It’s far more complex than stated in this article. Back in the 80’s I worked for a electric/electronics component manufacturer. They had over 100k products that they sold. The business was mostly based in the US, but some components and raw materials were sourced globally. The 100k+ products sold consisted of many combinations of components. Think in terms of combinations and permutations sourced from many locations in the US and around the world, each necessitating decisions about order quantities, inventory control, transportation and pricing products to remain competitive and profitable. That was the tip of the iceberg. There was no way for a single person to fully comprehend the complexities.
I can guarantee you that it is much more complex today. I can also guarantee you there’s about zero people in government, beside a few in the military, that has the least bit of comprehension what goes into a supply chain and how all manufacturing activities are affected by supply chains. How can I say this? There isn’t a damn lazy ass government employee that ever built anything in their life.
When I got out of college in 1982, I managed a small circus board manufacturing company. We made boards for Telex, and Badger Meter, and Oil Dynamics.
There was a large company calledTime Mark In Tulsa at that time also producing boards. All gone in a few years.
It goes way beyond that. Modern manufactured products and the supply chains that support them have become so complex that NOBODY can really understand them well.
As Thomas Sowell astutely pointed out years ago, there isn't a single person alive who even knows how to manufacture a simple yellow pencil.