The Need for Organisational Resilience Chapter-6

on the backpack principle, carrying everything with it along the vast distances through the Libyan

desert. The capture of Tobruk brought some relief but the port was too small, and under constant air

attack.

Second, the great dependence on the Italian Navy left the Axis forces at the mercy of shipping

lanes in the Mediterranean that were also constantly harassed by the Royal Air Force (stationed at

Malta).

Third, the centre of gravity in Hitler’s strategic vision was not North Africa, but Russia, where the

Wehrmacht was in a critical situation in late 1942. Something had to give and in this case that meant

curtailing supplies to the Africa Corps.

Finally, German and Italian equipment become ever more complex. New arrivals, such as the

Tiger I tank, required different maintenance compared to the PzKpfw IV. Desert conditions meant that,

in some eyes ‘overengineered’, German battle tanks broke down very quickly. The lack of spare parts,

lubricants, and in particular fuel, added to the downtime of armoured vehicles.

Rommel commenced the North Africa Campaign in a logistical straitjacket. His tactical brilliance

could not offset what logistical constraints prevented him from doing. In this regard, strategists should

always start arguing the extent of their logistical independence that enable strategic objectives to be

materialised.

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Limitations in buyer-supplier relationships

Shorter lead times reduce cost. But the delegation of shortening lead times to suppliers also

increases the risk of the supplier not being committed to such lead times. In a ‘tug-of-war’, a

supplier often realises that his own objectives may be incompatible with those of the

organisations who ‘depend’ on stated lead times. Flexibility in modifying lead times, in satisfying

the customer’s demand for a fast-changing inventory, available wherever and whenever, strips

the supplier of planning certainty and may well erode her own financial viability.

With Boeing, the risk sharing contract implemented to commit suppliers to a better

performance actually resulted in the opposite. Being on-time meant that a supplier was penalised

for being too early or being too late. But if a strategic supplier sees that other suppliers may be

late too, he could slow down his production. Hence, even the slightest delay can have a ripple

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