Materials Handling & Logistics’ article “Resilient by Design: Why Modern Supply Chains Can’t Rely on Efficiency Alone,” by George Ninikas, argues that cost-optimized networks on paper often break down when real-world conditions change. Ninikas, senior vice president of sales and accounts, supply chain planning, Americas for ORTEC, explains that overly lean, efficiency-only designs can become fragile when demand shifts, capacity tightens or disruptions ripple through transportation and sourcing. He makes the case for treating resilience as a core design objective—building in flexibility, redundancy and responsiveness so tactical execution can adapt without constantly destroying carefully modeled plans.

The article highlights practical ways to embed resilience, from scenario-based network design and dynamic routing to planning processes that connect strategic models with day-to-day scheduling, dispatching and inventory decisions. Ninikas emphasizes that organizations need a “helicopter view” of their supply chain, supported by good data and advanced analytics, so planners can see trade-offs, re-balance capacity and protect service levels when conditions change. For manufacturers and logistics leaders, his message is clear: competitive advantage now depends on supply chains that are resilient by design, not just efficient in stable times.

Read the full article here.