Keeping Ahead Of Supply Chain Risk And Uncertainty

No matter what business one is in - corporate or government, large or small, public or private - risk is on the menu. Risk arrives in a wide variety of unappetizing flavors: economic volatility, environmental and climatic concerns, rising fuel costs, work stoppages, supply shortages, quality breakdowns, and dozens of other "daily specials." And if that weren't enough, risk has become uncomfortably ubiquitous. Globalization is a major factor: As the geographic scope of business grows, so does the exposure to upheaval. Fifty one percent of respondents to a recent survey acknowledged that their global operations strategies have increased overall supply chain risk. Clearly, globalization's added complexity creates more potential points of failure.