The awareness of the importance of international supply chains has grown in recent years, not just among the business fraternity, but more widely in the media, among politicians and ordinary citizens as well.
The world of supply chain and logistics has been plagued with volatility, disruptions, geopolitical issues, concerns about energy availability and transition, increased regulations, and rare earths.
In this episode of Interlinks I am joined again by my colleagues from the supply chain special interest group of the Society for the Advancement of Consulting to discuss the issues of energy security and geopolitical change and how they are influencing the thinking of business strategists and decision makers as the look to design and configure the supply chains of the future.
The world of supply chain and logistics has been plagued with volatility, disruptions, geopolitical issues, concerns about energy availability and transition, and increased regulations.
According to an article in Foreign Affairs, the per capita available water supply around the Northern China Plain (253 cubic meters) is nearly 50% below the UN definition of acute water supply.
On a recent trip to Europe, I was fortunate to combine work with pleasure. Finland is diverse from Helsinki to the arctic circle, and we were thrilled to gain picturesque views of the northern lights. I was surprised there are multiple cruise ships that go from Helsinki to Estonia each day because the people and countries are interconnected.
As has been all over the news, the Chinese sent a spy balloon which floated across the U.S. for about a week. According to US senior military officials, it is confirmed that the balloon is tied to a major surveillance program run by China's military. It has politicians and citizens up-in-arms about the potential impacts, and it bolsters concerns about China.
The Wall Street Journal recently issued an article about how supply chains upended by COVID are back to normal. “There is no such thing as normal, despite the fact that supply chains are looking at COVID in the rearview mirror. While suppliers may be more consistent at the moment, customer expectations have changed.
Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! Wars. Communist threats. Rail strikes barely averted. A severe oil and gas crisis. Inflation soaring. Interest rates rising. Severe weather and stranded passengers. Shortage of baby’s Motrin. What else?!
Shocks and events such as the war in Ukraine, the pandemic and Brexit, among other may feel like they have appeared out of nowhere, but these events are taking place within the context of overarching trends that are unmoved by these short-term shocks and events. This provides us with another perspective on how to react and devise successful supply chain strategies as we look to the future.
