Blog Archives

Diamonds are forever – suppliers not

Supplier development and supplier performance are dependent on the current relationship life cycle phase. The different stages in the supplier relationship life cycle should play an important role in determining how the supply chain can be improved.

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Supply chain risk – in your head?

This article paints an interesting picture of how supply chain professionals view risk, which risk they perceive and what they do in reaction to these risks.

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Occupational hazards in supply chains

Material damage and occupational accidents are little understood elements of the overall supply chain. This research looks at the paper industry in Finland and the occupational accidents that occur in the supply chain from the paper mill to the harbor of arrival.

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A typology of crises

What defines a crisis? Are there different types of crises? In this article, crises are classified according to how predictable and influenceable they are. This generates four types of crises: Conventional, Unexpected, Intractable and Fundamental crisis.

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Corporate Social Responsibility

How far does corporate social responsibility go? While corporate social responsibility looks good on paper, how far are companies willing to not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk?

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Learning from toys – again

Is China really to blame for the 2007 recall crisis, or are the drivers and causes of this crisis originating from much closer to home? What can we learn from the toy industry?

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The impact of supply chain glitches

This is an investigation of the effects on shareholder wealth of supply chain glitches that resulted in production or shipment delays, using a sample of 519 announcements made during 1989-2000. On average, shareholder value is decrease by near 11% following an announcement of supply chain problems.

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The impact of supply chain disasters

Disasters. The result: Damaged infrastructure. End result: Disrupted supply chains. But how do disasters really impact supply chains? Is it different upstream or downstream the supply chain?

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Toy stories: lessons to be learned

How the toy industry handles supply chain risk is applicable to many other industries as well. While few of the risks faced by toy makers are unique to the industry, the combination of risks is daunting.

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Control or laissez-faire?

Supply networks are constantly changing. Perhaps not controlling, but letting things happen and letting supply networks emerge is the best management strategy?

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Adaptation versus Transformation

Resilience. A key ingredient in supply chain risk management. Also a key ingredient in logistics risk management. Cognitive resilience, behavioral resilience and contextual resilience must all come together for a resilient enterprise to emerge.

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German Autos at risk? Perhaps not.

An empirical analysis of supply chain risk management in the German automotive industry shows that the group using reactive supply chain risk management seems to do better in terms of disruptions resilience or the reduction of the bullwhip effect, whereas the group pursuing preventive supply chain risk management seems to do better as to flexibility or safety stocks.

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Six levels of risk management

In “Risk management in a dynamic society: a modelling problem” author Jens Rasmussen argues that risk management includes several levels ranging from legislators, over managers and work planners, to system operators.

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A new and better way of classifying and managing risks?

Risk. The probability of an event occurring and the consequences of the event occurring. Does it have to be like that or is there a different, or perhaps even a better way?

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Single, sole, dual, multiple sourcing?

This paper examines the costs and benefits of single versus multiple sourcing strategies, dependent on probability and consequences of supply disruption, vendor price escalation, inventory and schedule issues, technology access and quality control.

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Risky decisions – just do it, or not?

Choosing the right supplier is a risky decision. Chose the wrong supplier, and you may face a severe disruption in your supply chain. Chose the right supplier, and all goes well. Hopefully. But is it possible to judge risk objectively?

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Security, visibility and resilience

The numerous possibilities of disruptions and disturbances in the supply chain demand a supply chain that is responsive to a variety of threats, and the keys or tools to mitigating supply chain vulnerability are security, visibility and resilience.

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Logistics risks – the new science?

This paper presents the five cornerstones of logistics as an academic discipline, and shows how logistics in fact can act as an integrative platform over a wide range of different issues at the micro meso and macro level.

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Outsourcing – risking it all?

This paper presents some fundamental concerns about the current trend towards global outsourcing and its consequences. Yes, it may be cutting the costs, but it is not cutting the risks.

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A grounded definition of supply risk

This definition of supply risk views the supply chain from end to end, acknowledging that what you purchase as a supply, in the the end will wind up in some customer’s hand, to which you may be liable, if your product or service is faulty

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ARTICLES and PAPERS
Supply chain vulnerability: Mitigation strategies
A new outlet for articles on supply chain vulnerability? Perhaps. And actually, it's not that new, s[...]
Risk and Uncertainty in Supply Chain Management
I've searched and scoured numerous academic journals in order to find literature I can use for this [...]
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Book Review: Heads in the sand
Finally, after 5 days of volcanic ash cloud posting, I can return to my regular topics of supply cha[...]
Book Review: Research Methodologies in SCM
Is there something like the right research design for supply chain studies? I believe there is, and [...]
REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Supply Chain Security
Today's supply chains circle the globe and form the backbone of world trade and a are major factor i[...]
Global Risks 2012
Are economic imbalances and social inequality risk reversing the gains of globalization? Should we s[...]
from HERE and THERE
Christchurch earthquake and transportation
Christchurch, New Zealand, has been hit by an earthquake. Having spent some time living there myself[...]
Overcoming locational disadvantage
Following up my previous post, Sparse transportation networks - a recipe for supply chain disruption[...]