Redesigning supply chains for greater resilience

For too long, our approach to supply chains has prioritised low cost over other factors, but cheaper is not better if it comes with unacceptable risk.

Supply-chain lessons from the COVID years

The government needs to promote discussions with the private sector about supply-chain resilience, nation-building and sovereignty to ensure the lessons learned over the last two years lead to action in the future.

Five factors driving current stock shortages

The constant stock shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic are due to a wider range of factors than just panic buying by consumers or labour shortages in supply chains.

Supply chains strained in 2022

Supermarket shelves around Australia are running bare again as staff shortages caused by omicron bite, but around the world, more fundamental supply chain problems are set to persist well into the new year.

All I want for Christmas is supply chain resilience

The higher costs and lower reliability of international freight transport have been a problem since the start of COVID-19, and increased demand over Christmas could further strain supply chains.

AdBlue shortage highlights ongoing supply-chain problems

Supply-chain challenges continue to plague Australia despite the significant focus the problem has received in recent years due to the pandemic and issues with China.

Maintaining ethical supply chains

Human rights groups and researchers are warning that a combination of increased unemployment and new demand for labour in expanding areas like personal protective equipment (PPE) and agriculture means there is a real risk of increased worker exploitation and even slavery.

COVID-19 won’t rattle East Asian supply chains

Many observers argued the pandemic would mark the end of global supply chains, with a massive ‘reshoring’ of production to developed countries, but this seems unlikely to happen.

No easy fix for Australia’s supply-chain dependence on China

Despite China’s trade war against Australia, our dependence on Chinese supplies is so broad that finding alternative suppliers remains a major challenge.

Resilient supply chains can inoculate against vaccine nationalism

As governments focus on making supply chains more resilient, they would be wise to neither overstate the problem nor understate the private sector’s response. Critically, they must ensure a global, fair and functional vaccine supply chain.

Making supply chains great again

COVID-19 highlighted the interconnected nature of modern economies and how disruptions can spread rapidly to other countries through complex production systems.

Supply chain cooperation comes to the fore

Reports are circulating of a trilateral exploration by Japan, India and Australia of a ‘Supply Chain Resilience Initiative’ to secure supply chains and reduce dependence on China.