Towards More Resilient Supply Chains

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed some major weaknesses in global supply chains—most notably in the supply chains for every-day groceries and for medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators.

This pandemic is different from natural disasters of the past. As a global event with a nation-wide demand surge, cross-regional shipments have not been possible as they are with events such as hurricanes or flooding. Pandemics also pose restrictions on the ability to scale up production quickly in supply networks. Having to redesign work routines and production processes with social distancing in all stages of the supply chain and ensuring safer work environments are imposing constraints on the ability to scale up production. 

This webinar will attempt to systematically diagnose the underlying issues and resulting actions necessary to create more resilient supply chains. It will provide a review of techniques developed for mitigation and response to address supply chain disruptions. 

Nallan Suresh is a UB Distinguished Professor of operations management and strategy in UB School of Management. He also is associate director of the Stephen Still Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics. He specializes in manufacturing, logistics and supply chain management and is a leading researcher and educator in supply chain management, lean manufacturing, logistics management and production planning and control. Suresh's current research focuses on supply chain agility, disruption risk mitigation and response, and application of blockchain and "internet of things" technologies in supply chains.