Retailers: Understanding the Risks of Global Supply Chains and How to Manage Them

In a world with ever more complex global supply chains, retailers find themselves exposed to increasing levels of supply chain risk. They also tend to bear a disproportionate amount of the consumer backlash when things go wrong. This paper addresses several points for retailers to consider when seeking to manage their global supply chain risks. Firstly, we examine supply chain complexity and risk before exploring the importance of having a robust Quality Assurance Programme. We then go on to consider how to manage product recalls, the challenges faced by private label products and details around social and environmental auditing.