On March 25, 1911, fire swept through the Triangle Shirtwaist factory in New York City. One hundred and forty-six garment workers perished in the blaze, many of them trapped in the building because management had locked the exit doors. The youngest of the victims were 14. It was a horrifying tragedy, not atypical of working conditions during the so-called Progressive Era. Can we not, however, take comfort in knowing that those times are far behind us?

The fog is beginning to clear. High-tech and other types of manufacturers are getting a better idea of what they must do in order to conform to new requirements for disclosing the presence in their products of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring states. Still, a number of questions remain unanswered.

Analyst Insight: Supply chain challenges were plentiful during Superstorm Sandy. Both physical and electronic supply chain operations were disrupted. Private sector operators responded with creative solutions, and public sector entities were better prepared than in previous disasters, but recovery will be a slow and arduous process. Approaches to ensuring resiliency in the face of such events cannot be singular in nature. Actions taken during response and recovery have far reaching implications for supply chains. - Jock Menzies, President, American Logistics aid Network