Supply Chains in Crisis

Supply Chain Hell Ignites Economic Boom Along U.S.-Mexico Border

December 15, 2021

Wedged up against the southern edge of the Rio Grande, the sprawling desert city of Juarez has seen its share of economic booms over the years. But perhaps none quite like the one that’s taken hold today.

U.S. Truckers Are ‘Drowning’ in Empty Containers

December 14, 2021

Bloomberg

Restrictions on empty-container returns at major ports are the top issue that needs fixing to help ease U.S. supply chain bottlenecks, the head of the Harbor Trucking Association said, adding that true round-the-clock operations aren’t yet in place.

VIDEO

Watch: Lessons to Be Learned From the Microchip Shortage

December 14, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

Bill Currence, president and managing partner of Cornerstone Consulting Organization, discusses the factors that are both beyond and within the control of manufacturers suffering through the current supply chain crisis.

The Wheels on the Chassis Go Round and Round … Not

December 13, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

With the current focus on the tens of thousands of containers stuck on ships outside major U.S. ports, it’s easy to forget a maxim of supply chain management: If it’s not on wheels, it’s not moving.

THE SCB PODCAST

Podcast | How PepsiCo Beverages Coped With COVID

December 10, 2021

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

How has PepsiCo Beverages of North America, with more than $22.5 billion in net revenue, 65-plus manufacturing sites and 420 distribution centers, managed to keep operations going during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Vanishing Ships Underscore Supply Woe: Crisis Peak Is a Mirage

December 10, 2021

Bloomberg

A line of more than 80 container ships waiting to dock at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, was cut in half in late November — or so it seemed. Turns out the vessels disappearing from the queue were merely hiding from it, loitering in the Pacific out of reach of the official count.

Three Trends That Shook Supply Chains This Year, and Three to Watch Next

December 10, 2021

Dave Menzel, SCB Contributor

Everyone is wondering what 2022 will bring for supply chains. But to understand how next year might unfold, it’s helpful to take a closer look at how earlier events shaped the landscape.

Long Beach Port Chief Sees Congestion Easing in Six Months

December 9, 2021

Bloomberg

The head of one of the two ports in the U.S.’s busiest maritime gateway said he expects congestion that has caused upheaval throughout supply chains to improve in about six months’ time.

Yellen Says Supply Chain Shift May Need Protectionist-Like Steps

December 7, 2021

Bloomberg

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains has proved a vulnerability and that the country needs to produce more critical goods domestically in order to protect both its economic and national security.