National Supply Chain Day

 

A packaging outlet introduced this “holiday” in 2020 to recognize the effect the process has on all of us.


100 years ago, all supply chains were local due to transportation limitations. Early shipping in the 1900’s was in the hands of the Postal Service. The distribution distance increased with the utilization of railroads.


IBM’s computerized forecasting and inventory management system changed the outlook of supply distribution.


The technological revolution led to globalization rather than the previous amalgam of sub-specialties.


The supply chain has evolved due to machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).


The system’s bottom line is “every link in the supply chain matters.” One broken or missing link can cause worldwide disaster. Recall the backlog of international vessels stacked up in Western US coastal waters during the days of COVID-19.


This White Paper provides a more in-depth read on the topic.

A cyberattack can bring the chain to a grinding halt.


We are all susceptible to “Just In Time” (JIT) inventory management. You may be surprised to learn that many grocery stores only maintain a three-day supply of food on their premises.


How many days of food do you have in your refrigerator and kitchen cupboards? What if a local, regional, or worse, national disaster occurs and disrupts the JIT-sourced supply chain? Consider and prepare accordingly.

You can follow the Author on her Website or X (formerly Twitter).


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