ketteCrew Spotlight with Lisa Peplowski

When it comes to implementing modern supply chain planning systems, education and training is one of those functions everyone says they value until you watch a real implementation under pressure. When timelines compress, stakeholders multiply, and the pressure to accelerate time-to-value intensifies; training cannot be an afterthought. It has to be part of the operating model that turns capability into adoption and adoption into measurable financial and operational value, and ROI.

That is why I was excited to sit down with Lisa Peplowski, ketteQ’s Director of Education, for the very first edition of our ketteCrew Spotlight series. Lisa began her career in education as a high school teacher in Arizona where she developed a deep understanding of how people learn, what motivates them, and what makes change stick. Since moving into the rapidly evolving supply chain technology space, she has built training programs from the ground up and helped bridge the gap between implementation and real adoption.

At ketteQ, Lisa is building an education function designed for scale. In our conversation, she shares how she thinks about enablement, accountability, simulations, and why education is a core part of delivering our promise to customers.

Here is our conversation:

Q: Tell us a little bit about your role and how you found your way to ketteQ.

I took an unconventional path into supply chain software. I started in public and international education, which gave me a deep understanding of how people learn, what motivates them, and what gets in the way of success.

I was fortunate to teach English, in Qatar and Colombia and after COVID, I moved back to the U.S. and shifted into corporate training, first at Manhattan Associates on the execution side, then at o9 Solutions on the planning side. In both roles, I learned about building training programs from the ground up, combining my education background with real supply chain software experience. That is what ultimately brought me to ketteQ.

One of the biggest lessons I carried over is what looks like a technical problem is often a human one. When I joined ketteQ, I consistently heard about accountability gaps and the same questions coming up repeatedly. That reinforced my focus on building education that is tailored, practical, and backed by real accountability, so learning turns into capability.

Q: What does education mean at ketteQ and why is it such a strategic part of customer success?

At ketteQ, education is not just training. It is a strategic lever for deploying our agentic planning solutions at scale and helping customers implement faster and more effectively.

We start by enabling our internal teams and partners so they can confidently support implementations. That creates a multiplier effect before we even roll out formal client training. Then we focus on driving adoption and long-term use.

Many executives have stories about failed or partially failed software implementations. Strategic education helps beat those odds. When people truly understand a supply chain planning platform, the value it delivers, and how to use it well, adoption improves. That is why I see education as a core part of delivering on our promise, not a support function.

Q: What's one example of a moment where you saw a customer shift from, I don't trust this system to, I can't live without this system?

During a demand planning training session, I introduced machine learning–based forecasting. People were excited about AI, but hesitant. The algorithms were complex and proprietary, so even with a strong theoretical explanation, the question remained: “How do I know this actually works?”

To build trust, we moved from theory to practical examples. We used real data scenarios, like a past promotion that drove a sales lift, and showed how the model responded when those inputs were applied. Seeing the cause-and-effect relationship in action made the difference.

That shift from abstract explanation to tangible evidence turned skepticism into confidence.

Q: How do you tailor training to meet the needs of planners, executives, customer service, sales teams, etc?

I tailor training to what each role actually needs to accomplish. A planner does not need a deep dive into architecture. They need to execute specific tasks, like overriding a forecast. For them, we build simulation-based learning that mirrors real workflows in a low-risk environment.

A sales team, on the other hand, needs fluency in the story. What is new, why it matters, and how to connect it to customer pain points. That training focuses on value articulation, not configuration.

The goal is simple: give each audience exactly what they need to succeed, and nothing they don’t.

Q: What are you most excited to build next in the ketteQ education program?

I am most excited about building simulations. E-learning gives us the foundation, but simulations are what makes learning stick. You cannot just explain concepts and expect people to perform. They need hands-on experience.

Simulations let learners practice in a safe environment before applying skills in a live project. We are building an anonymized training space with realistic scenarios, including demo, practice, and test modes so people can watch, then do, and finally prove mastery.

Simulations close the gap between knowing and doing. That is where real capability is built.

Q: What excites you most about ketteQ?

What excites me most about ketteQ is the people. The company invests in education, but the culture is what truly stands out. Everyone I have met here is sharp, innovative, and genuinely kind.

I saw that firsthand during our office move. Even with busy schedules, people jumped in to help, problem solve, and work together in a way that was collaborative and ego-free.

I have worked at companies that talked about culture but did not live it. At ketteQ, you feel it. People care about each other as human beings, and that makes you want to show up fully and build something meaningful.

Abschließende Überlegungen

Talking with Lisa is a reminder that the success of any planning platform is not just about algorithms, architecture, or features. It is about people. It is about whether teams feel confident, supported, and equipped to actually use the technology in the real world, under real pressure. As ketteQ continues to scale, the work Lisa is doing to build a modern, simulation-driven education program will be a major force multiplier for solution implementation success, adoption, and long-term customer outcomes. We are lucky to have her lead that charge, and even more grateful to have her as part of the ketteCrew.

This is just the beginning of the ketteCrew Spotlight. Stay tuned for more conversations this year with the team behind ketteQ and the work shaping the future of adaptive supply chain planning.

Curious about the principles that shape how we build, deploy, and support adaptive planning? Visit our About page to learn more about ketteQ’s mission, core values, and the team behind the technology.