Yossi Sheffi

TAGS: Strategy

Sheffi builds on three years of research aimed at understanding the effects of disruptions on supply chain operations. He highlights just how vulnerable supply chains can be, often as a result of events far removed from a business's operations. In particular, Sheffi sets out to address what he calls low probability/high impact events – those that are hard to predict with any certainty, but that can have a devastating effect on a business. OFFICIAL BIO [PDF] TOPICS Logistics Clusters Yossi Sheffi outlines the characteristic “positive feedback loop” of logistics clusters development; how logistics clusters “add value” by generating other industrial activities; why firms should locate their distribution and value-added activities in logistics clusters; and the proper role of government support, in the form of investment, regulation, and trade policy. Sheffi also argues for the most important advantage offered by logistics clusters in today’s recession-plagued economy: jobs, many of them open to low-skilled workers, that are concentrated locally and not “offshorable.” These logistics clusters offer what is rare in today’s economy: authentic success stories. For this reason, numerous regional and central governments as well as scores of real estate developers are investing in the development of such clusters. The Resilient Enterprise: How should companies define and prioritize threats? What are the common characteristics of all high-impact disruptions? Can companies prepare without knowing the type of disruptions they may face? How should companies maintain lean operations, which aim to reduce redundancy, without increasing vulnerability? Are intentional disruptions fundamentally different from accidents and random phenomena? How can disruptions be detected when so many simultaneous events are taking place in the normal course of commerce? How can a company build in flexibility so that it can be resilient? Should companies always prefer multiple suppliers to single-sourcing? What new risks and rewards affect collaboration in this new world? What is the role of corporate culture in resilience? How can security investments support the main mission of the enterprise? Can they be cost-justified? Professor Sheffi sheds light on all these questions and more in a call for action based on the experience of many companies – those who did well in the face of disruptions and those who faltered.

Logistics Clusters: Delivering Value and Driving Growth Why is Memphis home to hundreds of motor carrier terminals and distribution centers? Why does the tiny island-nation of Singapore handle a fifth of the world’s maritime containers and half the world’s annual supply of crude oil? How come UPS dispenses prescriptions? Which jobs can replace lost manufacturing jobs in advanced economies? Some of the answers to these questions are rooted in the phenomenon of logistics clusters--geographically concentrated sets of logistics-related business activities. In this book, supply chain management expert Yossi Sheffi explains why Memphis, Singapore, Chicago, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, and scores of other locations have been successful in developing such clusters, while others were not... MORE → The Resilient Enterprise: Overcoming Vulnerability for Competitive Advantage In The Resilient Enterprise, Yossi Sheffi shows that companies' fortunes in the face of such business shocks depend more on choices made before the disruption than they do on actions taken in the midst of it. He shows how companies can build in flexibility throughout their supply chains, based on proven design principles and the right culture - balancing security, redundancy, and short-term profits. Sheffi describes the way companies can increase security - reducing the likelihood of disruptions... MORE → LINKS Yoshi's page at MIT page Book trailer: Logistics Clusters Video: Supply Chain Management The Nation: Article archive