How the pandemic made supply chain management stronger
Half a year into the global Covid-19 pandemic, many countries who sort of sailed through the “first wave” of the pandemic, are dialing things back a notch. Light lockdowns are being put back in place, and in little Norway (where I live), masks that were once not at all used, are now recommended on public transportation in Oslo.
Concerns about a “second wave” of the virus are spreading throughout the world. For some countries, they are saying, “Eh, did we every get over the first wave of the pandemic?”
As case numbers rise in the United States, Germany, and France, the shipping and supply chain industries will need to prepare for a possible new round of restrictions and lockdowns.
But the industry has the benefit of experience dealing with the initial coronavirus outbreak. Lessons learned from the early months of the global pandemic have shifted the way the global supply chain works for the short — and possibly — long term. Here are two key ways the supply chain is preparing for a possible Covid-19 resurgence.
A focus on building agile remote workforces
As the coronavirus spread throughout the world in the early part of 2020, global organizations — including supply chain management companies — allowed their employees to work from home to try and stop the spread of the virus and keep employees safe. After overcoming some technological growing pains of moving work from in the corporate office to the “home office,” remote work is the new normal.
This practice has forced organizations to shift their thinking around how to build an agile and productive remote workforce for the future. Companies are now much more prepared for “second wave” because their teams are better prepared for remote work.
Not only that, but the word “trust” is even more engrained in the relationship between employer and employee, and suppliers and buyers. Words mean a lot more. In many cases, we feel more committed, more motivated to make things work. I see great possibilities to how this new-found passion for “making things work” at work( because we don’t see each other face-to-face) will positively affect bottom lines and mental health, in general.
Transitioning to digital supply chain data
Supply chain data has never been more in the spotlight. In our June 15 Transportation Insights webinar, we spoke with Philippe Gilbert, President of Supply Chain Solutions at UPS about the changing face of supply chain in a post-covid-19 world. According to Philippe, the COVID-19 crisis has only increased the need for digital supply chain data. “The COVID pandemic has accelerated the usage and visibility of data, both to anticipate and avoid blockages.”
Algorithmic digital data give companies both predictive and descriptive views on the supply chain, so they can uncover and avoid risk. These insights are critical as supply chains deal with challenges brought on by Covid-19 restrictions as we enter the second half of 2020. Data from the early days of the pandemic can also be used to run predictive scenarios, so contingency plans can be developed for all the possible outcomes.
History is truly our greatest teacher. Lessons learned from H1 2020 will carry over into a possible Covid-19 second wave and the supply chain will be stronger for it — even well beyond this moment of crisis.
If you are looking to modernize your freight procurement and make your supply chain management even stronger, Xeneta can help. Check out www.xeneta.com.
