luka

Well-known member
From the U.S. to Sudan to China, container boxes have been lying at ports, railyards and in warehouses as the pandemic rages on. In an industry with 25 million containers and some 6,000 ships hauling them, it’s easy to see disruptions as one big headache confined to the shipping world. But each container that’s delayed is economic activity that’s restrained, heaping costs one box at a time on consumers and making it more challenging to put corn on consumers’ tables or deliver presents for the holidays.


It’s also a lesson in the ripple effects across global supply chains, showing the limits of diversification as all networks are still closely connected with China.


“All roads lead back to China, and that has a major effect across the entire supply chain,” said Dawn Tiura, head of U.S.-based Sourcing Industry Group. “Congestion at one port or factory has far-reaching implications for neighboring facilities, which trickles out across the world.”
 

luka

Well-known member
I mean I'll tell you what I think, access to early warning systems and market intelligence are important for keeping a close watch on developments that impact the flow of goods, but companies should also have experts across different commodity categories using the systems to pick up early warnings and prepare early on for potential constraints. A wide range of materials go into a single product, and it’s important to know where those materials come from. Mapping only one or two categories or Tier One suppliers is not sufficient. In the case of the semiconductor shortage, the carmakers’ inability to get a $5 chip from a Tier Three supplier derailed the entire automotive industry.


In a similar misstep, many supply chain managers failed to adequately monitor polymer suppliers because those materials go into low-cost items like adhesives and resins. While they’re widely used across many products, their low cost meant they were not top of mind at many companies. To build a more resilient supply chain, it’s vital to look at even the most inexpensive parts and materials when they are critical to products and revenues and not just expensive, sophisticated, or specialty items.


Many companies also make the mistake of paying close attention only to their direct suppliers and not to their suppliers’ suppliers. Best-in-class companies take time to identify the suppliers’ suppliers that are critical to the continuing production of their top revenue generators and proactively map, monitor, and protect those entire supply lines.


When sourcing constrained materials, companies compete with buyers with the deepest pockets who are not necessarily their traditional competitors. Those that have had early warnings of disruptions and visibility into which sites and products would be impacted have been able to get in line first to grab available inventory and capacity. In this environment, companies that are better prepared to act quickly have a competitive advantage.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
re: middle class tweeting:

"lemons, chillis, parsley, spring onions, aubergines, cumin, almonds, bottled water, beans, feta, haloumi, basil, soy sauce and risotto rice"

as a mostly-vegetarian household (one of us doesn't eat meat, the other one only really likes it from McDonalds and Greggs and Bernard Matthews, both of us on taste grounds more than anything) not being able to get ingredients like this to provide flavour means food can become really boring and unpleasant quickly. We rely heavily on mushrooms and aubergines to bulk up a lot of recipes, and there really is nothing more disappointing than getting to Aldi and having to buy carrots and hope to improvise.

to me, middle-class decadence is takeaways twice a week and lots of posh ready meals, not discount veg in a German supermarket.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
I started a new job recently and one of the volunteer workers is an 87-year-old woman who can clearly remember running down to an air-raid shelter during war. The way she thinks about food is so strange to me because she grew up with rationing. We chat about what we're having for dinner and she pulls faces when I say I'm having things like pasta or pizza. "I've never tried exotic foods like honey." It's really easy to take for granted how easily accessible it is for us now.
 

john eden

male pale and stale
I think it’s safe to assume that someone called Vittoria who describes herself as “a wanton Miranda Hart” is middle class.

But I do hate the idea the Proper Fucking Working Class (PFWC) people can’t enjoy haloumi or lemons. Clearly they can, and there is nothing noble about subsisting on a diet of gruel and gravel or whatever.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I started a new job recently and one of the volunteer workers is an 87-year-old woman who can clearly remember running down to an air-raid shelter during war. The way she thinks about food is so strange to me because she grew up with rationing. We chat about what we're having for dinner and she pulls faces when I say I'm having things like pasta or pizza. "I've never tried exotic foods like honey." It's really easy to take for granted how easily accessible it is for us now.
Pizza or pasta I can kind of understand, if she hasn't updated her culinary map of the universe in the last 50+ years for some reason, but honey?! That's crazy.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I guess maybe it wasn't available when she was a girl due to rationing, but not trying it even once in the nearly 70 years since rationing ended is a conscious choice, surely.

@boxedjoy are you quite certain she isn't winding you up?
 
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boxedjoy

Well-known member
I thought she was at first. But a few weeks in and after seeing what she eats and chatting about food, I'm certain this is real. She once ate cheese that was a bit past-its-best when she was a teenager and hasn't tried it since, and was confused when I was eating Philadelphia on bagels on Friday, "I thought you were having a cheese sandwich?"

The person I've taken over for in the job usually makes this lady her lunch, as she's a volunteer and it's their way of thanking her for coming in. She usually has a sandwich with "ham and beef paste" which I didn't even know was a thing you could get. I've been considering bringing in some stuff for her to try, but I'm also cautious because I'm only half-joking when I say that I think something lightly spiced would put her in hospital.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
it's definitely a conscious decision. I've actually put my notice in at this job already because there's been a few major deal-breakers for me around the workplace culture and race politics, and I'm not in a position to change anything about them so I'm walking away. Comments about "those immigrants" and "coloured people" that aren't acceptable, that kind of thing endemic in different areas of the business, so it doesn't surprise me that the older lady isn't willing to try new things when the people she spends time around are discouraging it themselves.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
The person I've taken over for in the job usually makes this lady her lunch, as she's a volunteer and it's their way of thanking her for coming in. She usually has a sandwich with "ham and beef paste" which I didn't even know was a thing you could get. I've been considering bringing in some stuff for her to try, but I'm also cautious because I'm only half-joking when I say that I think something lightly spiced would put her in hospital.
Brexit is basically a conspiracy to make us all eat like this again, isn't it?

If Brexit had a taste, it would be the taste of Shipham's Meat Paste on Mighty White bread.
 

john eden

male pale and stale
The daughter has had a summer job in a Vietnamese restaurant and it has been entertaining listening to her tales of privilieged customers being shitty.

Also good deeds. Because of the schools she went to, she is hyper aware that she is reasonably well off compared to some (and not compared to some others). One day a mother and daughter came in and looked a bit awkward when they'd been seated and looked at the menu. It was daytime and sounded like they hadn't figured it was a Vietnamese place.

They wanted coffee, but the coffee on offer is quite expensive (£4) and fancy. Which by their reaction seemed to make them quite anxious. So my daughter, being excellent, suggested some Jasmine tea instead, which is much cheaper.

Anyway, they loved Jasmine tea and were really effusive in their thanks and what could have been a really awkward and painful experience all round ended up being a good thing.

It maybe sounds quite patronising, but they had actually been quite brave I think and brazened it out and tried something new.
 

Leo

Well-known member
hung out yesterday with someone in publishing, she mentioned how the supply chain is screwed up globally (her printer in is Hong Kong and they talk all the time about shipments). also, she said the cost of international shipping is up 300% from 12-18 months ago, and we all should expect delays and price increases on lots of things in the near future.

it's not just a Brexit thing.
 
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