Over the last two decades,
many firms implemented
various supply chain initiatives
to: increase revenue,
for example, more product
variety, more-frequent new product
introductions, more sales channels/
markets in new markets; reduce cost,
for example, supply base reduction,
online sourcing, and offshore manufacturing;
and reduce assets, for example,
outsourcing of manufacturing,
information technology, logistics, and
even product design. Supply chains today
are more “efficient” but also much
more complex than those in the past.
As a consequence, they are more vulnerable
to disruptions and delays. In
some cases, unethical behavior of one
supplier along the supply chain can
cause serious security risks and even
deaths. Here are some examples: