Designing Around Disruption: How Material Selection Decisions Made Today Protect Production Tomorrow
Global supply chain volatility has elevated material selection from a purely technical decision to a core business strategy for US manufacturers. Choosing the right materials — with substitution pathways, supplier diversification, and long-term sourcing stability built into the design phase — can mean the difference between a facility that absorbs disruption and one that is paralyzed by it. This article examines how forward-thinking manufacturers are embedding supply chain resilience directly in