Director’s Blog
Maybe its time for consumers to consume less…Market Satiation as a new supply chain strategy
The current set of supply chain disruptions is being set off by a combination of COVID cases and energy disruptions in manufacturing hubs around the world, labor shortages, lack of capital infrastructure investment, misaligned transportation resources (a lack of containers, […]
Human-machine Tradeoffs in Supply Chain Decisions (and the LA Port)
The current set of supply chain disruptions is bringing increased focus on the need for digital transformation of our supply chains. Nowhere is digital transformation needed more than the Los Angeles port, where major operational disconnects are occurring between ships, […]
It’s a Great Time To Be a Supply Chain Major!
In the midst of all of the news about supply chain shortages and problems at ports, there is a silver lining in all of this; the demand for supply chain students to solve these problems has never been greater! In […]
Los Angeles Port Bottlenecks Don’t Have Any Short-term Fixes
There is no question that the LA port is one of the biggest economic bottlenecks facing the United States. The success of the port is undeniably tied to the success of the global economy. The Los Angeles port has experienced […]
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 […]
What would you do if you discovered modern slavery in your supply chain? The role of psychological distance…
In a recent article published in the Journal of Operations Management (“The role of psychological distance in organizational responses to modern slavery risk in supply chains“), I along with a team of co-authors from Australia and Finland worked to understand […]
Counterfeiting is on the rise, and projected to exceed $3 trillion in 2022
In a recent article published by The Wire China, I was interviewed on the challenges of e-commerce giant Amazon to contain counterfeit products on its website. Counterfeit products are commonly thought to be a problem in niche industries, including luxury […]
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 […]
Building a Playbook for the Next Pandemic
Many organizations are seeking ways to prepare for the next wave of Delta variant, as well as other variants that may be in the pipeline. How should your organization prepare? What needs to be done today? In general, I don’t […]
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 […]