Chain Reaction
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -Chain Reaction is the podcast 'All About Supply Chain Advantage' containing regular audio snippets relevant to C suite executives, supply chain professionals, researchers, policy makers in government, students, media commentators and the wider public. New episodes each week discuss hot topics in the news and supply chain ideas relevant to everyone involved in supply chain management. There are special editions too.
Our goal is to keep our listeners updated and informed about the various factors that can influence the dynamics of supply chains. As the world continues to evolve, so too do the complexities of global supply chains. By keeping an eye on these global events, we can anticipate potential challenges and opportunities, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of supply chains with agility and insight.
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Episodes
SC News Round Up 18th June 2022
June 18, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBAll things impacting global supply chains this week. Interest Rates rise in the US and the UK Inflation set reach higher levels later in the year Oil prices continue to rise Energy costs are the main thrust of inflationary pressures Shanghai in lock down again China has to move goods by rail to ship because of Russia's invasion in Ukraine The Northern Ireland Protocol and Brexit woes continue in the UK Rail strikes looming in the UK Food Inflation UK ships oil and gas to the US a...
China Supply Dependency
June 16, 2022 06:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBThe question addressed here is how healthy is the Western Economies' dependency on China as the 'workshop of the world'? Waking up to reality- the world's dependency on China continues despite disruptions due to Covid19. China dominates manufacturing in electronic goods and in processing metals that are needed to produce batteries for Electric Vehicles (EV's) such as Cobalt and Lithium. China is regarded as a middle and upper income country according to the World Bank. China is responsible...
SC News Round Up 11th June
June 11, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBAll things affecting global supply chains this week from around the world. Energy costs are the number one priority to get supply chains back on track. Followed closely by a swift end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Fertilizer costs hit farms all over the globe. CF producers fertlizer in the UK and this week announced closure of one of its two plants despite increased demand and shortages of supply. Target has too much inventory. Tessla steps back from its China recruitment drive. Fue...
Designed in California Made Elsewhere
June 08, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBThe Apple iPhone is one of the world's most successful products. A great deal of that success beyond design has been how Apple has been able to configure its' supply network to leverage global expertise and assemble products at low cost to sell at higher prices. Profits generated have enabled Apple to reinvest capital and innovate new technologies to develop more products. As the number one smartphone company it draws more than 40% of the total smartphone industry revenue and more than 50% o...
SC News Round Up 4th June
June 04, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBAll things affecting or affected by global supply chains this week. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2024 available from Routledge, Amazon and all good book stores. Each week we hav...
The Future of Supply Chains
June 01, 2022 11:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBIn this episode Tony Hines reviews current trends in talk and thinking around supply chains as economies recover from the pandemic. Disruptions have caused nervousness in global trade. Talk is focused around change and if there is a new normal or more settled times ahead. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chain...
SC News Round Up 28th May
May 28, 2022 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBThe Supply Chain News Round Up - All things happening in Supply Chains around the world. Lockdowns in China still causing disrupton but is there light at the end of the tunnel? Toyota and other automobile manufacturers still struggling to get hold of microchips. The UAE Trade Minister focused on global trade at Davos. Inflation at a 40 year high. Impending rail strike in the UK may disrupt food supplies as well as passenger transport. Europe forecast to lose nearly 8% GDP as a conseque...
The Circular Economy
May 25, 2022 14:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBSupply chains play a central role in the circular economy. In this episode Tony Hines examines change and how it can be harnessed to improve the way we do things that reduce waste and pollution that damages the planet, the people, animals and ecosystems. The degenerative take, make use and lose approach of the industrial age is being replaced by the regenerative design of dynamic systems to renew, reuse, repurpose and recycle resources. Ensuring sufficient resources remain for future generat...
SC News Round Up 14th May
May 14, 2022 11:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBEverything happening this week affecting supply chains around the world. Economic Outlook China still in lockdown causing delays Difficult times for car manufacturers Tessla and Toyota halt production in Shanghai temporarily Batteries and components in short supply Automated cargo ships using AI Climate change and sustainability goals - reducing carbon in steel manufacture Premiums being paid for returned container boxes UK Government in denial over woeful planning in a post Brexit...
Reflections On Resilient Supply Chains
May 10, 2022 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBGeopolitics is taking center stage in many global supply chains. Securing assets and ensuring supply chains are resilient is a top priority for governments and companies. China has invested in the Central Africa Copper Belt during the past twenty years to secure access to rare metals needed for all types of tech producst including Electric vehicales (EV's). The US and the EU lag way behind China listen to find out more. Supply chains are always in transition from local to regional; from re...
