ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL IS SUPPLY CHAIN MAGIC

A brick sounds simple. It’s just a brick like the one above, below, and on each side.

Most of the time it’s not important, that brick, and it just does it’s work quietly.

The work part makes it an icon.

That brick didn’t fall out of the sky and get picked up by some wayward mason.

No, it was planned, this brick, planned and executed and shipped to the job site which was the result of ides and plans on what to use that brick for.

It’s the shipping part that makes a difference. Where did that brick come from?

Another brick in the wall was part of a supply chain.

Go back far enough in history and you find people who built things out of available materials. Pioneers didn’t have a lot of choices.

“On this parcel of land you see a nice log cabin.”

“Whatever, as long as it’s not LP siding.”

“What?”

“Or that fake adobe.”

Why a log cabin? After clearing wooded land for farming there were logs around.

Bricks Are Not An Accident

Builders bring more than a brick to the job; they bring lots of bricks.

Based on the size of the plan, they estimate how many bricks to order for delivery.

The load shows up, the crew dives in, and the walls grow.

From footings to foundations, to walls, windows, doors, and roofs, the materials arrive in a particular order.

Part of the brick expense is delivery, another part is storage, all beginning with dirt. But not just any dirt.

Take a moment to consider that brick: When did the light come on for creating bricks? Did that lightning strike people living in mud huts?

“This mud works, but there has to be a better way.”

Did it strike those living in log cabins?

“These logs are good, but the bugs and rot makes replacing them necessary.”

Global Supply Chain Hits The Wall

Trying to build anything takes similar skills. It starts with patience, then grows tedious. The more tedious, the more patience needed.

But what about the gnawing doubts about materials showing up on time?

This is a YouTube video about shipping on time.

It shows the backlog of container ships waiting to unload on the west coast. Big ships full of big boxes headed for trucks and trains destined for big box stores.

These big boxes are the bricks of the American dream: Quality at an affordable price.

Sounds like a dream?

The story of the Three Little Pigs is either a fairy tale or a fable. It’s the story of three buildings, one made of straw, one of sticks, one or bricks.

The brick house stood up to the Big Bad Wolf breath.

Look around, just a quick glance, and take note of what in your life is made of brick, what is made of straw, and what is made of sticks.

Is this a call to action? Depends on your plans. Here’s an idea: stick around by adding another brick.