course materials

1. Based on your own independent research, identify a global event (could
be an act
Based on your own independent research, identify a global event (could be an act of God
event or man-made event) in the past that caused a massive disruption to supply chain and
logistics in the US (or another part of the world)? Also Comment on two of your peers on
what you learned from their post. 1. After reading the chapter and watching this week’s
videos a further understanding of the supply chain and how easily it could be affected. After
doing further research to find an event that caused a massive disruption I did much
research on the events of September 11th, 2001. Knowing the events that took place on
9/11 we knew of much heartache and loss but on top of that, the supply chain was also
greatly affected. With the closing of the United States, airspace grounding of the planes and
the closure of the borders immediately followed. Almost every supply chain was affected
due to these events. Within September 11, 2001, terrorist attack, manufacturers began to
experience disruptions to the flow of materials into assembly plants. Although pre-9/11
acts of terrorism had led to increased screening and security, supply chain security
measures more often focused on reducing cargo theft. The events of 9/11 turned
transportation equipment into weapons and underlined the potential for cargo to be used
for nefarious purposes. With those events back in 2001 today we are still ensuring proper
protocols that have been in effect. Since 9/11, there’s been a lot of attention paid to the
points where cargo changes hands: from the origin of manufacturing, to shipper, to marine
terminal for loading, to ocean carrier, to marine terminal for offloading, to rail and trucking,
to the warehouse and distribution centers. An example of how the 9/11 attacks affected the
supply chain was Ford having to idle several of its assembly lines intermittently as trucks
loaded with components were delayed at the Canadian and Mexican borders. Closing
borders and limiting airspace and traffic, the supply chain took a huge hit as they began
making stricter protocols regarding the supply chain and the screening process involved. 2.
One of the easiest global events to reflect on supply chain and logistics is the Covid-19
Pandemic. As something we all lived through are still living through, we all can see and feel
the lasting effects it has had on everything. From healthcare to inflation to supply chain,
there will always be reminiscences of Covid19. Because almost every country around the
world had gone into a lockdown, there was very little goods going in or out of the country.
There was also a surplus of inventory in a lot of the businesses that ended up going under
because of the little being sold. One of the supply chain issues was the supply and demand

2. issue that arose with lockdown. For example, the toilet paper shortage that stood out as one
of the biggest problems at the beginning of everything. The demand for toilet paper shot up
as supply remained the same and it was impossible for supply to meet demand due to
money and time constraints. A personal issue I remember coming into was at work. I work
in an Italian restaurant that had a lot of supply issues when opening back up to dine in
customers. Certain items had been taken off the menu because it was becoming too difficult
for the business to buy it. Some items come from Italy like some of the cheeses and sliced
meats.