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balance between efficiency and resilience is the key trade-off faced by supply chain managers, according to a recent research paper from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the business-to-business arm of analyst firm The Economist Group. Based on interviews with supply chain executives from Whirlpool Corp., Coca-Cola Co., Home Depot, Inc. and other companies, the paper highlights supply chain problems in the aftermath of the extraordinary swings in demand over the past two years.

According to a major IBM survey this summer, more than half of global business leaders believe their enterprises are not adequately prepared to handle a highly volatile, increasingly complex business environment. Based on a survey of 1,500 chief executives from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide, IBM found that while eight in 10 CEOs expect the global business environment to grow significantly more complex, only 49 percent believe their organizations are equipped to deal with it successfully — the largest leadership challenge identified in IBM's eight years of research.

"[N]ow is the time for companies to reassess supply chain processes to ensure that progress towards efficiency does not boost the potential for failure in the face of economic, operational or environmental disruptions," EIU concludes.