supply chain Archives

professor ravi sarathy holding his new book

Northeastern professor explains how blockchain can be a creative disruptor of business

A new book by professor Ravi Sarathy explores the reasons why businesses are reluctant to utilize blockchain and offers solutions to the problems the digital ledger still presents.

by Noah Lloyd October 18, 2022

A family sits on a rock in front of a cargo ship anchored in the Marmara Sea awaiting approval to cross the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul, Turkey, on July 13, 2022. AP Photo/Khalil Hamra

Ukraine-Russia grain export deal could still go forward, but Russian attack on grain port puts trust in jeopardy, Northeastern expert say

The world was anxiously awaiting an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to renew exports of grain via the Black Sea. Now that the deal brokered by the UN and Turkey is up in the air, after Russia attacked a Southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, a Northeastern expert explains why the deal was so important and what to expect next.

by Alena Kuzub July 22, 2022

People walk by the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on May 12, 2022 in New York City.

How long will inflation last? And will it trigger a recession?

The causes of inflation were hard to anticipate, says Robert Triest, chair and professor of economics at Northeastern. But he is optimistic that the outcome of the current wave of rising prices is predictable—and that it will result in a relatively favorable ending.

by Ian Thomsen May 17, 2022

The U.S. Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C., the United States. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday reaffirmed the central bank's plan to raise interest rates in the upcoming policy meeting, noting that he is inclined to support a 25-basis-point rate hike. Photo by Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images

What does the US have to do to avoid a recession?

A recessionary period, defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth, may be inevitable in the coming months as the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates in an effort to crack down on inflation, Northeastern economists say.

by Tanner Stening April 13, 2022

A truck is refueling, surrounded by banana trees.

What does the war in Ukraine have to do with the price of bananas? It’s complicated.

Surging oil and gas prices will spill over into the supply chains for just about everything that has to be carted around the world, says Nada Sanders, university distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. In the case of bananas—which have a “very long” footprint—the story is a complicated one.

by Tanner Stening and Eva Botkin-Kowacki March 23, 2022

A container ship in the port of St. Petersburg. Certain goods and technologies may no longer be brought into Russia from the EU and other Western countries without further ado. Photo by: Igor Russak/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

The Russia-Ukraine war could throw global supply chains into chaos. And that’s the best-case scenario.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine extends into its fourth week, its effect on global supply chains—already beleaguered by the COVID-19 pandemic—is only just beginning. “This is going to have a significant impact,” says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply-chain management at Northeastern. “I’m extremely concerned.”

by Molly Callahan March 18, 2022

What does the future of the global supply chain look like?

Spencer Fung, who runs a Hong Kong-based supply-chain manager, spoke to Northeastern students about the future of the global supply chain as businesses contend with a host of disruptions—from the continued rise of e-commerce to the COVID-19 pandemic.

by Tanner Stening February 22, 2022

A truck arrives to pick up a shipping container near vessels moored at Maersk APM Terminals Pacific at the Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is on track to move a record volume of import cargo this year. Officials at the nation's busiest port expect to hit the new mark, even as they struggle to clear a backup of ship traffic and ease supply chain snarls that have been blamed for product shortages and higher shelf prices.

Supply chains are a mess. But there’s hope on the horizon.

The ongoing bottlenecks are likely to contribute to inflation as businesses pass rising costs on to consumers. But there are potential fixes to be found in 18th-century shipping systems, says Stephen Flynn, founding director of the Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern.

by Ian Thomsen January 11, 2022

woman with long dark hair standing in front of puma building

When the supply chain buckled, this co-op at Puma laced up her sneakers and jumped in

Sakshi Agarwal, a marketing major with an eye for creative design, landed a co-op at Puma just as the world’s supply chain problems became front page news. The third-year student keeps track of inventory, not an easy feat when working for a global footwear and apparel brand that does business in more than 120 countries.

by Peter Ramjug November 8, 2021

Here’s why your presents may not arrive in time for the holidays

Supply-chain shortages will distress the global economy far beyond the holiday shopping season, says Nada Sanders, distinguished professor of supply chain management at Northeastern. “The holidays are going to be dismal,” adds Sanders, who warns that government and business leaders are missing an opportunity to mitigate the crisis.

by Ian Thomsen October 22, 2021

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