A direction for Procurement As the COVID 19 pandemic progresses, so commentators discuss the ‘new normal’ and effects on supply chains. One of the most common observations is to reduce dependency on suppliers from China and to move away from sole or single source supplier arrangements. But, is this good strategic sourcing or just a response to immediate events? Strategic … Read More
‘New customer’ demands and effects on supply chains
Choice and value chains The experiences of people going through the pandemic and expectations in developed countries of 10 percent+ unemployment, could change perceptions enough that the future will not be the same as the past. A report titled The New Customer, downloaded from the Digital Supply Chain Institute, provides their expectations of likely consumer needs in the future and … Read More
Review your supply chains for possible restructure
An acronym lives again To explain how enterprise will structure and perform as the COVID-19 crisis recedes, a speaker at a recent on-line conference used the term VUCA, which required a dig into the archives. The acronym was developed in the late 1980s by the US Army War College, in relation to strategic thinking in a post-Cold War scenario. While … Read More
Design and planning process for future supply chains
Recovery will take time Black Rock, the world’s largest fund manager has stated that the crisis will fundamentally reshape business practices, society and consumer habits – rethinking the way people work, shop, travel and gather. There will be a ‘new normal’ way of functioning and businesses will need to adapt. And the timeline for recovery could be long. The investment … Read More
A strategy for planning in the new supply chain world
The future will differ from the past Major downturns in business activity are when the ‘deck of cards’ of industry get reshuffled. So, what strategies will be in place for your organisation’s supply chains to respond? Developing a supply chain strategy for when the peak of the pandemic has passed will be a ‘clean sheet’ exercise. Typically, plans are designed … Read More