Managing Supply Chain Risks

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MANAGING RISK TO AVOID SUPPLY-CHAIN BREAKDOWN Case study summary The case talks at breath about the risks associated with supply chain and how companies manage these risks to avoid hassle if they face an uncertain situation. Several reality based examples have been provided to explain how businesses operate in the real world to manage risks associated with supply chain. Nokia Corp. successfully continued its operations even after one of its major microchips’ suppliers, Royal Philips, N.V., had to halt operations due to an outbreak of fire. It was Nokia’s multiple-supplier strategy and responsiveness which led to continuation of operations during the crises as the company relied on supplies from numerous other suppliers. On the other hand, Telefon Ericsson which was another one of Philips’s customer suffered greatly because they solely relied on supplies from that particular microchips’ manufacturing plant. Due to Ericsson’s flawed supply chain strategy the company lost $400 million in sales. Supply chains are prone to disruption caused by natural disasters, labor disputes, supplier bankruptcy, war and terrorism etc. Therefore, it is important that companies employ a proactive approach; foresee, and manage the risks accordingly. Potential supply chain risks can be named as: delays, disruptions, forecast inaccuracies, system breakdowns, intellectual property breaches, procurement failures, inventory problems and capacity issues. The degree to which a company is capable of warding off these risks depends on how actively management reacts. Giants like Toyota, Dell and Motorola have been highly effective at mitigating risks by identifying them before they become a real threat. Supply chain risks are interconnected and that is what makes managing risk a challenge, as managers may very well ward off a risk but fail to identify another coexisting risk. Moreover,

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