Supply Chain Risk: Research information on the Internet to assess the risks of a global

Question

supply chain. How have companies in the Microsoft supply chain been affected by
disruptions to the supply chain due to events like strikes and natural disasters? Answer
in no more than one page.

Answer 1

Companies in the Microsoft supply chain are quite resilient to disruptions due to detrimental events due to its globalized setup. However, all supply chains, no matter the size, are affected in a perceptible fashion due to unpredictable problems.
Strikes are caused when a large amount of a companies workforce slow or completely halt their production due to adverse, or otherwise unacceptable treatment. Companies that depend on Microsoft for goods will experience a slowdown commensurate to their reliance on Microsoft's goods. In other words, if a company relies heavily on Microsoft, and a massive strike ensues at Microsoft's headquarters, that company will be far more affected by the fall in supply than a company that is less reliant on Microsoft's goods. Additionally, other problems such as a rapid fall in stock shares may occur. When a company goes through a trough, or a slowing of the cylindrical business cycle, workers are laid off in order to downsize. It's the only way to preserve resources.
Luckily, Microsoft has many processing plants and offices across the globe. A natural disaster will most likely not cause any major disruptions in the supply chain. Even those most dependent on Microsoft won't experience much of a fault.
Microsoft is a large, billion dollar company, and its supply chain is comprised of other companies that have many more connections; if something were to happen to a link in the chain, the companies will likely be able to make due until the issue is resolved.