Mattel's toy-recall problem--and by implication similar problems at Sony's battery division, pet food companies and toothpaste companies--stem from supply chain immaturity as well as deception on the part of some suppliers.
That's the conclusion of M. Eric Johnson, professor of operations management at Dartmouth College's Tuck Business School, who is teaching classes in supply management.
The solution, he says, is investment by manufacturers in efforts to help their suppliers learn modern management practices.
Source: Purchasing, http://www.purchasing.com