Lisa Anderson

Although current transportation woes will eventually come to an end, new disruptions will arise, and companies must use a proactive approach to navigate future supply chain issues. 

It is no longer sufficient to successfully navigate supply chain disruptions. Only the resilient and strong will survive, whereas the proactive will thrive.

If companies can minimize packaging without affecting product quality, they can directly influence the bottom line by reducing materials and waste while increasing efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability.  

With the increase in interest in sustainable materials and manufacturing, there will be a significant opportunity for U.S. manufacturers that use common sense, good manufacturing practices. 

The global supply chain is out of alignment with no simple or quick fix to re-balance and right size it. However, successful inventory management can help companies grow and thrive during these challenging times.

The most successful companies are focusing on taking control of their end-to-end supply chain with cross-functional, cross-organizational, collaborative programs such as sales and operations planning (S&OP), which is also known as sales, inventory, and operations planning (SIOP).

During COVID, clients and colleagues realized there was far too much risk in their supply chain. For the most part, they realized the stark difference in requesting help from in-demand suppliers vs. collaborating jointly with supply chain partners. Given the robust demand for raw materials to successfully support key customer needs, suppliers have no choice but to prioritize. There is little doubt they are prioritizing strategic and profitable customers, as well as those with long-term agreements.