The 2026 CSCRL Fall Forum brought supply chain leaders and academics together at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Conference Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on November 5–6. Hosted by the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh (CSCRL), the forum explored the theme “Risk as a Competitive Advantage: Winning in an Uncertain World.”
The Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh is part of Lehigh University’s College of Business and connects faculty, students, alumni, and industry partners around supply chain management issues. The forum’s speakers and panelists examined resilience, AI adoption, manufacturing flexibility, supplier strategy, consumer behavior, and decision-making under uncertainty.
Edward Aguiar, Founder and CEO of Techdinamics, participated in the forum’s industry panel alongside Laudy Allan of Crayola, Gerard Darville of Lutron, and Jamie Flinchbaugh of JFlinch.
Edward brought the perspective of a fulfillment technology company that works with 3PLs, brands, and retailers to connect warehouse systems, sales channels, and carrier operations. As supply chain teams navigate disruption and increasing complexity, those connections can help them access the information they need to make faster, more informed operational decisions.
Edward Aguiar, Founder and CEO of Techdinamics:
“When we concentrate too much, we expose ourselves to risk. Those who were prepared were able to diversify because they had more than one carrier available to them. Those who focused significantly on having one or two national carriers were affected more significantly. … If you have everything set up correctly, you definitely can win. I think that’s the benefit of being prepared.”
The industry panel also emphasized that speed, flexibility, and empowering people to make decisions can be as valuable as technology.
Rob Guerriere, Head of Enterprise Sales at Techdinamics and a CSCRL Advisory Council member, also attended the forum and reflected on the role people play in managing risk:
“My biggest takeaway? Risk management isn’t just about systems, technology, or contingency plans. It’s about people: how they perceive risk, how we bring different perspectives together, and how organizations prepare to make better decisions under uncertainty.”
Gerard Darville of Lutron focused on maintaining product availability when disruption affects competitors. His example showed that investments in flexibility, supplier alternatives, and redundancy can support product availability, customer loyalty, and market share.
Autumn Bayles, Executive Vice President of Global Supply Chain at Aramark, discussed the shift from supply shortages to inflation, tariffs, and geopolitical uncertainty. She also shared how Aramark uses AI to analyze supplier price increases against contracts, delivering measurable savings.
Matthew Frampton, Senior Director of the Human Knowledge Studio at Crayola, explained how consumer behavior, predictive analytics, and AI can support “fewer, bigger, better” product decisions. Frampton linked stronger upstream decisions to less complexity throughout the supply chain.
Dr. Mark Chrystal, CEO and Founder of Profitmind, offered a more cautionary view of AI. He said AI is neither an automatic competitive advantage nor something businesses can afford to ignore, and that adoption requires attention to risk, data quality, vendor selection, and economics.
Dr. Harrison Kell, Principal Scientist at the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), explored how individuals can have different risk profiles depending on the type of risk involved. Kell’s presentation considered how understanding risk tolerance and perception can support more effective decision-making.
Techdinamics joined the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh as an Industry Partner in 2026. The Center brings together faculty, students, alumni, and industry partners to connect academic research with practical supply chain experience.
The Fall Forum was a valuable opportunity to learn from peers across the industry and contribute to conversations that matter to modern fulfillment operations. The 2027 CSCRL Spring Symposium will take place April 29–30, 2027, and will focus on enterprise systems.
Contact Techdinamics to learn how techOMS and techSHIP help 3PLs, brands, and retailers connect fulfillment operations.
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The 2026 CSCRL Fall Forum was hosted by the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh, part of Lehigh University’s College of Business. The event brought industry and academic leaders together around the theme “Risk as a Competitive Advantage: Winning in an Uncertain World.”
The forum took place on November 5–6, 2026, at Lehigh University’s Iacocca Conference Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. A cocktail reception opened the event on November 5, followed by the main program on November 6.
Techdinamics is a fulfillment technology company that works with 3PLs, brands, and retailers to connect warehouse systems, sales channels, and carrier operations. Its platforms include techOMS and techSHIP.
techOMS connects sales channels, enterprise systems, and fulfillment operations to support order management workflows.
techSHIP supports carrier rate selection, label generation, tracking, and parcel audit in one platform.
Edward Aguiar, Founder and CEO of Techdinamics, participated in the industry panel. Rob Guerriere, Head of Enterprise Sales at Techdinamics and a CSCRL Advisory Council member, attended the forum and shared his reflections on its key discussions.
Autumn Bayles of Aramark and Matthew Frampton of Crayola shared examples of AI supporting supplier-cost analysis and product decisions. Dr. Mark Chrystal of Profitmind added that AI adoption requires disciplined attention to risk, data quality, vendor selection, and economics.