In attending the Southern California E-Commerce & Logistics Summit, it is clear that focusing on global logistics as a system of systems is paramount (special shout out to Fran Inman for the use of her phrase). Not one link in the supply chain can succeed on its own.
The risk of China has increased dramatically over the years. Early on, executives were concerned about intellectual property theft. Although that is still a concern, there are much bigger issues.
According to UPS's CEO, UPS’ network flexibility gave it an edge over FedEx in landing a deal with the U.S. Postal Service. Instead of following a hub-and-spoke model to service the USPS, UPS can use its regional gateways to support the local and regional requirements of the USPS customers.
The latest Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse has caused massive diversions on the East Coast and in the Baltimore region and points out the need for backup sources of supply and agility in the supply chain.
According to The California Policy Center, 237 companies have left California since 2005. Most companies cited the expanding regulatory and taxation environment.
The aerospace supply chain has been struggling to recover since the pandemic. The industry has been plagued with shortages, labor issues, and supply chain issues. According to McKinsey, demand was back to 97% of pre-pandemic levels as of December 2023.
COVID-19 may no longer be a significant public health threat, but the global supply chain remains chock full of risk. The threats are seemingly everywhere these days: The Israel-Hamas war, which is sabotaging trade routes in the Red Sea; extreme drought, which is curtailing shipping in the Panama Canal, and China’s military aggression, which is threatening lawful commerce in the South China Sea.
California's minimum wage went up to $20/hr. for fast food restaurants with at least 60 locations nationwide that do not make bread. This law is causing widespread unintended consequences. For example, Fosters Freeze in Lemoore closed suddenly after the wage hike. Mod 5 Pizza is closing five locations.
Manufacturers wish they left supply chain shortages behind after the pandemic, but they remain top of mind. Concerns remain. According to KPMG, “71% of global companies highlight raw material costs as their number one supply chain threat for 2023.”
According to a study by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, 2 million jobs could go unfilled in the sector by 2030. The cost in 2030 alone could potentially total $1 Trillion.
