14/01/2026
๐ช๐ต๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ โ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ดโ โ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐โ๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐น๐
โ๐๐ฆ ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ต๐ต๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ๐ช๐ด๐ต๐ช๐ค๐ด ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ.โ
I hear this oftenโfrom manufacturers in India and from retailers in the USA and UK.
When a shipment is delayed, costs spike, or the ๐ก๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ becomes a ๐ก๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ก๐, ex*****on teams are usually blamed.
But hereโs the uncomfortable truth:
๐๐ผ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐.
๐ช๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ฝ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐.
Across global trade, Iโve seen ex*****on teams repeatedly asked to โfixโ problems that were created months earlierโduring procurement, documentation, and governance decisions.
Common Myths vs. What Actually Happens
โ Myth: Port congestion is the root cause of long lead times
โ
Reality: Procurement and sourcing strategies lack flexibility across regions
โ Myth: Logistics costs are destroying margins
โ
Reality: Poor design forces reactive, last-minute ex*****on
โ Myth: We need more visibility tools
โ
Reality: Visibility without governance only shows problems faster
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด
If risk management starts ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง, the system is already exposed.
๐๐ถ๐ด๐ตโ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ
theyโre built by ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐ง๐ก๐๐๐ง, at the design and governance stage.
๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ.
๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ.
Iโm curious to hear from supply-chain leaders across the USA, UK, India, and China:
Has โ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐จโ become the industryโs default scapegoat for upstream planning gaps?
๐ Thoughtful perspectives welcome.