Supply Chain News Round Up 7th May 2022
May 07, 2022 11:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBEverything happening in global supply chains this week. China port closures and the impact on trade world-wide. The cost of Returns as online sales rise. Amazon Prime coming of age. Problems in global shipping. The economic landscape in Europe and the US as interste rates and inflation hit home. US Treasury Secretary calls for more regional supply chains. Intel, Shell, Apple, Maersk, Amazon all in the news. Guest Prof Regina Frei, Southampton Business School comments on returning goo...
Turbulent Times
May 03, 2022 11:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBBusiness Briefcase It has been six years since the UK voted to leave the EU. One thing that has become clear since is the woeful lack of preparation and planning by the Government. Listen to why this is so. Supply chain chaos, additional friction, labour shortages, delays, problems with border controls and the Northern Ireland Protocol. Things have moved on and we have had disruptions due to the Global Pandemic and the War in Ukraine. The Global Supply Chain Volatility may well remain a per...
Supply Chain News Round Up 30th April
April 30, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBEverything happening in supply chains this week: Shanghai in lock down and the impact on China and the rest of the world. Food and energy supplies, inflationary pressures and the economy. The price of Brexit continues to impact the UK economy as the government delays border controls yet again. Port Authorities threaten to sue governmnet. Flying taxis and how they could impact supply chains. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook Support the show About Tony Hines ...
Supply Chain News Round Up 23rd April
April 23, 2022 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBInflation is driving supply chain costs and disruptions remain. Listen to the news from around the world affecting supply chains this week. Retail sales were lower last month as spiralling price increases hit discretionary spend. It cost Apple $6 billion dollars in each of the past two quarters due to microchip shortages. Update on US Port delays. Further delays likely on customs checks at British ports after departure from the EU says British Government. Price increases choke demand fo...
Volatile Global Supply Chains
April 19, 2022 13:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBGlobal Supply Chains have been the dominant paradigm for the past thirty years or more. In this episode learn why that is so. Listen to what Professor Hines has to say on this topic. " Volatility suggests instability and unpredictability. Chain reactions occur when chemicals added to existing chemicals cause further reactions that spread throughout the system. " Volatility in supply chains has a similar effect "A series of events happen each caused by the previous event. Supply chains are ...
Supply Chain News Round Up 16th April
April 16, 2022 11:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBFood prices are rising and consumers are paying a heavy price. CPI reached 7% in the UK in the year to March 2022 and 8% in the US. Pork prices are up 25% year on year. Energy prices have increased starkly too. Diesel and Gasoline have risen too making transport costs much higher. Problems at UK ports persist and there are still serious labour shortages including HGV drivers. Shanghai is still locked down with consequential impact on factory closures and ports at a standstill. P&O Ferrie...
Supply Chain Risk and Brand Reputation
April 06, 2022 14:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBAre you protecting your assets? Two of the most important assets all businesses need to protect are inventories and brand reputation. There are of course others but in this episode we focus on risk and reputation. Risk - When you deliver goods to a port to be loaded on a ship that is when risk begins. Transporting the goods that you have produced with all the cost that has gone into those goods is value that can be lost if you do not protect your assets. This is where insurance comes into ...
Supply Chain News Round Up 2nd April 2022
April 02, 2022 20:00 - 13 minutes - 9.27 MBThe Supply Chain News Round Up for April 2nd reports on events around the world impacting supply chains. P&O The UK CEO dismisses 800 employees on a Zoom call wiyhout notice. The UK Government has instigated criminal proceedings. Shanghai is in lockdown again with Covid. The OBR says Brexit will cause a loss of 4 per cent. The Sustainable Apparel Coalition Higg Index gives polyester a green light. Experts are highly critical. UK productivity slow down causes identified by Cambridge Uni...
Planning Service Levels
March 29, 2022 16:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBService levels require careful planning. If supply chains are to be resilient businesses have to be responsive to customer demand and agile to supply goods and services when required. To provide excellent service means meeting customer demand and that requires inventory management. Planning service levels to meet dynamic demand is key. Serving customers means businesses have to have inventory available. Holding inventory ties up working capital so the trick is to keep inventories low whilst...
Planning Service Levels
March 29, 2022 16:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBService levels require careful planning. If supply chains are to be resilient businesses have to be responsive to customer demand and agile to supply goods and services when required. To provide excellent service means meeting customer demand and that requires inventory management. Planning service levels to meet dynamic demand is key. Serving customers means businesses have to have inventory available. Holding inventory ties up working capital so the trick is to keep inventories low whilst...
