A Candid Conversation with Jeff Fleck: Planning for Possibilities, Not Just Probabilities

Few supply chain leaders have experienced as much transformation firsthand as Jeff Fleck. Over a career spanning nearly 30 years, Jeff has led supply chain operations for global organizations including Clorox, Georgia-Pacific, and ZEP, and now serves as Chief Supply Chain Officer for a global industrial fluids manufacturer. He's also a member of the ketteQ Executive Advisory Board, where he brings his frontline insights to help guide the evolution of adaptive supply chain planning and ketteQ's growth journey.

From analog knobs and air-driven valves to AI-powered scenario modeling, Jeff has seen it all. In this edition of Supply Chain Rewired, I sat down with him to explore what's broken in supply chain today, what's needed next, and why he believes the shift toward agile, intelligent planning platforms like ketteQ isn't just timely, it's essential.

Q: You've had an incredible journey. Can you walk us through your background?

A: It's been quite a ride. I started at Cargill almost 30 years ago, working in manufacturing operations and helping implement SAP version one, if you can believe it. Then I moved to American Sinomid (now part of BASF and Clorox), where I ran planning and operations at a large chemical plant.

I spent 17 years at Clorox running everything from plant operations to the international supply chain. That's where I really started thinking about fulfillment models and planning systems tailored to different global markets.

After that, I joined ZEP, a spin-off from Acuity Brands, where we built supply chain capability from scratch, network design, S&OP, and systems. Then came Georgia-Pacific, where I served as Chief Supply Chain Officer for the commercial division. COVID hit, and suddenly, every aspect of planning was under stress.

Today, I'm leading the supply chain at a newly merged industrial lubricant company with 50 plants and over 100 co-packers. It's a mix of highly automated and very manual operations, which makes effective, flexible planning even more important.

Q: You mentioned COVID as a turning point. What impact did that have on your thinking?

A: It really drove home that having a static plan isn't enough. We had to throw out our forecast almost weekly. What we needed was the next generation of AI-powered supply chain planning solutions that can run multiple scenarios, quickly and accurately, and recommend smart paths forward. That's where platforms like ketteQ come in.

It's not just about reacting—it's about anticipating and adapting with speed and confidence. That capability didn't really exist in legacy tools. Today, it's becoming a baseline requirement.

Q: What do you think is broken in supply chains today?

A: Everyone talks about "bad data," but I think it's more about a lack of visibility and usability. The data usually exists, but it's just not actionable. Most companies are sitting on valuable information but don't have the right tools or interfaces to surface insights and make fast decisions.

That's one of the things I appreciate about ketteQ; it's not just about having data, it's about making it useful in context. The goal is to connect people with the right insight at the right moment, without having to dig through a dozen reports or spreadsheets.

Q: What's the biggest challenge the industry is facing?

A: Uncertainty. The past five years brought everything from ERP migrations and labor shortages to pandemics and tariff shifts. Most supply chains were built for cost efficiency, not adaptability.

To survive now, you need to design for flexibility with networks that can shift sourcing, pivot capacity, and adjust quickly when conditions change. And you need planning technology that supports that level of agility, instead of getting in the way. That's where tools like ketteQ really stand out; they're not bolted onto old systems. They're purpose-built for volatility.

Q: How has disruption changed the structure of supply chains?

A: I'd call out three big shifts:

1. Network flexibility – Supply, manufacturing, and logistics must flex together.

2. Scenario-based planning – You can't just build one plan. You have to simulate what-if scenarios frequently and intelligently.

3. Customer expectations – Today's customers want speed, quality, and low cost simultaneously. That wasn't true twenty years ago.

Planning systems need to evolve to support this new reality. ketteQ has done a good job rethinking how planning can operate across functions in a more agile, scenario-driven way.

Q: You've worked with many planning platforms. What surprised or impressed you about ketteQ?

A: I was surprised by how many tools are still running on legacy architecture—inflexible, outdated, and difficult to modify. What impressed me about ketteQ was the fluid architecture and how quickly it can be adapted to a customer's business model.

But it's not just the technology; it's the mindset. The ketteQ team approaches every engagement like a partnership. They want to understand your business and your KPIs and help solve real problems, not just push a product.

Q: How does ketteQ stand out from other planning solutions?

A: Three things really differentiate it:

1. Ease of use and implementation – It can ingest data from multiple sources and formats. The user interface is plain language, intuitive, and constantly improving.

2. Scenario-solving power – The PolymatiQ™ engine enables true multi-pass solving. You can input different assumptions, simulate changes, and choose the best-fit outcome.

3. Service and partnership – ketteQ doesn't disappear after go-live. They evolve with you. That's incredibly rare in this space, and it has led to the customer expanding the use of ketteQ across business units and geographies.

Q: What role does time-to-value play in planning solution selection today?

A: It's everything. Businesses can't wait 18 months for results. They need solutions that deliver value fast, especially in unpredictable markets.

With ketteQ, we saw results in just eight weeks. Fill rates improved. Inventory dropped. That kind of speed makes all the difference, especially when stakeholders are watching every dollar.

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

A: Start by really understanding what the business is trying to accomplish. Don't just chase metrics; understand the model and the strategy, and then design your supply chain to support it.

And second, treat everything as a learning journey. When I started, we turned knobs to move valves. Now, we're running predictive analytics and AI-powered solvers. The pace of change will only accelerate. Stay curious. Stay flexible.

Q: What excites you most about ketteQ's growth journey?

A: That we haven't lost sight of the customer. Every company is different, and ketteQ continues to evolve based on what each customer needs, not just what the software can do today, but what it should do tomorrow.

That commitment to flexibility, learning, and solving real problems—that's what excites me most. We're not just adding users—we're creating better outcomes.

Jeff's story is a reminder that modern supply chains can't rely on static thinking or rigid systems. They need foresight, flexibility, and partners who understand what's at stake. That's what Supply Chain Rewired is all about—and why voices like Jeff's matter more than ever.

Want to go deeper?

Watch the entire interview with Chris Gaffney.

Check out other blogs and videos in our Executive Advisory Board Spotlight Series, where we explore the insights and predictions shaping the future of supply chain planning.