Blog Archives

Global Risks 2012

Are economic imbalances and social inequality risk reversing the gains of globalization? Should we shift our concern from environmental risks to socioeconomic risks? Those are the questions asked by this year’s Global Risk Report, published by the World Economic Forum.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , ,

Supply Chain Security

Today’s supply chains circle the globe and form the backbone of world trade and a are major factor in the global economy, and this increasingly tighter connected world is also increasingly dangerous, and it thus imperative to secure supply chains against any form of man-made and natural disruption.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , ,

Supply Chain and Transport Risk

In our quest for greater efficiency and greater choice, are we really developing robust global transport networks or simply building a house of cards? That is what the Supply Chain and Transport Risk Initiative, nested within the Risk Response Network of the World Economic Forum is trying to answer.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , , ,

Global Risk and Compliance – Are you protected?

Trade Compliance and Export Control are not just buzzwords in global supply chain. They represent significant risks, and breach of trade rules and regulations can have serious ramifications for businesses, Consequently, knowing the risks is important for any international company.

Posted in THIS and THAT
Tags: , , , ,

Call for papers: Global Supply Chain Risk Management

Are you currently planning to write or actually writing a paper on supply chain risk and wondering what would be a good journal to publish it in? Here is one for you: A special issue of Production and Operations Management titled Global Supply Chain Risk Management

Posted in ARTICLES and PAPERS
Tags: , , ,

2010 – the year of catastrophe

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, an article that paints 2010 as the year of the catastrophe, and the insurance company Swiss Re estimates that worldwide economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters reached $222 billion last year – more than triple the losses in 2009.

Posted in THIS and THAT
Tags: , ,

Risky cities – want to work there?

AON has now published a people risk map that shows which countries are high or low risk. The accompanying report provides a comparative overview of risks associated with recruitment, employment and relocation in 90 cities worldwide.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , ,

Outsourcing – risking it all?

This paper presents some fundamental concerns about the current trend towards global outsourcing and its consequences. Yes, it may be cutting the costs, but it is not cutting the risks.

Posted in ARTICLES and PAPERS
Tags: , , , , ,

Book Review: Single Point of Failure

This book shows you how everyone is involved in the supply chain itself, often on several levels at the same time, how the chain is exposed to an infinite number of constantly changing threats; how weak links in the chain represent threats and vulnerabilities, to profitability, continuity, safety and health; and how these threats can be mananged, reduces and eliminated.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Tags: , , , ,

Book Review: Global Supply Chain Management

This is a handbook indeed, allowing the reader to focus on one area of investigation at the time, while never leaving the whole chain out of sight. My interest in it stems from the fact that it contains a chapter on risk management.

Posted in BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Supply chain disruption risk on the rise

Global supply chains are increasingly becoming more vulnerable to potential disruption to trade. Every year, Aon publishes a political risk map, and in 2009 the number of countries tagged with ‘supply chain vulnerability’ has increased from 38 to 54.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , , , ,

Global Risks 2009 – Countries at risk?

How will the current financial downturn affect supply chains? The 2009 Global Risk Report by the World Economic Forum takes a broad look, not a certain industries or sectors or parts of the economy, but looks at whole countries and their risk preparedness.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , , , ,

Airports – vital to supply chains?

Is the temporary shut-down of Bangkok’s two international airports important in a supply chain perspective? So far, the issue has been stranded tourists, maybe as many as 100000. Not only that, air freight will also be impacted, but why is this important?

Posted in THIS and THAT
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Strategies for managing risk in multinational corporations

In my post two days ago, reviewing the article by Manuj and Mentzer (2008) titled Global Supply Chain Risk Management, I mentioned that they cited a paper by Ghoshal (1987) titled Global Strategy: An Organizing Framework as one of their references for listing risk management strategies. Today, I will take a closer look at that paper.

Posted in ARTICLES and PAPERS
Tags: , , , , , ,

Global Risks 2008 – A prediction come true

It is now frightening to see how true the predictions in this report were in Global Risks 2008, a report prepared by the World Economic Forum. I can only hope that the global financial turmoil does not translate into a global supply chain turmoil.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , , ,

Supply chain vulnerability: an invisible global risk?

Supply chain disruption – a global issue? All companies and governments dependent on external suppliers are exposed to the risks of disruption in their supply chain. Even a relatively small supply chain disruption caused by a local risk event may ultimately have consequences across the global economic system.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , , , , ,

A risky business? The top 10 challenges of offshoring

Organisations embarking on offshoring face multiple challenges; many of which can be extremely daunting. Sridhar Vedala, Director – Global Sourcing at EquaTerra explores the top 10 challenges of offshoring today and provides suggestions on how to tackle them head on.

Posted in REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Tags: , , , ,

Managing risk in global supply chains

The book Strategies for Building Successful Global Businesses, by the INSEAD-Wharton Alliance on Globalizing, contains 6 articles on managing risk and uncertainty. Today I will look at one of these articles that deserves further mentioning.

Posted in ARTICLES and PAPERS
Tags: , , , ,

ARTICLES and PAPERS
Accessibility Index - Transport Network Vulnerability
Taylor, M., Sekhar, S., & D'Este, G. (2006). Application of Accessibility Based Methods for Vulnerability Analysis of Strategic Road Networks Networks and Spatial Economics, 6 (3-4), 267-291
I had the pleasure of meeting M.A.P. Taylor at the 3rd International Symposium on Transport Network [...]
Supply Chain Risk: Product Design Changes
Supply Chain Risk Management has emerged as an important source of competitive advantage and an effe[...]
BOOKS and BOOK CHAPTERS
Risk in Virtual Enterprise Networks
Done...I finally made it! Today I submitted my full chapter for the book on Managing Risk in Virtual[...]
Book Review: Political Risk
Egypt is in crisis. After Tunisia, now Egypt is rocked by a popular uprising, and the outcome of the[...]
REPORTS and WHITEPAPERS
Transport infrastructure resilience
Is it possible to devise a simple framework for assessing the resilience of the transport infrastruc[...]
Assess the vulnerability of your production system
So far I have reviewed "international" literature and web sites, and it is only fitting that now it [...]
from HERE and THERE
Cutting back on road spending may not be wise
In an article today, the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet revealed that Statens Vegvesen (or the Norweg[...]
Supply chain disruptions by pirates
Yesterday I cited the press release of the Norwegian shipping company Odfjell, which no longer will [...]