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What’s behind supply chain disruption and what lessons have been learned for the future?

  • Scott LaMar
  • Marie Cusick/StateImpact Pennsylvania
This December 2020, image provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows Homeland Security Investigations El Paso members and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working during a seizure of counterfeit N95 surgical masks at an El Paso Port cargo facility in El Paso, Texas. Federal investigators are probing a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities, and government agencies. The fake 3M masks are at best a copyright violations and at worst unsafe fakes that put unknowing health care workers at grave risk for coronavirus. And they are becoming increasingly difficult to spot.

 ICE via AP

This December 2020, image provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shows Homeland Security Investigations El Paso members and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working during a seizure of counterfeit N95 surgical masks at an El Paso Port cargo facility in El Paso, Texas. Federal investigators are probing a massive counterfeit N95 mask operation sold in at least five states to hospitals, medical facilities, and government agencies. The fake 3M masks are at best a copyright violations and at worst unsafe fakes that put unknowing health care workers at grave risk for coronavirus. And they are becoming increasingly difficult to spot.

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Airdate: Thursday, December 9, 2021

For many consumers, the words “supply chain” were probably not top of mind, until the pandemic hit in March 2020 – starting with toilet paper shortages, and spiraling to everything from computer chips, to used cars.

The issues have continued for nearly two years, as we head into another holiday season. However, the holiday shopping season does have many consumers thinking about the supply chain. The disruptions become a reality and not just something seen on the news, when looking for a specific product that is in short supply and may be in a large container on a ship waiting off the coast of California. Or if the item ordered online won’t arrive until after the new year.

Thursday’s Smart Talk examines how has the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing weaknesses within global supply chains, and what can be done to make these systems more resilient to future disruptions?

Appearing on the program are Brent Moritz, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management, Penn State University and Ian Langella, Professor of Supply Chain Management, Chair, Finance & Supply Chain Management Department, Shippensburg University.

 

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