QSCC: The Operational Backbone of Wendy’s Supply Chain

 In the restaurant industry, quality is everything. Whether it’s the food that ends up on a plate, or the packaging which keeps it fresh, everything has to be carefully monitored to make sure it is of the highest standard. 

Quality Supply Chain Co-op’s (QSCC) Josh Cobb understands that this is the life force of a restaurant, that ensuring food is fresh is the main priority. Based in Columbus, Josh is an EVP at QSCC, overseeing procurement functions on the food and packaging side of the company. 

Everything that a customer touches, or eats, does not get to that final stage without Josh’s team ensuring it meets the quality standards they have set.

Beginning his career running a dairy plant for the largest milk company in the U.S., Josh has worked his way up through the industry, across a range of different organisations. Having worked at Marriott’s Procurement Group and RSCS, the supply chain for Yum! Brands, Josh has had an extensive career overseeing quality and supply chain leadership before joining QSCC more than four years ago.

Now, he leads a team of supply chain experts with nearly US$4bn in buying power to support Wendy’s operators and restaurants across North America.

Every day, Josh and his team face challenges about how best to deliver high-quality products to Wendy’s, but despite any barriers they may face, Josh explains that the culture is one of positivity. 

“We have a fantastic culture, and that culture is not just driven by me, it's driven by the team as well,” he explains. “We have a lot of fun at QSCC, and I think everyone leaves at the end of the day with a smile on their face.

Rising to the challenge

QSCC is an independent, not-for-profit cooperative. It is part of the Wendy’s extended family, dedicated to servicing its members and maintaining the supply for all its restaurants. The quick service restaurant (QSR) industry requires fast and efficient service, without sacrificing quality, which is where QSCC comes in.

The company’s core mission is to help Wendy’s operators reach success in their everyday operations, ensuring the supply reaches every restaurant on time, making sure it meets the high-quality standards expected of it. Moreover, as a co-operative, it is dedicated to competitive and fair pricing for its members, working to service them. 

Throughout 2025, food supply chains became significantly disrupted through a range of socioeconomic and geopolitical events. It became the responsibility of companies like QSCC to limit this disruption as much as possible, in order to meet consumer demand for restaurant-quality meals.

“We as a team are constantly evolving our strategies and working with our suppliers to fulfil those and meet challenges,” explains Josh. 

“Recently, we've launched the Tendy’s programme, which feature crispy chicken tenders, and that’s been highly successful at Wendy’s and for QSCC.

“We had to pivot very quickly throughout that, and our team met that challenge head-on, and it was very successful for us.”

Meeting consumer demands

To deliver the best quality products and to help Wendy’s remain a leader in QSR, QSCC has to understand the consumer. In recent years, as technology has become more widely utilised, or a push for sustainability has really driven consumer preferences, the ways in which consumers interact with brands have changed.

As a result, brands are having to alter their strategies, reassessing supplier relationships and transparency throughout the supply chain to meet this shifting demand. Consumers are increasingly purchasing from brands which have transparency across their supply chains – with 25% of consumers reporting zero tolerance for unethical practices and a 2020 McKinsey study finding that more than 60% of consumers would pay more for goods with sustainable packaging. 

QSCC is therefore working to ensure data visibility is present throughout its chain, allowing agility to move the brand where the consumer takes. In doing so, QSCC is able to adapt to changing priorities and provide Wendy’s with goods that it knows meet the quality it describes.

Josh explains: “We have to be looking at what the consumer is telling us, where are they pushing, where are they going? That data is absolutely key, and we look at that information every day with our partners at Wendy's, and that helps us work with our supply chain partners and make sure that they're set up for success, and make sure the right orders are on the road to meet the demand where it is.” 

“And so far, when we look at our supply chain across the U.S., we're moving trucks every day. We're putting millions of miles on the road every day, but at the same time, we're not doing those moves without some kind of reason behind it.”

QSCC’s digital journey

Part of this agility comes from an increase in AI and digitalisation. Companies around the world have been implementing AI and data analytics into their supply chain and procurement functions in order to build resilience, agility and mitigate risk. Gartner estimates that, by the end of 2026, 80% of supply chain applications will include some form of AI-driven automation.

With geopolitical turbulence being a defining factor of 2025 and showing no signs of calming down in 2026, it is a must that businesses plan for disruption. It is no longer enough to react to change, instead, companies must take innovative measures to prevent the change from disrupting their supply chain.

“As every year progresses, technology is how we can move faster every day. How can we take steps out of the process to make it faster, not only for our members, our team here at QSCC, but also Wendy's and our system partners,” Josh explains.

“We’re looking at how we use technology to make our team reduce their workload, but also how we reduce the complexity within our supply chain. How we become more dynamic within that supply chain. And so, as I look forward into the future, bringing AI in even more will be key to making that successful.”

“What we have done is look at AI as a tool as well as something that differentiates us from other supply chain organisations. There are so many opportunities when it comes to utilising AI that we're really just scratching the surface, but I can tell you we're well ahead of most others.”

At QSCC, they’re implementing technology to reduce the workload of the team and reduce supply chain complexities. For Josh, AI implementation is about turning a great supply chain into a more future-ready, dynamic chain that can reduce risk and respond to demand more quickly.

Collaboration as a tool

To maintain a strong company in today's market, you need a strong foundation and a strong community working behind you. Josh repeatedly emphasizes that it's the people, both within the company and working alongside it, that drives QSCC to success. The team within QSCC has worked to build strong relationships with suppliers, as well as to consistently evolve as individuals and as a team.

Although technology has certainly had its impact on the company, Josh says ultimately: “It's the people within our organization that make us successful. 

“We have an outstanding board of directors that also supports QSCC. They have allowed our team to go out and do things that a lot of organizations aren’t able to do.”

Through collaborative efforts and a really positive workplace culture, QSCC has become a really successful company where people enjoy going into work. QSCC has transformed itself into an integrated and innovative company, which builds dynamic relationships not just within the team, but also with its suppliers.

“We've been able to do things that most other organizations wouldn't be able to do just because of the key unique relationships that we have, especially with our top 20 suppliers.”

Over the past five years, QSCC has challenged its suppliers to become more present and more dynamic with the company. By creating a collaborative effort between suppliers, QSCC, and Wendy's, there has been greater success and trust across the supply chain. 

Through this ethos, it has built several long-term supplier relationships that have existed since the founder, Dave Thomas, was there. One of its most significant supplier relationships is with Bimbo QSR, which separated from Wendy's in 2010 to become its own company.

Josh says: “They have been a key strategic supplier since they were a part of Wendy's and they continue that today.”

As a result of the collaboration and relationships that are built throughout the company, Josh finds joy in every day of his role. This is a company where the people really shape the job and the culture makes it better at what it does.

“We have a fantastic team here at QSCC, and every day presents a challenge as well as the success when I look at it, but it brings a smile on my face every day.”

“If everyone's coming in every day, being happy and loving what they do, they're going to find ways to win. The same thing goes back with our suppliers. You want them to be invested in what you're doing.”

At the end of the day, despite the addition of AI and technology to mitigate risks in the supply chain, it is the people who are driving this company to success. 

The key to that resilience, Josh advises, is to “Invest in your team, invest in your suppliers. That's how you're successful.”