Supply Chain Careers, Skills and Courses
March 22, 2022 16:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBIn this episode Tony Hines introduces the topic of supply chain skills necessary to enter careers in supply chain management. In conversation with two special guests Dr Regina Frei, Associate Professor at Southampton University Business School and Dr Eoin Plant-O'Toole, Associate Professor at Napier University, Edinburgh he asks them what they think are the skills needed to build a career in supply chains. Both guests have new courses that they have developed in Logistics and Supply Chain M...
Supply Chain News Round Up 12th March
March 12, 2022 14:00 - 16 minutes - 11.2 MBOil prices steadied this week but consumer and business costs are still rising as a result of recent increases. Food inflation is giving cause for concern. This week as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues many of the world's largest brands have pulled out of Russia closing plants, retail stores and pausing operations. Payment system providers such as Visa, Mastercard and Pay Pal have also withdrawn. Shipping volumes to Russia fell by 40 per cent in the first week of March. Many Russian fl...
Supply Chain Resilience in Health Care: Redistributed Manufacturing
March 09, 2022 12:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBIn this special edition we take a look at the adoption of redistributed manufacturing(RDM) as a means of making health care supply chains more resilient. Tony Hines speaks with Professor Wendy Phillips who is professor of innovation at Bristol Business School, University of West England and a leading researcher in this field. RDM has potential to engage local communities to become co-producers in providing products and services at the point of consumption and to customize them to meet the s...
Supply Chain Resilience in Health Care
March 09, 2022 12:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this special edition we take a look at the adoption of redistributive manufacturing(RDM) as a means of making health care supply chains more resilient. Tony Hines speaks with Professor Wendy Phillips who is professor of innovation at Bristol Business School, University of West England and a leading researcher in this field. RDM has potential to engage local communities to become co-producers in providing products and services at the point of consumption and to customize them to meet the ...
Supply Chain News Round Up 5th March
March 06, 2022 09:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBRussia's invasion of Ukraine dominated news headlines this week. We take a look at the implications for global supply chains. We also take a look at California's 22 point plan to combat plastic waste along with a new tax on plastic packaging in the UK. Public procurement may need to take a look at the wider geopolitical implications of procurement and not simply choose suppliers offering the best price. Listen to the full round up here. You can follow Chain Reaction on LinkedIn, Twitter...
Resilient Supply Chains in Healthcare - Extract
March 02, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1000 KBThis is a short extract from a forthcoming episode on resilient supply chains in healthcare where Professor Wendy Phillips from Bristol Business School discusses redistributed manufacturing as a strategy to improve timeliness to meet patient needs better. Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early...
Reverse Supply Chains
February 23, 2022 13:00 - 29 minutes - 20.1 MBIn this episode Tony Hines takes a look at the philosophy behind supply chains in our material world. We also look at the whole area of reverse supply chains with special guest Dr Regina Frei, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Southampton University. We look at how some customers cost us more than others as well as how some suppliers are more costly to deal with than others and we have the usual news round up from round the globe. The growth of internet retail has caused an ...
Supply Chain Weekly Round Up
February 19, 2022 15:00 - 11 minutes - 8.04 MBThis is the weekly round up of everything happening in global supply chains. Inflation is still the biggest story everywhere with input costs rising. The pandemic has been blamed for lowering ouput and supply chain disruptions. Governments in Europe and the United States are trying to deflect criticism for consumer price inflation at its highest level for 30 years in the UK at 5.5% and at 7.5% in the US the highest figure in 40 years. Not since the 1980s has the US seen this level of inf...
Outlook for Supply Chains
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBAIR CARGO We hear a lot about trucks and ships but we don’t hear much about air freight. In this episode Tony Hines takes a look at the world’s largest airport and the part it plays in cargo movement. About 1.7 million metric tonnes of cargo pass through Heathrow annually. Heathrow Airport is the UK’s largest airport. It has two runways and wants to add a third as it deals with passenger volumes around 80 million people prior to the pandemic annually and it expects to develop capacity to in...
Reverse Supply Chains Forthcoming Preview
February 10, 2022 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.37 MBThis is a short preview of a forthcoming episode. Tony Hines talks to Dr Regina Frei who tells us about her research in this area. Listen to the brief extract from that interview which will be available shortly. Support the show About Tony Hines and the Chain Reaction Podcast – All About Supply Chain Advantage I have been researching and writing about supply chains for over 25 years. I wrote my first book on supply chain strategies in the early 2000s. The latest edition is published in 2...
