How to fix broken supply chains
1,825,709 views | Dustin Burke • TED@BCG
Supply chain challenges are real, but they're not new, says global trade expert Dustin Burke. In the face of disruptions ranging from natural disasters to pandemics, how do we make sure supply chains can keep up? Burke offers a combination of solutions -- from companies sharing risk to better forecasting disruptions -- to help create a more resilient, efficient tomorrow.
Supply chain challenges are real, but they're not new, says global trade expert Dustin Burke. In the face of disruptions ranging from natural disasters to pandemics, how do we make sure supply chains can keep up? Burke offers a combination of solutions -- from companies sharing risk to better forecasting disruptions -- to help create a more resilient, efficient tomorrow.
This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about the TED Institute.About the speaker
BCG's Dustin Burke advises companies on transforming operations and optimizing their networks in the face of changing supply chain environments.
Rainer Schuster, et al. | BCG, 2021 | Article
"Real-World Supply Chain Resilience"
This article gives a good framework for how managers can both recognize what needs to change and remain grounded in the timeless imperatives of supply chain management: reliability, service, cost and sustainability. This framework is timeless and will be applicable during the shocks to come, and applies even as the available technology to cope with those shocks evolves.
Yossi Sheffi | The MIT Press, 2007 | Book
The Resilient Enterprise: Overcoming Vulnerability for Competitive Advantage
There aren't a lot of books that I'd recommend that are all about supply chain resilience, but this is a good one. It's more than 10 years old and there's a more recent one on a similar topic from the same author, a leading thinker on supply chain, but I do think the lessons here still apply. Interestingly, if you look at the companies highlighted in here, many fared well during the COVID-19-induced supply chain crises.
The So What from BCG | BCG, 2021 | Listen
"Can We Fix Supply Chains in 2022?"
BCG's new podcast series is, if I do say so myself, uniquely listenable for a company-released business podcast. Listen to this on your commute, and do it soon because these are intentionally about what is happening now.
Alexis Bateman and Leonardo Bonanni | Harvard Business Review, 2019 | Article
"What Supply Chain Transparency Really Means"
It's near impossible to make a step change in supply chain resilience without working on supply chain transparency. Here's a good definition and framework for that. What's hard is going several layers up your supply chain, and while there are technology tools that can help, new business models need to be developed. The authors here don't go into detail as to how to achieve transparency, but this is a good foundation for defining the goal.
Konrad von Szczepanski, et al. | BCG, 2021 | Article
"Only an Ecosystem Can Solve Last-Mile Gridlock in Package Delivery"
Finally, we should not forget that much of our current supply chain crises result not only from supply problems, but also from demand changes. E-commerce growth has been accelerated and the means of getting those packages to consumers have been impacted. Just as on supply chain management, the logistics ecosystem will also need to adapt.
BCG | Article
"Supply Chain Management"
Learn what supply chain strategy should look like in uncertain times.
About TED Institute
Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.
This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about the TED Institute.