The current disruption The COVID-19 virus event has been a supply chain risk waiting to happen. A virus is not a ‘black swan’ event, but a ‘known-unknown’. The potential risks and likely consequences of a new virus were evident at the time of the SARS virus of 2002-3 and the H1N1 virus of 2009. The difference between then and now … Read More
Disruptions may drive your supply network design
An application that was not a success The take-up of technologies by industry not only depend on the business value of a technology, but how and to whom its is sold. If the timing is wrong, there is an increased risk of failure. So it was with Supply Network modelling; introduced with much fanfare in the early 1990s. The concept … Read More
Recognise the risks of disruptions in your supply chains
The present challenge Supply Chains carry risks, both minor and major. A major risk to supply chains could be the current Coronavirus outbreak. This is due to uncertainty about its duration and the long term impact on economies and supply chains. As China is an integral part of global supply chains, a decline in its output has the potential to … Read More
‘New’ technologies use in supply chains for 2020
Selling technologies Commercial IT systems have been sold for about 70 years and through that period new technologies have been introduced. Another decade has commenced, but does it change the approach to identifying and adopting ‘new’ technologies? To prosper, businesses that develop new IT hardware and software must bring the technology to the attention of potential buyers and then sell … Read More
People skills for an uncertain future in supply chains
Current attributes in logistics The coming decade will contain uncertainties for economies and enterprises, due to the effects of climate change and geopolitics. So, what attributes should be considered when employing supply chain staff for a changing environment? A recent article by a personnel firm in Australia, identified the types of distribution and warehouse jobs currently in demand at shippers … Read More