TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2012

摘要

2011 held many lessons for the global supply chain. Here, we look ahead to see what 2012 will bring. The year 2011 was an instructive one for the global supply chain. From the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, to the volcano eruption in Iceland, to the floods in Thailand, Mother Nature forced companies to scramble and showed us that the globalization of the supply chain has made it more vulnerable. These natural disasters showed us exactly how tenuous the links in the supply chain are. As such, companies are rethinking their supply chain policies and strategies going into 2012. "De-risking will become a key supply chain agenda item in 2012," says Jim McAdam, president, APL Logistics. "Globally, manufacturers and retailers are taking a renewed interest in re-designing and re-engineering their supply chains in the wake of these events."