We will wrap up this year with an issue of KNOWledge dedicated to Supply Chain Risk. Don’t worry - this is not the equivalent of coal in your stocking, but rather great news on a critical topic to all of us.

First, our very own Douglas Kent gives us a sneak preview of the progress the Supply Chain Council has made in this field. We think you will be delighted with the work they have done to enable the measurement of Risk Exposure.

Kathleen Geraghty had the chance to interview Dr. Vinod Singhal of Georgia Tech before the ink has dried on his most recent study. Once again Vinod and Kevin Hendricks quantify the impact of supply chain disruption so we are better able to prioritize our efforts to mitigate risk - definitely one to pass on to the CFO or anyone interested in valuation volatility, stockholders everywhere.

Our third featured article was written by a new colleague and respected professional in the supply chain field - Robert Wm. Dean. Read more on his seasoned view on the relationship between the practitioner’s perspective and supply chain maturity and their approach to risk.

The last article in this issue offers insights from our Lean experts. Simon Baxter and Hitesh Attri bring to light Lean techniques that can be directly applied to reducing supply chain risk.

Finally, we have two updates on research at eKNOWtion, both in the strategic area of outsourcing. Learn more on the study and process model we created in collaboration with the University of Strathclyde and Scottish Enterprise and don’t miss the chance to participate in a current high tech focused study with Technology Forecasters.

We thank you for a year of great thought exchange and real supply chain advances globally. Have a very happy holiday season.

SCC Risk Management Team & Douglas Kent
For several years now the topic of Supply Chain 'Risk' has been discussed in the inner circles of operations professionals, however until recently very little has been done to help companies measure their degree of supply chain risk exposure and most importantly how to manage risk within the company’s supply chain. Read more...

by Kathleen Geraghty
In this interview with Dr. Vinod Singhal, we discuss about his recent study "The Effect of Demand-Supply Mismatches on Equity Volatility: An Analysis of Different Types of Supply Chain Risks". Based on the results from his research, Dr. Singhal provides guidance to Supply Chain Managers on how to deal with risk in supply chains. Read more...

by Robert Wm. Dean
For more than 30 years I have worked with companies around the world on supply chain related business opportunities. One thing the senior executives of those firms had in common was a relentless, positive perspective and motivation for change management to optimize inventories, increase on-time deliveries, improve their cost of supply acquisition, provide better service, open new markets, introduce new products, etc. Read more...

by Simon Baxter and Hitesh Attri
Don’t you find that the holiday season seems to start earlier and earlier each year? By the beginning of November the shops are stocked full of toys, games and gifts and the television is full of adverts. Planning for the season certainly begins earlier for the retailers and manufacturers who learned a hard lesson when they found their products sitting on ships waiting to be unloaded because of the gridlock at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports in 2004. Read more...

Building on the work Informed Outsourcing work with colleagues in Scotland, eKNOWtion is now leading an industry specific study in the high tech sector on behalf of Technology Forecasters. Parties interested in responding to an on-line survey will receive a summary of the results. Contact the research team at research@eKNOWtion.com for more details.

Serving as the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Supply Chain Operations Excellence practice leader, Douglas has over twenty years of experience focused on the development, marketing and deployment of tailored supply chain solutions for companies across a wide variety of industry sectors and brings energized leadership to eKNOWtion and its clients. Read more...

Serving as the company's Chief Operating and Knowledge Officer (COKO) and head of the eKNOWtion Research Academy, Kathleen has been supporting international clients for over fifteen years integrating a passion for performance and life in her work. Her extensive experience and hands-on approach have driven positive results for many companies and complex supply chains. Read more...