Maritime transport is a vital backbone of today’s global and complex supply chains. Unfortunately, the specific vulnerability of maritime supply chains has not been widely researched. Perhaps because it is such an obvious part of today’s supply chains that it is not looked at specifically, and just assumed to be part of the wider picture.
Establishing the Northern Sea Route as an alternative shipping route to Suez and Cape of Good Hope could contribute to more flexible, agile and adaptable supply chains, because more route choices will result in a higher capacity, and may reduce chances for disruption and congestion.
If you know that your shipment will arrive late, you are perhaps less concerned with not being just in time? The Danish shipping giant Maersk has halved its top cruising speed over the last two years, thus cutting fuel costs, cutting emissions and perhaps cutting disruptions costs, too?
The global network of ships criss-crossing the oceans provide perhaps the most important mode of transportation for the spread of invasive species that “hitch-hike” with these ships.
Merchant shipping and port services play a key role in worldwide supply chain and logistics activities, and many industries are reliant on a well-coordinated, time and cost-efficient performance of maritime transport, storage and distribution processes.
Risks in maritime supply chains are perhaps an underresearched area and consequently, the article outlines a rationale for why it is necessary to develop competence about risk, vulnerability and resilience management in maritime supply chains.
The complex interaction of ports, maritime operations and supply chains creates vulnerabilities that requires analysis that extends beyond the immediate visible.
Sea transport constitutes the major part of almost every supply chain, and is thus a major contributor to risks in the supply chain.
The BBC news this morning ran an interesting and worrying story: Shipping companies are considering to avoid The Somali coast and Suez canal on their way to Europe and rather take the long route around Africa. That will make for an extra lead time of 3-4 weeks, but this could mean a temporary supply chain disruption for Europe, while the new lead times settle in.
