The coronavirus pandemic is offering manufacturers a rare opportunity to reduce their dependence on sourcing from China.

David Simchi-Levi, professor of engineering systems at MIT, talks about what’s next for supply chains, as the U.S. looks to reopen businesses after the coronavirus quarantine.

The concept of sole sourcing is as old as that of strategic sourcing. Call it vendor consolidation, volume concentration, or reduction of part-number proliferation, the endgame is always the same: reduce the number of vendors at the part and enterprise levels, to help drive cost efficiencies.

Ted Stank, faculty director of the Global Supply Chain Institute at the University of Tennessee, offers insight into how supply-chain professionals can reduce the risk of crises such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Mark George, North American lead for supply chain and operations strategy with Accenture, lays out seven steps that companies can take to repurpose their supply chains and demonstrate strong corporate values in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the last three weeks, I’ve spoken with senior executives of dozens of companies about how they’re managing business continuity during the COVID-19 crisis. Their insights have been consistent.