What Supply Chain Leaders Are Re-Thinking Ahead of Manifest 2026

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN 

• Why decision quality matters more than perfect systems in today’s supply chains
• How leaders are shifting from growth-at-all-costs to margin-first thinking
• What’s actually breaking inside warehouses amid labor churn and volatility
• Where AI is helping operators—and where hype still outpaces reality
• Why explainability, KPIs, and guardrails matter for AI adoption in operations
• How leadership expectations are changing across supply chain organizations
• What conversations operators are prioritizing heading into Manifest 2026

HIGHLIGHTS

• 00:00–02:35 | Why 2025 forced hard reflection across supply chain
• 03:17–04:30 | Decisions feel heavier, mistakes cost more
• 05:23–06:49 | The shift from growth to margin as a first principle
• 07:05–07:43 | Why warehouse systems lag brand expectations
• 08:08–08:58 | Recalibration after stacked volatility
• 09:48–11:20 | Why peak season planning never really ends
• 12:32–13:45 | Labor, churn, and execution pressure inside warehouses
• 14:35–16:51 | AI as decision enablement—not the strategy itself
• 18:14–21:43 | From AI fear to outcome-driven adoption
• 22:23–25:44 | What leadership looks like in volatile environments
• 26:47–28:16 | What leaders are watching heading into Manifest 2026

QUOTES

• [00:03:17] “Decisions feel heavier. Mistakes are more expensive.” – Tanzil Uddin
• [00:05:45] “There’s a shift away from growth at all costs, really a repositioning of margin as a first principle.” – Kinta Gates
• [00:12:32] “The complexity with labor, training of the labor, churn of the labor, weather events, and the geopolitical state really impacts warehouse services.” – Linda Ewing
• [00:22:23] “Leadership looks like getting in the weeds. We don’t have the luxury of just delegating.” – Kinta Gates

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Tanzil Uddin
SVP of Content & Partnerships at Manifest, where he works closely with supply chain leaders to shape programming around real operator priorities, partnerships, and emerging challenges across logistics and technology.

Kinta Gates
VP of Supply Chain & Operations at Glossier, overseeing end-to-end product operations. Kinta brings a people-first, margin-aware approach to scaling fulfillment, manufacturing, and supply chain execution.

Linda Ewing
SVP Strategy & Operations at ID Logistics with deep experience across manufacturing, supply chain, and warehouse services. Linda focuses on execution reality inside 3PL environments, labor challenges, and responsible technology adoption.

LINKS MENTIONED

Manifest 2026 Agenda: https://manife.st/agenda/

💡 Planning to attend Manifest 2026? Use this exclusive link for $200 off the current registration price: https://partner.manife.st/partner/ecomlogistics

Subscribe and Keep Learning!

If you’re a logistics leader looking to scale sustainably, don’t miss out! Subscribe for more expert strategies on tackling modern supply chain challenges.

Be sure to follow and tag the eCom Logistics Podcast on LinkedIn and YouTube