Industry Week Runs a Feature on Supply Risk

Thank goodness supply risk is finally beginning to capture the headlines in business and trade publications alike. Indeed, the risks manufacturers -- and even service providers -- face from their supply base feel like they're escalating monthly given instability throughout the globe (not to mention an ever increasing reliance on third parties to perform functions that were previously done internally, up and down the supply chain). From bird flu to threats from maniacal nuclear-wielding dictators, the risk of catastrophic supply chain incidents is getting bigger, not smaller. But even localized supply disruptions or supplier failures can wreck havoc with a company's bottom line -- not to mention its own customer's. To highlight the various dangers that supply risk brings, Industry Week featured a good survey article in their October edition. I strongly recommend anyone with interests in the Spend Management arena take a close read of it. For supply risk is a topic that concerns us all, and what we don't consider or think about now could very well come back to hurt us down the road.

- Jason Busch