Jason Milbrandt
Title: Senior Director, Client Services
Years with OSG: 3+
Years in Supply Chain: 20+

Ask the Expert

What does your day-to-day look like?

My main focus is supporting my teams and current client engagements. On a day-to-day basis, this translates into meeting with clients, advising team members, and reviewing scope, timelines and budgets. All this must be done while ensuring overall deliverables are met. I am also continuously looking for new client engagement opportunities. 

How did you get started in supply chain?

In college, I worked part-time as an order picker at a grocery distribution center. My first job as a college graduate was implementing labor management systems for McHugh Software, now Blue Yonder. These positions established a great foundation for my future career choice.

How does supply chain impact a company’s broader strategy?

Twenty years ago, supply chain was an afterthought. Retail was king. Now, companies can’t be competitive without a robust supply chain. How customers shop and what they expect have drastically changed.

What do you view as the biggest challenge in the current supply chain environment and how can it be solved?

In my opinion, labor shortages and retention are the biggest challenges facing the supply chain. Labor shortages can be solved with increased productivity and/or automation. Labor retention can be solved by taking care of your employees with performance feedback, incentive pay, consistent weekly hours, and health and wellness benefits.

What philosophy do you follow while working with customers?

It is important to ensure clear expectations are set, communicate frequently, adjust plans when necessary, and ensure the deliverables are being met within scope, timeline, and budget.

Please share your favorite success story.

A project I am extremely proud of was the implementation of WMS and LMS for a grocery distribution network that resulted in major gains in productivity, inventory accuracy, as well as overall employee satisfaction. As part of this, the company implemented an incentive plan that shared the savings with the front-line employees, so it was a major win/win for all. 

What advice would you give to someone looking to enter the supply chain industry?

A lot of highly successful people I have worked with over my career have experience at the ground-level. Even as a college graduate, don’t be afraid to take a Distribution Center Supervisor job to start your career in Supply Chain. The hands-on software, people, and operations experience you’ll gain will benefit you for the rest of your career.

What is a fun fact about yourself that your clients may not know?

I love country music.