COVID Supply Chain Risk Planning
Recommendations to the US government for domestic alignment of supply chains in 2022
The lessons of 2020 and 2021 have led many organizations to begin questioning whether a domestic supply base is something that should be considered. The executives I’m speaking with are considering how to re-align their supply chains, and the word […]
SCRC Supply Chain Index contributes again to the 2021 Wall Street Journal Top 250 Best Managed Companies
This year, as in the past five years, our supply chain index contributed to the overall ranking of firms in the top 250 best managed companies, as ranked by the Drucker Institute. The top companies in 2011 included the following: […]
The Increasing Role of Climate Change in Supply Chain Disruptions
Major supply chain disruptions due to weather-related incidents are on the rise, and one can’t dismiss these as a “once-in-a-century” event any more. The Texas freeze and Hurricane Ida severely disrupted petrochemical production, which had a ripple effect on the […]
Kairos Research, NC State, ASU Win IARPA Contract to Analyze Hidden Risks in Complex Supply Chains
If you look far enough back in history, you will find the literal definition of a linchpin to be an item which kept the wheels from falling off wooden carts. During the recent COVID-19 crisis, we have all experienced firsthand the consequences of […]
Q: Why so many product shortages? A: The Perfect Storm
I have had a number of calls this past week with various media outlets, including the Associated Press, WRAL, Forbes, and even the New York Times! All of these reporters are asking the same question, which was best captured by […]
Vaccines are the Utility Needed for the Global Economy
In an article in Politico, the (somewhat) obvious point is made that the Biden administration is finally recognizing that there is not enough manufacturing capacity in the US to produce booster shots that will be needed to combat the new […]
Diversifying the Supply Base to Prepare for Disruption in COVID: Now is the Time!
Diversifying your supply base prior to a major crisis like COVID is more important than ever as we go into the winter season. The likelihood of another surge is now becoming apparent, as the cases in Europe and the US […]
Double Bullwhip Effect Impacted Trade in the First Half of 2020
Evolutionary design requires individuals to constantly look for emerging patterns in how material moves through their supply chains. Force or action must be taken to change the path of supply chain flows, to compress the amount of time that inventory […]
Foraging for Healthcare Supplies in a Western Economy
Yesterday I spoke with a procurement executive at a major hospital in the Northeast. This is someone that I know and respect, and who is considered a highly proactive and informed individual. He is deploying advanced procurement technology in his […]
The Strategic National Stockpile that Failed Us
The COVID-19 crisis arrived in the United States in February and was largely dismissed as a non-threatening issue. In particular, the CDC was convinced that it had contained the virus and retained control of all diagnostic testing, which later produced […]