@Risk

Standardized shipping containers have been in use for more than 50 years, and at this point, they’re a supply chain component most of us just take for granted. However, if you stop for a minute and give it some consideration, you’ll certainly come to realize that standardized containerization has had a dramatic effect on international trade –“making the world smaller and the world economy bigger,” as Marc Levinson says.

But even so, not much has changed with the simple iron box conceived fifty years ago.

Well, not much has changed. . . until now. (more…)

Ever wonder what exactly happens to those shipping containers as they travel around the world filled with various retail goods?

The folks at the BBC did, and last week they wrapped up a year-long research project that (literally) followed a single container around the world.  The BBC Box project allowed followers to chart the container’s progress on radio, television, and online –and a year later, it tells an intriguing story about the global economy, international trade, and the network of elongated, intertwined supply chains.

Here’s a look at “The Box” in numbers: (more…)