As they operate in this environment of escalating risk, an alarming 45 percent of surveyed executives say their supply chain risk management programs are only somewhat effective or not effective at all.

"Supply chains are increasingly complex, and their interlinked, global nature makes them vulnerable to a range of risks," says Kelly Marchese, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP, who specializes in manufacturing operations and supply chain strategy. "This increased complexity, coupled with a greater frequency of disruptive events such as geopolitical events and natural disasters, presents a precarious situation for companies without solid risk management programs in place."

According to the Deloitte survey, supply chain disruptions are not only more frequent, they are also having a larger negative impact. Among the findings:

More than 53 percent of the executives say that supply chain disruptions have become more costly over the last three years.

Executives from the technology, industrial products, and diversified manufacturing sectors are most likely to report that supply chain disruptions have become more costly.

Nearly half (48 percent) of the surveyed executives say the frequency of risk events that had negative outcomes "” such as sudden demand change or margin erosion "” has increased over the last three years.

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