Skip to content
Search AI Powered
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

Only this tragedy is real, not a play, and it is in Afghanistan, not on a theatre stage.

The curtain closes in a Greek tragedy.

Only this tragedy is real, not a play, and it is in Afghanistan, not on a theatre stage.

Steve Geary
By Steve GearyAug 19, 2021
Steve Geary
Steve Geary is adjunct faculty at the University of Tennessee's Haaslam College of Business and is a lecturer at The Gordon Institute at Tufts University. He is the President of the Supply Chain Visions family of companies, consultancies that work across the government sector. Steve is a contributing editor at DC Velocity, and editor-at-large for CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly.
See Full Bio

Afghanistan is a long way from the United States. I worked there a long time ago, doing supply chain development work, directly supporting commercial Afghan business. It was fulfilling work.

Last night, the USAID Industry Liaison sent a chilling email to companies who worked in Afghanistan.

“Given the security situation in Afghanistan, and out of an abundance of caution for the safety of USAID staff, partners, and beneficiaries, we ask that you immediately review your public websites and social media platforms to archive content that could pose a risk to certain individuals and groups. In particular, we encourage you to archive all photos and videos, names, locations, and other personally identifiable information (PII) of Afghans who have been associated with the US Government, including being associated with USAID-funded implementing partners.”

Supply Chains are global, and Supply Chain Risks can be as well. The long arm of the Taliban just touched me in Northern Virginia. We scrubbed our website. We removed photos. We erased relevant publications. Our partners did the same.

We are sad.

Blog
steve geary on global logistics and risk
Blog
steve geary on global logistics and risk

The Latest

worker at port tracking containers
Article

Trump tariff threat strains logistics businesses

chart of GenAI product market share
Article

Google matched Open AI’s generative AI market share in 2024

Dock Stop gate
Videos

Dock Stop Super HD

More Stories

5 scary thoughts about disasters and disaster relief

It’s almost Halloween, and if your town is anything like mine, your neighbors’ yards are already littered with ghosts, witches and tombstones. 

Clearly some of us enjoy giving other people a scare. Just as clearly, some of us enjoy getting a scare.  

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

pickle robot unloading truck
Article

Pickle Robot lands $50 million in VC for truck-unloading robots

cowan truck fleet
Article

Schneider to acquire Cowan Systems for $390 million

person operating remote control forklifts
Internal Movement

DB Schenker operates remote-controlled forklifts

chart of port of oakland container traffic
Ports

Port of Oakland import volume approaches pre-pandemic level

office workers using GenAI
Artificial Intelligence

Companies feel growing pressure to invest in GenAI

Keep a clear focus on enterprise priorities.

"Spot solutions are needed to help a company get through a sudden shock, but the only way to ensure agility and resilience going forward is by addressing systemic issues in a way that is intentional and focused on the long term and brings together clear priorities, well-designed repeatable processes, robust governance, and a skilled team." - Harvard Business Review

From Low Cost to Best Cost

An article published by McKinsey & Co. in August observed, “over the past year, many companies have made structural changes to their supply networks by implementing dual or multiple sourcing strategies for critical materials and moving from global to regional networks.”

This structural change pivots on the difference between low cost and best cost.  The shift extends through Tier 1 Suppliers through lower tiers.  The intent of a low-cost supply chain strategy is to present a low price to customers. A best-cost strategy adds factors beyond cost to the equation, like risk, lead time, and responsiveness.

Keep ReadingShow less

Digital Freight Execution: Making Win-Win Connections

As global supply chains become increasingly complicated, there are now more digital connections and business collaborations in the global shipping industry than ever before. Holding freight data in opaque, disconnected silos and relying on outdated methods of communication is not just inefficient - it’s unsustainable.

The global supply chain is no longer a linear process. Whereas before it was simply about moving freight from point A to B, now there is now a multitude of options for transporting that freight, each with its own unique set of capabilities and constraints. 

Keep ReadingShow less

No wonder we are short of labor in the supply chain.

America’s posture in world trade, and the underlying supply chains, are more than robust.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the United States balance of trade in goods and services deficit dropped to $70.6 billion in July.  Exports hit the highest level in real dollars since tracking began over 70 years ago.  During the recovery from Covid,, with reshoring and shifting market demands, are holding imports flat..

This success is happening despite the global disruption caused by Ukraine.  Expect our labor shortages to continue.  Expect wage pressure to continue.  Expect inflationary pressures across the supply chain to continue.

Keep ReadingShow less
Copyright ©2024.