Reinventing the Supply Chain

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Few understand the intricacies of the global supply chain system, it is usually so efficient and reliable that nobody really needs to understand it. Consumers show up to the supermarket and the shelves are stocked with food and other essentials, or they do their one-click shopping errands online and the goods arrive on their doorsteps the next day, that is, until they don't. When the COVID-19 pandemic led to a global economic "shutdown" in March 2020, our supply chains began to fail, and out-of-stocks and delivery delays became the new norm. Contrary to public perception, the pandemic strain did not break the discipline of supply chain writ large, nor the global system of supply chains, it merely exposed weaknesses and fault lines that were decades in the making, having made their presence acutely felt in deindustrialized cities and depopulated rural towns throughout the United States. Reinventing Supply Chain explores the historical role of supply chain as a discipline, from the Second Industrial Revolution through globalization, and outlines what needs to be done to fix it and how a retooled supply chain can lead to the revitalization of American communities. Jack Buffington, a supply chain professional, consultant, and professor, demystifies for lay readers not only how modern supply chains work, but also how they can once again be a force for good. Taking the long view, Buffington proposes the transformation of the global supply chain system into a community-based value chain, led by the communities themselves and driven by digital platforms for raising capital and blockchain technology. Buffington's vision for a sustainable value chain of the future is already part of a larger, nationwide conversation-a conversation that is steadily gaining steam. The discipline of supply chain has been the subject of more business magazine cover stories in 2020-21 than at any time in the past, senior executives have come to view their supply chains as a strategic capability rather than a cost center, and they are investing in them more heavily than in the past. Supply chain managers now provide input to most strategic decisions at retailers and consumer goods manufacturers. Whether or not Buffington's vision can be achieved by a certain date is less important than that we understand what we need to do, and Buffington is our guide"--