Blog Archives

Zycus and the Supply Risk Explosion

Today’s list of supply-related risks can seem nearly infinite and how can any firm not be overwhelmed by this? Zycus, the self-proclaimed spend management experts, have written a whitepaper about it, where they detail how firms can move towards holistic supply-risk management.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
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Visualizing the risk of global sourcing

A picture says more than a thousand words, and here is one paper that has it all and that literally illustrates the differences between different sourcing strategies, defining three basic cost elements in global sourcing: static, dynamic and hidden cost.

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Book Review: Procurement Risk

Not only will this book help procurement professionals to lift their head from their desks and gain a wider perspective on possible ramifications of their purchasing decisions, it will also help top managers to seeing procurement as a crucial contributor to a company’s well-being and competitive advantage.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
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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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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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How to secure your supply chain – 5/7

Previously, I portrayed the different categories of buyer-supplier relationships, and how they influence supply chain disruptions. Today I will look at sourcing strategies and how to or may how not to source: double sourcing, dual sourcing, parallel sourcing, säkra företagets flöden, see-saw sourcing, single sourcing

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Can you outsource risk?

This article, at the China Sourcing Blog, points at what is probably the weakest link in global supply chains: the fact that the more you outsource, the less control you have over your supply chain. In essence, by outsourcing, you give someone else control over your supply chain.

Posted in THIS and THAT
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ARTICLES and PAPERS
Pyramidal thoughts
A promising title with promising content? Perhaps. If you are a supply chain or logistics profession[...]
Fragility and sustainability: emerging research areas?
Should short-term loss-minimization and short-term profit maximization really be the driving force b[...]
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Book Review: Supply Chain Risk
This book, Supply Chain Risk, is from 2004 and edited by Clare Brindley of the Manchester Metropolit[...]
Book review: Handbook of Transportation Engineering
Comprehensive and all-encompassing, the Handbook of Transportation Engineering by Myer Kutz (editor)[...]
REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
A Decade of Living Dangerously
Do you remember the movie The Year of Living Dangerously with Mel Gibson? Topically unrelated maybe,[...]
A risky business? The top 10 challenges of offshoring
Organisations embarking on offshoring face multiple challenges; many of which can be extremely daunt[...]
from HERE and THERE
Piracy at sea - is your supply chain at risk?
You may not consider it the foremost supply chain risk, but piracy can endanger civilians, can disru[...]
Volcanic Ash Cloud Day 5
Today is Day Five of the infamous Iceland volcanic ash cloud disruption. What just a week ago was a [...]