Squabbling Siblings and Supersonic Supply Chains

When our children were younger, and prone to public misbehaving in the way that small competitors will, we would make them hold hands as we went about the business of shopping or whatever.  Egregious infighting could result in a command to hold both hands of the nearest opponent.  The resulting group progression through Macy's or Kroger was lurching, awkward, painful to observe, frustrating to be part of, and comical in appearance, but we did manage to complete the task at hand, however ineffectively.

I recently recalled those little life lessons in the context of supply chains competing with other supply chains.  What if all the energy being spent at present as shippers try to squeeze carriers and as carriers poke shippers with the sharp sticks of capacity and rate challenges - or all the effort being put into disputes with logisics service providers  - were instead dedicated to building stronger, better integrated, more seamless, and faster, smoother supply chain relationships?

Where do you suppose the lurching, awkward, squabbling supply chain will wind up as it tries to compete with its collaborative, cooperative, and customer-focused competitor?

When the kids were little, the group had to disband, each retiring to his or her own room when we returned home, with a promise to get a fresh start on the morrow.  Unfortunately, a broken supply chain may not live to see a morrow with the luxury of a clean slate and a fresh start.

Not so comical as our years-ago family farces.