■ Supply Chain & Logistics
Continued From Page 54 if this is true , how can those without this current capability begin to garner it ? A . This is a fascinating observation and I would say it is absolutely true . But I word rephrase it slightly to state that a robust supplier-monitoring system that maps sub-tier dependencies is a basic requirement for today ’ s supply networks and sourcing professionals . I say this because we are not dealing so much with a chain when it comes to looking at sub-tier dependencies but a complex network web . And in these instances , multi-layered and complex , the need for visualization tools is ever more apparent .
Q . Your most recent research collected data to visualize a series of supply networks — including the retail sector and Amazon — developing an algorithm that ranks the suppliers by their connectedness . What can this tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of the supply chain and particular sectors and companies within it ? A . I have been working with an exceptional undergraduate student , Anniek Jansen , who has added another dimension to supply network visualization . Ms . Jansen has developed an algorithm which can be applied to any number of supply networks . The algorithm essentially provides a ranking of the key suppliers in the tiered network of suppliers . The suppliers that are most well-connected emerge as key operators in the ranked list of suppliers . These can be viewed as critical to the supply network operation .
If anything happens to these key suppliers , the network will fail . Thus , we can see who the critical suppliers are in the supply chain network and compare how things are changing over time . Of course , it would be wonderful if we had post COVID‐19 data but we do not . But , at any rate we can show why it is important to get this information in that knowing who the key suppliers are can help determine the resilience of a supply chain when a disruption occurs . And given the disruptions to the supply networks that we ’ re now experiencing due to COVID‐19 , with the appropriate funding we will now be able to compare this data and the visualization modeling with the outcomes of this disruption as it become available to show the impact of connectedness ( and the lack thereof ) on the supply chain . Thus , in showing the weakness and vulnerability to disruption , it can give organizations the ability to adjust accordingly and build in resilience for the future .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Penina Orenstein , Ph . D ., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computing and Decision Sciences at Seton Hall University ’ s Stillman School of Business , where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses , Quantitative Methods for Business and Supply Chain Management . Dr . Orenstein has introduced an undergraduate certificate in Supply Chain Management and has been responsible for the creation and deployment of a new concentration in Supply Chain Management at the MBA level . Her research focus is on the topological structure of supply networks and has appeared in the Journal of Networks and Spatial Economics and Wireless Personal Communications . She has also presented her work at various conferences including POMS , INFORMS , MSOM and the SCMA . In 2016 , her research idea on the topological structure of supply networks attracted international attention by winning the 2016 Best Paper Award at SCMA 2016 . In 2018 , she won the University Research Council award for her work on digital mapping of supply chain networks .
Network visualization may be helpful in understanding how a supply chain works , not as a sequential chain but as a network . If one link in the chain breaks down , there are alternate sources available .
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