increased visibility, enhanced transportation methods, and redefining their logistics, whilst tackling the beast of burden that is Mother Nature. Come join us as we discuss the Future of Supply Chain. Guest: Steve Birgfeld, Blue Diamond Growers Steve leads the overall strategy, design and implementation of Blue Diamond Growers information technology services, working closely with the business to define solutions that provide value to our growers and our customers. Steve has led strategic efforts of large scale innovations and digital transformations throughout his career.  He brings a strong balance of business, technical, resource and financial management leadership.  Steve has been with Blue Diamond since March 2016. Prior to that, Steve has held a variety of Information Technology leadership positions including VP of IT and Workplace Services for Unisys; Chief Information Officer for Hostess Brands and CompuCom; VP of Information Technology for Quaker State; and acting Chief Information Officer for Booz Allen Hamilton.  In 2012, Steve was named one of Computerworld’s Premier 100 IT Leaders. Host: Richard Howells, SAP Richard Howells has been working in the Supply Chain Management and Manufacturing space for over 30 years. He is responsible for driving the thought leadership and awareness of SAP’s ERP, Finance, and Supply Chain solutions and is an active writer, podcaster, and thought leader on the topics of supply chain, Industry 4.0, digitization, and sustainability. Host: Nicole Smythe, SAP Nicole Smythe has been with SAP for almost 4 years now but has been working in the supply chain space for over 6 years through various field experiences.  With a Master’s degree specializing in Global Supply Chain Management, Nicole hopes to bring a fresh, new perspective to the space with her active marketing contributions, blogs, and now podcasts, focusing on topics like sustainability, market trends, and emerging technology. Useful Links: Download Transcript Learn more about how to support supply chain agility at scale & how to future-proof your business. SAP Supply Chain Management SAP Enterprise Resource Management SAP Insights: Supply Chain Customer Stories: Blue Diamond Growers SAP Innovation Awards 2023 Winner – Blue Diamond Growers Better Together: Customer Conversations with Blue Diamond Growers Digital Transformation Helps Companies Keep Promises Blue Diamond Invests In SAP To Improve Their Supply Chain Follow Us on Social Media Steve Birgfeld: LinkedIn Richard Howells: LinkedIn & X Nicole Smythe: LinkedIn & X SAP Digital Supply Chain: LinkedIn & X Please give us a like, share, and subscribe to stay up-to-date on future episodes!