All posts by Supply Chain Expert

All things impacting global supply chains this week.

• Inflation continues to rise
• Central banks raise interest rates
• Nord Stream 1 closed since 11th July for maintenance cuting gas supplies to Europe through Poland and Germany
• Consumers feel the pinch as inflation pushes costs up
• Product price inflation risning because of energy and fuel
• CPI 9.4 % in the UK similar highs in the EU and US
• The Federal Reserve says 40% chance of recession
• Heat waves caused empty shelves in the UK
• Extreme heat is becoming normal
• Airbus Chief expects supply chain woes to continue into 2023
• Aircraft Industry has supply chain issues
• Baker Hughes Texas hiit by exit costs from Russia
• Marks and Spencer takes over GIST taking control of its food supply chain
• Fed Ex contractors unhappy
• Oakland Port California problems AB5 New Gig Laws to blame – Dwell times increase
• UK fuel for vehicles rising despite wholes price falls
• Port of Dover UK experience port congestion because of border controls applied after Brexit
• Nord Stream Update
• Oil prices fall as Libya increases output
• Eurozone business activity declined in the past year
• Turkey brokers a deal to release grain from Ukraine Black Sea Ports
• EU takes action over the Norther Irish Protocol

All things impacting global supply chains this week.

• Brent Crude under $100
• Euro and US$ at parity
• LNG Prices fall 1%
• Is energy falling in price?
• Nordstrum one closed for maintenance cutting gas to the EU
• US Production down
• Israel inflation
• Heatwaves in Europe 40% – Going Up Climate Change Impact
• China Economy has lower output in June
• UK politics a distratction from economic realities
• US Retails Sales Up as recession looks likely
• China also heading for recession
• Aston Martin attracts Saudi Wealth Fund as investor
• Britain is updating its Typhoon Fighters
• Berlin green government investing in nuclear energy as a consequence of Russia's invasion in Ukraine
• Hydrogen investment by the EU $5.4bn (15 countries)
• India monsoon accelerates crop planting
• India  wholesale price index rises#
• European car sales fall
• US Government forges ahead with Chip4
• No French Fries for Moscow
• Amazon Prime Day Results Up
• International Energy Agency wants more local production of solar panels in US
• Tesla supply chain problems and inflation has forced prices up
• The EU investigates practices at Amazon – Hefty fines are possible
• Amazon has invested heavily in the UK and is creating more jobs
• UK Rail strikes
• BT strikes UK
• Sports Direct cancels Frasers Fridays  

Supply chains deliver the embedded resource economy. They achieve this by bringing goods from places where there is abundance to places of scarcity. Listen to the episode to find out more about this topic and why it is so important.

It has been a key driver of globalization. It has also been shaped as much by politics as market economics. The embedded resource economy is invisible we only see the goods that supply chains deliver. Resources are embedded in the products. It brings with it benefits as well as costs. It changes the nature of accessible resources. 

All things impacting global supply chains this week.
Inflation
Energy Costs
Fuel Prices
The UK Prime Minister eventually resigns
The former Japanese Prime Minister is shot and killed
Russia's war continues in Ukraine
Elon Musk pulls out of Twitter Deal
CEO of Ryan Air blames chaos at UK Airports and the tight labor market on Brexit
Beans means trouble for Tesco as Heinz push up prices
Sainsbury works hard to keep prices low for consumers
Maersk resigns from ICS to maintain its sustainability credenetials
Green steel

In this episode Tony Hines discusses the benefits of Cycle Time Ciompression in the Supply Chain. Identifying the cycles in your supply chain and the time it takes to complete each cycle has potential to bring benefits to the business, the network and to customers. Having data about each of the cycles moving from upstream to downstream enables firms to lower costs, improve throughput times and lower risk. Managing volumes, volatility and velocity to achieve value. It improves cash flows, profitability and return on investment and enables better asset utilization.

A summary of all things impacting global supply chains this week. 
In this weeks episode Tony Hines discusses:-

• Soaring energy prices impacting gloabl supply chains
• Inflation in Europe
• Britain's trade outlook
• What can airports learn from supply chains?
• Steel tariffs, protectionism and international law what will the WTO make of it?
• Russian President signs a decree to find new investors after Shell, Mitsui and Mitsibushi leave
• Gazprom decides not to pay a dividend to investors – first time since 1998
• Chocolate Production in Belgium disrupted by Salmonella
• Caviar shortages due to Brexit and prices up too
• Penalty fees for overweight sea cargo
• New German Law requires supply chain compliance to demonstrate ethics

In this epsiode Tony Hines discusses procurement and supply relations. These are two areas in which significant value can be created in supply chains. As Edward Deming noted for continuous improvement you must constantly improve supply relationships. It is through those relations that reputations can be developed, responsiveness improved and reliability is built in. You could also construct resilient supply chains through developing effective supplier relationships.  You can read more about this topic in my Supply Chain Strategies book where I have a chapter on this topic. For those new to the field there is also a useful glossary of terms in the book. 

All things impacting global supply chains in the news this week.

• Inflation
• Energy Prices
• Strikes Looming
• Opportunities to rethink energy supply
• Fuel prices continue to rise
• Disruptions to food supplies
• Where does all the grain go?
• Russia is China's largest oil supplier
• Inflation's correlates
• Google looking to become more prominent in supply chain cloud solutions
• Accreditations (CILT and CIPS) for Southampton University MSc in Supply Chain
• New Ocean Shipping Law in the US
• Higher shipping costs – Tanker Rates
• FDA crack down on product safety and traceability (FTL)
• Cold Chain  Failings in Pharma – Visibilty is key
• Companies with greater visibility manage disruptions better
• Russia moves Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Turkey by ship

When storm clouds gather we need a plan to confront the storm. In this episode Tony Hines investigates the root causes disrupting supply systems. 

Identifying underlying causes are the key to resolving obstacles. The major root causes are energy and fuel costs. Both of these costs drive the input costs upwards, increasing production and distribution costs. Instability is directly attributable to Russia's war in Ukraine. Uncertainties introduced into global markets add to the extant problems of Covid 19 and the disruptions caused to global supply chains prior to the invasion in February 2022. Countries in the EU have seen Russian Gas and Oil supplies fall as a consequence. The reliance on Russian energy sources has been exposed. The uncertain times we live in with rising inflation are reminder of the 1970's when the Oil Crisis drove up prices fast and caused uncertainties. So how can Western Economies address the instabilities?

All things impacting global supply chains this week.

• Interest Rates rise in the US and the UK
• Inflation set reach higher levels later in the year
• Oil prices continue to rise
• Energy costs are the main thrust of inflationary pressures
• Shanghai in lock down again
• China has to move  goods by rail to ship because of Russia's invasion in Ukraine
• The Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit woes continue in the UK
• Rail strikes looming in the UK
• Food Inflation 
• UK ships oil and gas to the US and to Europe
• Obstaclea at every turn create opportunities for some.