How Kenvue De-Risked Its Supply Chain

Three capabilities the consumer health company invested in after demand surged during the pandemic.

October 18, 2023

Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

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Global disruptions that cause sudden swings in consumer demand are becoming more commonplace today, changing the way we think about supply chains and de-risking them. This article shows how Kenvue, a former Johnson & Johnson company invested in “real” insurance policies — capabilities and resources that make a supply chain resilient under conditions of high uncertainty. Specifically the company invested in three strategic capabilities: surge capacity, partnerships, and data and processes.

Global disruptions that cause sudden swings in consumer demand are becoming more commonplace today, changing the way we think about supply chains and de-risking them. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that organizations have a responsibility to manage these disruptions better. Many organizations have learned, through this period, that further strengthening responsive supply chains is a critical element to quickly addressing the needs of consumers.

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Michael Altman is Vice President of End-to-End US Supply Chain Operations at Kenvue, a global healthcare company that was formerly part of Johnson&Johnson.

Atalay Atasu is a professor of technology and operations management and the Bianca and James Pitt Chair in Environmental Sustainability at INSEAD.

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Evren Özkaya is Founder and CEO of SCW.AI, a digital factory software platform, and Supply Chain Wizard, a management & technology consulting firm.