Supply Chain Leader Briefing: From Quantum Risk to Practical Action

Every organization relies on secure digital connections across suppliers, partners, and platforms. Yet many of the technologies that protect those connections were built for a world before quantum computing.

While practical quantum capabilities may still seem years away, the risks associated with them are already prompting concern, particularly as encrypted data collected today could potentially be decrypted in the future. For supply chain leaders, that creates a unique challenge: preparing for a technological shift that is still emerging while protecting information that remains valuable far into the future.

In this episode of Supply Chain Now, hosts Scott W. Luton and Karin Bursa sit down with Akhilesh Agarwal, President of P2P Solutions and Technology at apexanalytix, and William McNeill, Vice President of Market Intelligence, for a conversation on what the quantum era could mean for supply chains.

Together, they unpack the growing conversation around quantum computing, the implications of "harvest now, decrypt later" strategies, and why supply chain ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable due to the vast amounts of supplier, financial, and contractual data that move across them every day. As digital transformation continues to accelerate, they discuss why understanding emerging risks today may be just as important as preparing for the opportunities quantum technologies could unlock tomorrow.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro
(00:42) Quantum risks supply chain leaders must know

(02:13) Meet apexanalytix quantum risk experts

(03:35) Space exploration lessons for innovation

(07:03) Apexanalytix protects supplier data at scale

(10:16) Why they wrote The Quantum Paradox

(10:46) Harvest now decrypt later threat

(15:46) Where to start with quantum readiness

(21:38) Four major supply chain impacts

(24:39) Supplier risk extends beyond tier one

(26:27) Why supplier collaboration matters

(27:42) Building a three-to-five-year quantum plan

(33:20) Audit technology stack and supplier data

(48:47) White paper resources and next steps

(51:37) Gartner recognition and key takeaway

(54:48) Act now on quantum readiness

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Akhilesh Agarwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhilesh78/
• Connect with William McNeill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wimcneill/
• Learn more about apexanalytix: https://www.apexanalytix.com/
• Learn more about Qbiton: https://www.qbiton.com/
• Learn more about our hosts: https://supplychainnow.com/about
• Learn more about Supply Chain Now: https://supplychainnow.com
• Watch and listen to more Supply Chain Now episodes here: https://supplychainnow.com/program/supply-chain-now
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This episode was hosted by Scott Luton and produced by Trisha Cordes, Joshua Miranda, and Amanda Luton. For additional information, please visit our dedicated show page at: https://supplychainnow.com/leader-briefing-quantum-risk-to-practical-action-1596

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