One of the big challenges in optimizing the supply chain is the sheer mass of data and the time it takes to come up with a better solution. For example, rerouting trucks around a traffic jam without causing congestion somewhere else takes 45 minutes for a relatively small 10,000 vehicles in a city like Beijing. Help may be on its way – quantum computing, which may be readily available in 8 years, can solve the problem in a fraction of a second. While Einstein described quantum as “spooky,” IBM and others are working in this area to get speed breakthroughs.
Is the current double-digit fall in oil prices attributable to China’s announcement that it will no longer accept applications from privately owned refineries, known as “teapots,” for the right to import crude? We know this will restrict global demand.