Industry Voices Live with Ruth Brown, M&S: navigating supply chain feasibility with innovation

In our latest Industry Voices Live conversation, we sat down with Ruth Brown from M&S, a seasoned expert in food industry supply chains, to explore the evolving challenges and opportunities facing the sector today. This is the final of our live series,  but we'll be continuing with our regularly scheduled Industry Voices programming for the rest of the year, find out how you can get involved at the end of this post.

Facing the feasibility challenge 

Ruth opened the discussion by highlighting what she sees as the most pressing issue for the industry: supply chain feasibility. With climate change, political instability, and shifting global dynamics all impacting the availability and reliability of supply, businesses are being forced to rethink their sourcing strategies. 

“There’s so much that we’re trying to sub in so that we can maintain supply,” Ruth explained. “We’re bringing in extra suppliers or alternatives that aren’t the norm, and that raises questions about the due diligence we have around those decisions.” 

This shift is prompting companies to look beyond traditional sourcing models and to scrutinize the risks associated with new suppliers and materials more closely than ever before. 

Innovation as a path forward 

Despite the challenges, Ruth is optimistic about the role of technology and innovation in helping the industry adapt. She’s particularly excited about the potential of AI-powered horizon scanning tools, which can help businesses manage the overwhelming volume of data and identify key risk areas more efficiently. 

“There’s so much to look at,” she said. “So how do we use these new technologies to summarize that down and give us key areas to go after in terms of risk?” 

By leveraging AI and other emerging technologies, companies can gain clearer insights into their supply chains, anticipate disruptions, and make more informed decisions. 

Ruth’s insights underscore the importance of agility, innovation, and robust risk management in today’s food industry. As supply chains become more complex, the ability to adapt and evolve will be key to long-term success. 

🎥Want to hear more from Ruth?

Watch Ruth discuss food safety challenges in the video below:

And that wraps up our Industry Voices Live series for now, a big thanks to everyone we interviewed! We'll be continuing as usual with our regular Industry Voices virtual interviews in the coming months, so if there's someone you'd like to see featured, drop us a line.

Learn how you can leverage a data-driven approach to food safety and quality with digital tools built by food industry experts in this free guide, click below to download your copy: