Is Your Supply Chain Safe?

摘要

Major disruptions are not the only risk facing extended supply chains. Safety takes a multifaceted approach. Supply chain managers who focus on the most recent threat will be blind-sided by something else. That seems to be a rule of nature and, unfortunately, a tendency among managers. "The prevailing notion is that dealing with major risks is episodic, based upon what's happening at the time, rather than a balanced, consistent approach," observes Brad Householder, principal at PwC. Companies have rotated through supply assurance, IP protection, counterfeiting, product safety, security, quality... "For large branded providers of consumer goods, their reputations depend on what happens two or three tiers into the supply chain." At that level, what happens runs the gamut from suppliers who don't understand the necessity for certain specifications, to problems in sourcing, product handling and transportation.