The Biden administration today announced a series of new steps that will be taken by companies and organizations in the private and public sectors to help address the continuing supply chain crisis in the U.S. The White House said the actions are designed “to move more goods faster, and strengthen the resiliency of our supply chains, by…
Supply chains are adapting, not failing Much of the time most people do not think about the complex choreography that makes modern shopping possible. You just click and wait—and not too long, mind—for a package or three to arrive on your doorstep. Over the past few months, however, the world’s supply chains have elbowed their…
Will prolonged disruptions shift the pattern of trade? A giant ship wedged across the Suez canal, record-breaking shipping rates, armadas of vessels waiting outside ports, covid-induced shutdowns: container shipping has rarely been as dramatic as it has in 2021. The average cost of shipping a standard large container (a 40-foot-equivalent unit, or feu) has surpassed $10,000, some…
A supply chain crunch that was meant to be temporary now looks like it will last well into next year as the surging delta variant upends factory production in Asia and disrupts shipping, posing more shocks to the world economy. Manufacturers reeling from shortages of key components and higher raw material and energy costs are…
COVID-19 has exposed long-standing weaknesses in how we make and sell goods. The solution is digitization and automation, in four steps. In brief; the global supply chain, in its current form, is incapable of withstanding the disruptive forces of tomorrow. Fast-changing consumer preference, environmental disruptions and intrinsic changes to the global order are key drivers…
Summery: Massachusetts-based Shawmut scrambled to expand production to meet the soaring demand for N95 masks and hospital gowns during the pandemic. Its experiences illustrates a crucial point that policymakers should take to heart: Once a country loses its industrial commons points — the capabilities needed to support the development and production of many goods —…