Supply Chain Lessons From Vacation Movies and Pop Culture Chaos

What can classic vacation movies teach us about building stronger, smarter supply chains?

In this episode, Scott W. Luton welcomes back Mike Griswold, Vice President Analyst at Gartner, for another fun and insightful edition of Supply Chain Today and Tomorrow. With summer vacation season in full swing, Scott and Mike take a creative look at the supply chain and leadership lessons hidden inside classic vacation themed movies, from Vacation and Home Alone to Jurassic Park, Jaws, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and Apollo 13. Mike breaks down three major themes every supply chain leader should keep in mind: preparing for disruption, improving visibility, and understanding how human factors drive outcomes.

They also discuss the ongoing impact of AI on operating models, organizational design, talent strategy, and practical adoption. Mike shares why AI is no longer a question of “if,” but “how,” emphasizing the importance of augmentation over automation and the continued need for human oversight. From planning for disruption and avoiding single points of failure to listening to frontline warning signs and keeping teams focused during a crisis, the conversation delivers timely, actionable insights for leaders navigating today’s complex supply chain environment with creativity, clarity, and resilience.

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(02:03) Mike’s favorite vacation story

(04:34) Listener mail and practical AI adoption

(08:29) Changing the CSCO perception

(11:30) Supply chain lessons from classic movies

(12:29) What National Lampoon’s Vacation teaches about disruption

(17:21) What Home Alone teaches about visibility gaps

(23:11) What Jurassic Park teaches about human factors

(26:13) Apollo 13 and leadership under pressure

(32:09) Gartner events and the Top 25 preview

Additional Links & Resources:

• Connect with Mike Griswold: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-griswold-6a68922/
• Learn more about Gartner: https://www.gartner.com/
• Learn more about the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25: https://www.gartner.com/en/supply-chain/research/supply-chain-top-25
• 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
• Subscribe to Supply Chain Now on your favorite platform: https://supplychainnow.com/join
• Work with us! Download Supply Chain Now’s NEW Media Kit: https://supplychainnow.com/media-kit/
• WEBINAR- Peak Reality Check: What Shippers, Analysts, and AI Models Are Predicting for 2026: https://bit.ly/4aTlsRv
• WEBINAR- The Future of Supply Chains: Where Talent Meets Technology: https://bit.ly/4uUuxkc

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/supply-chain-lessons-vacataion-movies-pop-culture-chaos-1602

The content in this video, including all audio, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.
For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com © 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

The content in this episode, including all audio, videos, visuals, and graphics, is the property of Supply Chain Now and is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, modification, or re-uploading of this content in any form is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission from Supply Chain Now.

For licensing inquiries or permissions, please contact us at production@supplychainnow.com

© 2026 Supply Chain Now. All rights reserved.

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