Supply Chains 2025: The Uncertainty Principle

The late screenwriter William Goldman famously once declared that “Nobody knows anything.” He was referring, of course, to the world of moviemaking, and Hollywood in particular. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that Goldman’s dictum can be applied to just about any aspect of modern life — and global supply chain management is no exception.

Think of all the uncertainties that supply chain executives face today. Tariffs. Regulation. Sourcing decisions. Inflation. Geopolitical strife. The environment. The general state of the U.S. and global economies. In each case, companies are being forced to make decisions that amount to calculated bets on how things will play out in the year to come. They could pay a steep price for getting it wrong — yet it’s anybody’s guess as to what the trade and economic landscape will look like 1…