After the big Covid-19 whipsaw, the most obvious forms of supply chain distress started to fade away. But the relative peace and quiet that executives are perceiving is actually ominous. Under the surface, supply chain risk has become severe, systemic, and strategic. Addressing the risk cannot be left to procurement and operations teams alone, however smart and skillful they are. Boards and CEOs need to put supply chains back at the top of their agendas. A leadership team that provides financial, operational, and organizational flexibility and understands that today’s supply chains require new thinking — not just tinkering — can reduce the odds that they’ll have to respond to crisis in this era of disruption.
