This past Monday marked the one-month anniversary of the earthquake that struck Japan on March 11. As the country braces for aftershocks in the months to come, businesses around the world are steeling themselves against ripples in their global supply chains. In a recent community briefing, MIT experts spoke about the earthquake’s effects on supply chains for both commercial products and humanitarian aid.
Yossi Sheffi, director of the Center for Transportation and Logistics, said the growing disaster in Japan is already affecting companies throughout the world. Using examples from the automotive industry, the aerospace industry and the high tech industry, he explained the complexity and intricacy of global supply chains, noting that many of the supply chain implications are not known yet. Only one month after the earthquake, ships are still at sea with product dispatched before the earthquake and many companies will continuously discover dependencies on third- and fourth-tier suppliers.