Supply Chain News Update
January 31, 2022 18:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBSupply Chain News from around the globe. This week Tony Hines looks at the continuing CO2 production problems for the UK Food Industry returning to a story that hit the headlines back in August 2021. CF a US company has two fertilizer production plants in the UK one at Ince near Warrington and the other in Durham. CO2 which is a byproduct of fertilizer production is sold to the UK Food and Drinks industry. It provides most of the supply. The UK Government provided a financial package back in...
Battery Technology And Volatile Energy Markets
January 25, 2022 13:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBIn this episode of Chain Reaction Tony Hines takes a look at emergent battery technology for the electrical vehicle revolution. The announcement by the UK Government this week of a new factory in Northumberland will increase capacity and yet the British Volt investment along with the existing plant in Sunderland previously owned by Nissan before it was sold to a Chinese based business will still fall significantly short of supply needed by 2040 to meet demand. So there is more to do. The rac...
Stay Informed About Supply Chains in 2022
January 14, 2022 12:00 - 1 minute - 1.32 MBIf you are a CEO, Supply Chain Professional, Policy Adviser, Academic or Student you should spend some time each week listening to Chain Reaction - All About Supply Chain Advantage; we will keep you updated with what's happening. Listen on your way to work or on the way home. We have regular listeners comprising CEO's, Supply Chain Professionals, Governments, Policy Makers, Academics, Students and Media/Press. Listeners from 297 cities in 43 countries tune in. So what are you waiting for, s...
Gas Supply, Electric Vehicles, Retail Discounters
January 10, 2022 19:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBElectric Vehicles and concerns about battery power feature in this epsiode. We also take a look at supermarket retailing in the United Kingdom. How discounters are winning market share. Gas prices are rising in Europe and Gazprom is seeking approval to open its pipeline from Russia through Europe. China has announced the removal of subsidies for New Energy Vehicles (NEV's). Gazprom is the largest supplier gas world-wide. It is Russian owned. It is currently negotiating with the European Uni...
Tariffs, Trade Policies and Supply Chains - Special Edition
January 05, 2022 03:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBIn this episode Tony Hines takes a look at tariffs, trade policies and how they impact supply chains. Is managing international trade through the blunt instrument of tariffs and quotas fit for purpose in the 21st Century? Should governments be looking for better ways to facilitate trade? We begin by examining a brief history of tariffs by taking a look at how they developed as an instrument to grow the British Empire in the 18th Century and how tariffs became the genesis for the United State...
What’s New In 22?
January 01, 2022 15:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBWhat’s New In 22? In this episode Tony Hines sets out his supply chain predictions for 2022. What will the supply chain landscape look like in 2022? What will you do in 22 that will make things better for you and your organization? Digital Transformation is top of my list if you are not already there yet. Returns are a big problem for retailers online and in store. We take a look at the problem of returns. The growth in E-commerce in 2020 was about 44 per cent and online sales overall c...
2021 A Supply Chain Year In Review - The Ghost of Christmas Present
December 29, 2021 11:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBListen to the episode to find out more about all the major events that shaped supply chains in 2021. You might also want to review some previous episodes that deal in detail with some of the topics discussed. You can also read articles by Tony Hines here. To say 2021 was a difficult year for supply chains and everyone working in them would be an understatement. Keeping goods moving around the world has been an immense challenge fro everyone with Covid 19 intervening haphazardly to disrupt ...
Fashioning Business Success
December 23, 2021 18:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBIn this episode Tony Hines talks about business success. Here is the link to the full text of the talk Fashioning Business Success | LinkedIn I hesitate to write or talk about business success. It is like writing about the Holy Grail. There are so many opinions and little evidence to determine what business success looks like. Nevertheless, given this caveat write about business success, I will. In particular, I want to illustrate the central role that supply chains occupy in any successful...
The Ghost of Christmas Past
December 19, 2021 14:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBIn this Christmas Special this is the first of three episodes looking at past, present and future of supply chains. In this episode Tony Hines looks at the road travelled by supply chain professionals over the past half century and more. Noting that the phrase supply chain itself was only coined back in 1982 and then it was simply looking at what went on in a single firm. It is remarkable to think of all the parts that had to come together to make up the total supply chain system we recogni...
Supply Chain Critical
December 06, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBSupply Chain Critical could well describe many supply chains around the globe right now. In this episode Tony Hines takes a look at US food and other supply chain disruptions following President Biden's initiative to get parties around the table to discuss issues. On November 29th the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an order to discuss what's going on in those supply chains. The FTC stated “Supply chain disruptions are upending the provision and delivery of a wide array of goods, rang...
