News - Interviews

There have been numerous stories in recent days about problems with the supply chain as the economy starts back up after last year's unprecedented shutdowns. Everything is connected and a hiccup here or there can cause delays and price increases for you and me.

This article is Meri Stevens, Worldwide Vice President of Supply Chain, Consumer Health and Deliver at Johnson & Johnson speaking with MIT CTL Director Prof. Yossi Sheffi on Mar. 17, 2021. Read how a global manufacturer has learned some vital lessons about managing uncertainty and planning for the future.

COVID-19 didn’t break the supply chain, it simply accelerated changes already underway, says MIT’s Yossi Sheffi. His new book details what’s coming next.

In the interview, Sheffi explains how companies and governments around the world have dealt with the supply chain disruption over the past year’s pandemic. He also gives insight on how people can prepare for the next time the world’s supply chain is turned on its head. 

Available as a blog here. 

According to Professor Yossi Sheffi, supply chain is typically the “asphalt of the road” —that is, when it works, there’s no need to talk about it. When it doesn't, everyone notices it. 

In this conversation, you will learn how two companies use these lessons to set themselves up for the post-pandemic future in the B2B and B2C markets.

Yossi discusses his principal goals and motivations for writing this latest book that resulted in record turnaround time. We discuss the before and after COVID-19 aspects of industry supply chains, why certain approaches were successful in terms of business process practices, innovation and resourcefulness of supply chain management teams, as well as leveraged use of technology.

It's been nearly 10 months since Covid-19 slammed into the global economy like a wrecking ball. And while businesses have learned to manage, many will endure lasting effects that may take years to resolve. In the meantime, all of us—businesses and consumers alike—are yearning for things to get back to normal. But what does that even mean? Is it possible that we may someday return to some semblance of our old lives? Or will we enter a "new normal"? And if so, what will that look like?

Our discussion touches on lessons for corporate executives, technology startup founders and even early-stage supply chain technology venture capitalists. We also touch on themes that regular readers of this column will find familiar.

Inside Supply Management® is a leading publication for those within the procurement/sourcing and supply chain profession. In light of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacts on their supply chains, organizations around the world are wrestling with what the new normal looks like for them. Professor Yossi Sheffi, has an even better description of that environment, in his latest book, The New (Ab)Normal.