When Pfizer Inc. said last month it expected to ship half the Covid-19 vaccines it had originally planned for this year, the decision highlighted the challenges drug makers face in rapidly building supply chains to meet the high demand.

Whether it’s appliances, groceries, electronics, toys, or hardware supplies, most retailers have been affected in some way by COVID-19′s disruption to the global supply chain... Dr. Yossi Sheffi, an MIT professor who specializes in supply chain management, said reduced air travel is going to impact items imported from overseas, like iPhones and computer chips.

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.

Supply chains have been in the spotlight like never before over the last eight months. That hasn’t always been a good thing. The perception, reinforced by shortages of products essential to our daily lives, is that supply chains were not up to the task and failed. 

In this episode of The Rebound, Yossi Sheffi shares insights into how leading companies are adapting to COVID from his latest book.

What if supply chains performed exactly as designed? The problem was a breakdown of supply chains. Rather, that we had the wrong design for the current circumstances. Perhaps what we need is a new, resilient design, one that can respond to disruptions today and in the future.

The Trump administration’s aggressive stance toward China has compounded uncertainty on U.S.-China trade relations. In considering how the presidential elections may affect the flow of international trade, companies should avoid the accepted wisdom. (Previously Published in the WSJ)

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. 

The Trump administration’s aggressive stance toward China has compounded uncertainty on U.S.-China trade relations. In considering how the presidential elections may affect the flow of international trade, companies should avoid the accepted wisdom.