In this Supply Chain Byte, Lisa Anderson reflects on how supply chains have evolved - the move from spreadsheets to connected technologies, the Amazon Effect becoming an everyday customer expectation and the growing importance of predictability and planning in a world of uncertainty and global risk.
According to the Institute of Supply Management (ISM), manufacturing is gaining strong momentum with the fourth month in a row in expansionary territory. Exports are gaining as well with the trade deals. Smart manufacturers are preparing to scale profitably and better utilize AI-enabled systems and technologies.
You are only as strong as your weakest link in your supply chain. This concept has come to fruition as a series of chokepoints have been impacted. Smart companies are utilizing common sense and artificial intelligence enabled advanced planning systems to predict disruptions, navigate around chokepoints, and proactively prepare for success.
Hyperscale manufacturing is an emerging operating model that applies the speed, scalability, and modularity of tech companies to physical production. Hyperscale manufacturing has accelerated in importance as geopolitical risks, national security, and domestic requirements and capabilities have become of paramount importance.
Although there are plenty of issues related to the War in Iran, from a supply chain perspective, the key issue is that the Strait of Hormuz has been blocked. This supply chain chokepoint is limiting the movement of energy. We discuss take aways related to demand, supply, flow and location.
As with every war, there are immediate supply chain impacts, down-the-line impacts and related manufacturing and supply chain requirements. Companies must be prepared to pivot resiliently, scale, and plan to ensure customer and EBITDA success.
Tariffs continue to cause great stress in the financial markets and with certain industries. In fact, it divides manufacturers from distributors, logistics, and goods movement industries largely dependent on imports and trade.
There are significant opportunities for companies to grow as they expand manufacturing in the U.S. to mitigate risk in the global supply chain, support the significant rise in mining and commodity businesses to fuel electronics and artificial intelligence and take advantage of rising consumer sentiment, reduced tax rates, and the improving economy.
The storm that blanketed the U.S. had impacts that reverberated throughout the supply chain. Artificial intelligence and advanced technologies can refocus efforts from reactive to proactive and improve the outcome for people and mitigate further supply chain disruptions.
Greenland has been in the news as Trump has insisted that the U.S. should own it, and Denmark is not willing to give it up. Regardless of how that debate works out, Greenland has been highlighted as strategic in the global supply chain, from a shipping route, defense, and rare earth elements standpoint.
