GOODQUESTION
kind of sails to use to most effectively accomplish your mission—all while external influences have very real impacts on your ability to execute.
Tetris Forms The Foundation
–Joe Adamski Senior Director, ProcureAbility
When packaging and shipping, just as in Tetris , it is critical to optimize the use of every available inch of space. You’re penalized both for leaving space unused—you’re decreasing the amount you can ship—and increasing costs (earning fewer points) while having to work harder to fill gaps. Just be thankful success doesn’t drop more pieces on the competition. –Josh Dunham CEO and Co-founder, Reveel My first thought is Tetris (I’m old-school). But I crowd-sourced the question to my younger crew and they said: Factorio for throughput calculus, chess for branching decision trees, competitive Pokemon for probabilistic inventory calls, and weekend geocaching for scrappy last-mile hustle. Ten hours in any of those schools train you harder on buffers and bottlenecks than a stack of Lean Six Sigma slides.
MAKING COFFEE. Whether it’s pour-over or drip, the outcome depends on timing, temperature, and
small details. One miss, and it’s off. It’s a daily reminder consistency doesn’t come from tools alone—it comes from refining the process. Supply chain is no different. Technology can enhance performance, but it won’t fix a broken foundation. Get the fundamentals right. –Karli Sage Sr. Director, Emerging Technology, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
–Nick Rakovsky CEO, DataDocks
BEING AN ARMCHAIR QUARTERBACK. I enjoy watching sporting events and analyzing coaches’ strategies to identify opportunities for better
PICKLEBALL. Lessons from pickleball apply to managing supply chain logistics: 1) Pick a good partner, 2) keep your eye on the ball, and 3) react fast. But beyond that, after playing tennis for a very long time, pickleball taught me how to adapt when the game changes.
the end-to-end process: procurement, planning, production, and delivery. It’s a practical, everyday—and delicious— way to practice coordination, timing, resourcefulness, and adaptability.
team performance. I bring this same analytical mindset to the supply chain world, where I take an “outside-in” approach—viewing challenges from an employee or customer perspective. –Todd Gentry Vice President, New Business Development, CHEP U.S. WHITE WATER RAFTING has taught me more about supply chains than any business book. You must adapt to changing conditions, anticipate what’s ahead, and coordinate with your team without perfect information. Rafting teaches you to be prepared but flexible. Like in logistics, when you’re going down a river, planning too rigidly is dangerous. –Matt Lhoumeau CEO, Concord THE BOARD GAME CONTAINER. You’re juggling production, pricing, and shipping all while trying to read the market and stay one step ahead. It’s surprisingly close to real supply chain thinking. –Tony Crisafulli VP Sales, Odyssey Logistics
–Jennifer Chew VP, Solutions and Consulting, Bristlecone
–Doug DeLuca Product Marketing Manager, SAP Business Network
MMORPG s (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) take the lessons I learned from team sports further—forming parties, assessing skillsets, assigning roles, and working together (to take down the boss!). Both build leadership through fast decisions, tight teamwork, and real- time coordination. –Vee Srithayakumar Product Manager, Tecsys
GAMES LIKE CATAN challenge you to manage scarce resources and capacity constraints, sharpening skills in resource allocation and negotiation. Ticket to Ride teaches strategic route planning across regions and countries. –Mike Berry SVP, Services, TrueCommerce
SNOWBOARDING gives mental clarity to navigate obstacles. This in turn helps me with solving complex
challenges. Other ways that people can sharpen their problem-solving skills is through strategy and puzzle games, both digital and physical. –Oana Jinga Co-founder, Chief Commercial and Product Officer, Dexory COOKING. From sourcing fresh ingredients to planning meals and executing recipes, cooking reflects
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June 2025 • Inbound Logistics 7
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