For McCormick & Company, the ubiquitous producer of spices and flavorings, 2011 was one tough year. I'm not talking about financials; McCormick's net sales for the year were up 10.8 percent over 2010, to $3.7bn, while net income rose 5 percent, to $374.2m - not a bad performance in a sluggish economy. I'm referring to the anti-trifecta of disasters and disruptions that severely challenged the company's ability to service its customers.

So often our discussions about supply chain center on arcane details and limited stakes. Production delayed? Get ready to pay more for expedited transportation. Lost a supplier? Might mean empty shelves at the supermarket. Life goes on.