Supply chain isn't just about moving boxes. It’s about the human experience.

For too long, our industry has been viewed as a back-office utility. A cost center that simply "makes things happen."

But as Patrick Van Hull, Supply Chain Storyteller & Strategist, explains in this week’s episode, the leaders who win in 2026 aren't just the ones with the best data. They are the ones who can tell the best story about that data.

What We Discuss:

00:00 What it means to be a "supply chain storyteller"

02:11 The pivot table mistake that shut down a mining company

05:02 Why supply chain gets blamed but never gets credit

07:48 "Do good and talk about it" — earning your seat at the table

10:29 When supply chain isn't in the room from day one

12:57 AI hype vs. AI reality in daily operations

15:49 One AI platform or ten disconnected solutions?

18:33 Automating the work that burns people out

21:27 Entry-level roles nobody knows how to define yet

23:47 The new essential skills: Prompting AI and storytelling

26:47 Where to find Patrick Van Hull

Connect with us:

SCOPE Recruiting | https://www.scoperecruiting.com/ Connect with Friddy | https://www.linkedin.com/in/fhoegener/ Connect with Evan | https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-cave

Connect with Patrick | https://www.linkedin.com/in/pvanhull/

About Procurement Pulse: Real conversations with supply chain and procurement professionals who've been on both sides—building teams, solving problems, and staying ahead of what's coming next.

About SCOPE Recruiting: SCOPE Recruiting is a boutique supply chain recruiting firm where every recruiter is a former supply chain professional. Co-founders Friddy and Melissa, both ex-ABB global category managers, built the company after seeing how many “generalist” recruiters didn’t truly understand supply chain, procurement, or logistics roles.

By hiring professionals first and teaching them recruiting second, SCOPE delivers better matches, higher retention rates, and faster hiring results across manufacturing, procurement, logistics, and supply chain leadership.

If you're building a supply chain team and the usual recruiting approach isn't working, check out scoperecruiting.com.