The only constant is change!

If we track global crises due to natural disasters, geopolitical forces, and global pandemics, we find a picture that has kept supply chain organizations and supply chain professionals on their feet throughout history. These ongoing global impacts have hit organizations in many different ways, but only one thing has maintained its course and that is CHANGE! 

So, you might be thinking: great find, Sherlock, aren’t you stating the obvious?

However, as evident as the correlation between these variables is, and as well documented as these historical and current events are, they tend to catch most of the logistics world off guard. I am not suggesting that supply chains aren’t well prepared, but rather highlighting the facts. Interestingly enough, the industry has been very hard at work creating incredible advances in different areas, with the objective of building resilient supply chains, some highlights include:

• The evolution in systems solutions specifically through Block Chain, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, and Predictive Analytics.

• Network and manufacturing models have been reviewed and we are familiar with “just in time,” Economic Order Quantity, Nearshoring, Far Shoring, Multi-Sourcing, Centralization, and Decentralization.

• Logistics strategies of single mode transport or multimodal, carrier direct contracting, use of NVOCC, etc.

• Supply chain reorganizations looking into outsourcing or vertical integrations, 3PL and 4PL considerations.

• Sustainability-proofed supply chains, Carbon Emission calculation, multi-modal solutions, etc.

Then the question becomes: if we have learned and developed so many different solutions why are companies large and small, local, regional, global, always affected? Below are my suggestions which I share as a way of igniting thoughts and ideas from you, industry professional.