This Week's Top Five Stories in Supply Chain

Cuba Gone Dark: The National Impact of the Fuel Crisis

On Wednesday 4 March, millions of people were left without power in Cuba, adding to an ever-growing pattern of blackouts across the island.

Following a shutdown at one of the country's main power plants, the island lost all power amid a period of fuel shortages.

The country is facing critical supply chain issues, resulting in suspended services and limited operational capacity.

How Much Oil is in the Strait of Hormuz?

Approximately 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz daily, according to estimates from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), representing nearly US$600bn (£447bn) worth of energy trade annually.

This 21-mile-wide chokepoint between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran continues to function as the single most important factor in global economic stability. 

While crude oil constitutes the bulk of this volume, the Strait also serves as a corridor for nearly five million barrels each day of refined fuels such as petrol and diesel. Additionally, it functions as the primary export route for approximately 20% of the world's Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), predominantly sourced from Qatar.

These refined products and gas supplies prove particularly critical for Asian manufacturing hubs and European energy security.

Q&A: Richard Waterer on Aon's Global Risk Survey

The global risk landscape is defined by interconnected volatility, where climate, cyber and economic threats no longer occur in isolation.

Richard Waterer leads Aon's Global Risk Consulting practice, managing more than 1,500 consultants who help multinational organisations navigate and mitigate these systemic risks.

He has developed strategic frameworks to guide executives through rapid disruption using data-driven insights. His expertise in rare but high-impact events and AI ethics has made him a leading voice in modern risk strategy, helping firms transform global instability into competitive advantage.

Here, he discusses Aon's newly released Global Risk Management Survey.

How is o9 Unlocking Value for RHI Magnesita?

As businesses look to ensure resilient and integrated supply chains, reliability is a major priority.

RHI Magnesita, a cement company and supplier of refractory products, systems and services, operates a complex, vertically-integrated chain within heavy industry. 

As its products are critical to customers, it needs to ensure resilience across every step of the chain.

At the Go&See event in Vienna, co-hosted by o9, EFESO and RHI Magnesita, leaders gathered to experience how o9 Solutions is helping RHIM with its digital supply chain planning transformation.

IFS Softeon: A New Era for AI-Driven Warehouse Management

The integration of industrial AI capabilities with warehouse management expertise could signal a shift in how supply chain operations are managed.

IFS, a provider of industrial AI solutions, has acquired Softeon, a warehouse management software vendor, creating IFS Softeon. The combined entity aims to deliver integrated industrial, physical and agentic AI solutions designed to address the complexities facing modern supply chain operations.

The acquisition brings together IFS' industrial AI platform with Softeon's warehouse management capabilities, creating what the companies suggest could be an opportunity to embed intelligence across end-to-end supply chain processes.