Use of English

Global Supply Chains

Modern consumers rarely stop to consider how many countries may be involved in producing a single everyday item. A smartphone, for instance, may be designed in one country, assembled in another and made from components (0) SOURCED from several more. This complexity has brought clear benefits, allowing companies to cut costs and respond quickly to demand. However, it has also (1) .......... businesses to a range of risks that were once easier to control. When one port closes or a factory shuts down, the effects can (2) .......... far beyond the immediate area. In recent years, firms have been forced to rethink systems that once seemed highly efficient but are now seen as too (3) .......... on distant suppliers. As a result, some are trying to build greater flexibility (4) .......... their operations. Others are choosing to hold larger reserves of key materials, even though this comes (5) .......... the expense of higher storage costs. Consumers, too, are becoming more aware of the human and environmental consequences of cheap production. Pressure is growing for companies to act more responsibly and to be more open about where goods come (6) .......... and under what conditions they are made. In the long term, the most successful supply chains may be those that balance efficiency (7) .......... resilience, rather than pursuing the lowest cost at all (8) ...........