Successful supply chain management requires a company to recover from disruptions, which are a normal part of any business. We have recently talked about unexpected and unusual disruptions / mistakes. But normal disruptions can and should be solved by the “operations people”.

How do supply chain technology vendors/VARs go about seeking and finding the weakest link in their clients' supply chain? Some depend on their Ouija board. Others have combed lots of research documents and can tell you to the letter what other companies found to be their weakest links. Others show up at the client's site with heavy-duty partners, meet with top management, view lots of slide shows and go away agreeing with the client where the weakest link is. Some 'radicals' actually take their time and interview with the company employees doing the work. Do you HAVE to use one of these vendors? What's wrong with self-assessment?

Malcolm Gladwell: One Character Trait That Will Make You Disruptive The best-selling author says it's not tech, money, or brainpower. What are the preconditions that make that kind of change possible?" Successful disrupters all tend to have one huge precondition that's far more important: the kinds of attitudes that lie behind provocateurs. He used a powerful story of shipping magnate Malcolm McLean, Gladwell revealed how having the right attitude is critical to effecting great change.