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“Supply chain design is traditionally optimized for cost and efficiency under stable, normal conditions. However, the Waffle House model proves that true resilience must be engineered into the operational system from the ground up, rather than treated as an afterthought,” said Panos Kouvelis, distinguished professor and director of The Boeing Center for Supply Chain Innovation at Washington University in St. Louis. “By standardizing their restaurant layouts, equipment, and menus, they have created a highly modular supply chain. When a disaster strikes, this standardization allows them to seamlessly plug in emergency resources like portable generators, mobile command centers, and standardized relief supplies.”

Full article: https://www.automotive-fleet.com/10256960/the-waffle-house-effect-how-they-impacted-how-storms-are-measured-while-keeping-hot-meals-ready

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The Waffle House Effect: How They Impacted How Storms are Measured While Keeping Hot Meals Ready Why one restaurant chain became a benchmark for disaster response and what fleets can learn about readiness, operations, and recovery.

So far, inflation readings have indeed been lower than many economists had expected. But some trade experts say this is because companies used the various delays and deferrals introduced by Trump to pull in stock from their suppliers at pre-tariff prices.

“There’s still inventory in the supply chain, but it’s gradually being depleted, so pretty soon we’ll start feeling the effect of the tariffs on prices,” said Panos Kouvelis, professor of supply chain, operations and technology at Washington University in St Louis. “And SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises] will feel it the most.”

That could have broad implications for the rest of the economy. Small businesses employ 46 per cent of American workers, or about 59mn people, and account for 44 per cent of the country’s GDP.

LINK (paywalled):
https://www.ft.com/content/00f60959-a8a4-4de7-9089-f7ec1a2450ed?FTCamp=engage/CAPI/website/Channel_muckrack//B2B

Trump’s tariffs hit Main Street as small businesses raise prices Midwestern city of St Louis shows what is coming for American consumers as supply costs soar