We seem to be in the golden age of supply chain management. New appreciation has arisen for the fragility of our networks and the complexity of keeping a company running. So, too, has arisen an unending stream of different and more impactful supply chain disruptions. The past two years have been unprecedented, but to the point that radical supply chain disruptions are now becoming precedented.
The disruptions are so extreme and so varied that it has become necessary to reset our expectations and the scope of our management systems. We need a more systematic way to classify and understand supply chain disruptions. New, broader scenario planning is needed. More rigorous work processes are also needed, so that we are not just chasing from one fire to the next.