Preparing for the unexpected: How five supply chain eras shape tomorrow’s strategies
Abstract
This paper examines the evolution of global supply chains over the past 25 years, segmenting the quarter-century into five eras shaped by economic, geopolitical, and technological disruptions. The analysis leverages PwC’s Supply Chain Monitor, a data-driven model using key indicators such as trade, uncertainty, shipping, freight, inventory, production, demand, and costs, to provide a comprehensive view of supply chain health and performance. Each era is defined by unique inflection points: the acceleration of globalisation (2000–2007), the shock of the global financial crisis (2008–2010), the rise of resilience and digitalisation (2011–2015), trade turbulence and societal and environmental regulations (2016–2019), and the paradigm shift triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical crises (2020–2025). Taken together, these eras demonstrate that efficiency-dominant supply chain designs systematically increase exposure to low-probability, high-impact disruptions, forcing companies into recurrent phases of structural reconfiguration. To prepare for the unexpected and to provide actionable insights, the paper introduces the ‘Anticipation and Adaptation Blueprint’ framework, which emphasises understanding, knowing, and preparing a multifaceted approach to withstanding the ever-changing global supply chain environment. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
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Author's Biography
Rolf Bos heads the Supply Chain and Procurement practice at PwC Consulting in the Netherlands. His more than 25 years’ experience covers roles in both consulting and business with focus on supply chain strategy, planning, and logistics. The clients Rolf works with are predominantly in the consumer market and manufacturing industries. Rolf holds a Master’s in aerospace engineering from the Delft University of Technology as well as a Master’s in business administration from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
Meghan Munson Robertson is a Manager in PwC’s Operations Transformation practice in the Netherlands where she leads the supply chain capability focused on strategy and logistics. With almost 10 years supply chain consulting experience in both the USA and the Netherlands, Meghan focuses on global clients in the consumer markets and agriculture industries supporting transformational efforts. Meghan holds a Bachelor of Science in public policy analysis from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and is a Certified Supply Chain Professional from ASCM.
Sophie de Jongste is a Manager in Operations Transformation at PwC Netherlands and leads the supply chain strategy capability. She holds a MSc in global supply chain management and change from Maastricht University. Sophie advises global organisations on supply chain strategy, business model and operating model design, and large-scale transformations, with a focus on retail and consumer markets. In addition to her client work, she conducts research on structural shifts in the retail and consumer market and on supply chain dynamics, examining how companies respond to economic volatility, geopolitical disruption, and technological change.
Citation
Bos, Rolf, Robertson, Meghan Munson and De Jongste, Sophie (2026, September 1). Preparing for the unexpected: How five supply chain eras shape tomorrow’s strategies. In the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Logistics and Procurement, Volume 9, Issue 1. https://doi.org/10.69554/FYLE6645.
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