COVID-19 Miniseries: Supply Chain Vulnerability - Why Don't We Have Enough PPE?

“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” - Mike Tyson

Thin margins and economies of scale help lower costs but can create significant vulnerabilities. Often calculations of lives lost in the event of a shortage or costs to stockpile may not be factored in when sourcing supplies. Healthcare supply chain practices over decades have lead to significant weak points in our supply chains for some vital materials and we often have no view of this until it’s too late.