The Only Way Is Up
November 26, 2021 19:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBInflation in the US is at a thirty year high standing at 6.2% and in the UK the Consumer Price Index stands at 4.2% in November up 1.1% from a month ago. As demand goes up and supply remains short inflation is one consequence. In this episode Tony Hines discusses cause and effect and what it means for supply chains. Shipping is such an important part of global supply chains and 90 per cent of global trade is moved at some point by ships. As container vessels get bigger and bigger what is th...
Future Beyond COP 26
November 16, 2021 18:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBIn this episode Tony Hines provides a short summing up of the recent COP26 event in Glasgow UK and discusses what's next for supply chains beyond COP. He also takes a look at the importance of supply chain partnerships and the benefits they bring to organizations. It is a way of accessing complementary skills. He revisits some early lessons that he thinks are just as important as ever for supply chain professionals and businesses that want to improve performance. Cost, Time, Quality, Capabi...
Greener Cleaner Frictionless Trade
November 03, 2021 01:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBIn this episode Tony Hines discusses greener, cleaner, frictionless trade as well as catching up on some news issues. The fire on the container ship off the coast of Victoria British Columbia is another reminder of the hazards involved in transporting chemicals. A new way to produce electric vehicles is discussed focusing on Arrival's Oxfordshire site. Some interesting innovations point to the green vehicle revolution and how it will differe from anything the industry has previously seen. It...
An Invitation to Supply Chain Research
November 02, 2021 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBIn this episode Tony Hines discusses why supply chain research is such a rich area of knowledge generation with both practical relevance and academic rigour. The episode will be of particular interest to those doing research into supply chains as well as new entrants to supply chain management. Students on MBA courses and doing research degrees may find this episode of particular interest. Board members and senior managers reflecting on their role and their own supply chains may find somethi...
Timing is Everything
October 19, 2021 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBTiming is everything says Tony Hines when it comes to achieving supply chain advantage. Whether it is how long it takes to procure goods, process work-flows or transport goods (raw materials, work-in-progress or finished inventories) to the customer. Time endows advantage. Of course time can also be a problem if you do not manage it well. Managing time in supply chains is a risk. Ther are uncertainities beyond your control that give rise to risks that you may not have factored in. Even the m...
Troubled Waters - Energy, Shortages, Ships and Policies
October 13, 2021 18:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this episode Tony Hines looks at the troubled waters everywhere in supply chains. As the world is slowly opening up trade again excessive demand for energy, shipping and other goods has put pressure on struggling supply chains grappling with labour shortages. In Europe wholesale gas prices increased by 60 per cent in just one day before falling back. This was a result of Russia controlling supplies into the EU. In the United Kingdom the rocketing price of energy has resulted in industries...
Just In Time Not Too Late
October 06, 2021 17:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBThis episode discusses some issues affecting supply chains in the news this week. They include: Problems for Pig Farmers in the UK; The Oil Spill in the Amplify Pipeline in California; Ways to lower your carbon footprint in supply chains and what governments are doing to achieve net zero targets; There are still supply chain issues in the UK because of a shortage of HGV drivers and the shortages of fuel at service station forecourts. Increasing costs are driving up inflationary pressures alo...
A Bevy of Black Swans: Reflections on Recent Disruptions
September 28, 2021 11:00 - 35 minutes - 24.2 MBThis episode takes a retrospective view of supply chain disruptions during the Pandemic. In it we examine the rhetoric of policy makers and the realities of disruption and in some cases the supply chain chaos caused by a failure of planning and execution. Evidence for the claims is brought into focus. Some of the unusual events were certainly that but were they really ‘Black Swans’. One could argue that if it is something beyond experience it is rightly described as a ‘black swan moment’ and...
Energy Cost and Food Chain Disruption
September 21, 2021 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBEnergy Supply, Cost and Disruption This week's episode takes a closer look at energy cost and food chain disruptions occurring in the supply chain. Energy usage in the UK still dominated by fossil fuel 47 per cent Gas and 2 per cent Coal. Last week the UK had to bring back a coal source when wind powered fell short of the target. Border Controls and Food Supply Disruption Border controls post Brexit have been called useless by Marks and Spencer saying they are not fit for purpose. It i...
Fix the Weakest Link in Your Supply Chain
September 14, 2021 13:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBIn this week's episode we follow up from last time and discuss what went wrong with supply chains in the past eighteen months and how to fix the weakest links in your supply chains. Tony Hines makes the distinction between two types of problem that disrupt supply chains. His type 1 problem is one caused by issues in a particular supply chain. Type 2 problems are systemic and effect all supply chains. He gives specific examples of the two types he has identified and offers some suggestions o...