Looking to the future of truck leasing, industry consultants and executives have begun advocating solutions that will significantly reduce emissions over time.

Today’s supply chains were designed to optimize efficiency and speed while minimizing costs. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed crucial weaknesses in the paradigm. Resource shortages, product scarcity and end-to-end traceability gaps have caused system breakdowns and rampant distribution delays. Transformation is needed to create a more forgiving, sustainable supply chain that can better navigate future challenges.

Sustainability has been touted as the next big disrupter that organizations will face after COVID-19. Unlike the unexpected and unplanned disruptions from the global pandemic, however, sustainability risks are certain to materialize in the future. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility have shifted from a “nice-to-do” to a “must-do.” How does an already stretched organization make sustainability and social responsibility a reality? Through a process-first approach.

After retiring from industry, I was appointed as a professor at NYU, where I taught supply chain management for over ten years.  I also taught a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) course to managers in major corporations. I was thus able to see first-hand how corporations monitored their supply chains, and contrast it with how we taught the subject. I found there was a considerable dichotomy between the field practices and academic precepts.