BATTLE CREEK, MI—A worker at DENSO’s auto parts assembly plant here died last week from COVID-19. An additional 17 other employees across the company’s five Michigan factories have tested positive.

HIGHLAND PARK, MI — Magna International will expand its seat manufacturing facility here that will generate $35.4 million in private investment and create 480 jobs.

DETROIT — Tesla Inc. wants to invest about $1 billion to build a 4- to 5-million-square-foot vehicle assembly plant in the southwestern United States as early as the third quarter of this year. The plant will employ 5,000 people.

The story I am going to relate is true. However, since it is not very flattering, it has been sanitized to prevent finger-pointing. I’m telling this story because you may find yourself in the same circumstances when managing your supply chain, especially one distributed across the globe.

WAUWATOSA, WI — Briggs & Stratton Corp. has entered into a supply agreement with Ingersoll Rand to power Club Car vehicles using Vanguard commercial lithium-ion battery packs.

FREMONT, CA — Multiple Tesla employees working here have tested positive for COVID-19.

Few technologies achieve widespread manufacturing acceptance in their original form. Most require some sort of modification before they begin to be regularly used on an assembly line.