Supply chain disruption can cause havoc on your business and lead to negative consequences. Is your business prepared if a disruption occurs? Here are 6 tips to successfully manage interruptions of your supply chain.
Our U.S. supply chains in many different industries have really taken a beating over the last year or two – especially thanks to the global pandemic. Disruptions in the process due to economic shutdowns during COVID, reduction in staff due (again, thanks to COVID), hackers tapping into our gas pipelines and others, tractor-trailer drivers going on strike, natural disasters, and so much more.
Just recently more and more consumers are discovering an increase in price for items they usually buy. Why? It all boils down to supply chain disruptions.
To have a successful business (and a successful economy, too), you have to pay attention to your supply chain and manage it well. It is one of the fundamental aspects of growing a business. This involves:
- Creating the plan for your supply chain.
- Executing the plan carefully — and controlling the variables.
- Monitor the supply chain’s performance at each level.
- Make adjustments where necessary to keep the process moving efficiently.
So, when things start to go wrong at any step, supply chain disruption will affect the entire line. If you want to avoid these situations, then you will need to successfully manage your supply chain with these 6 tips.
1. Have a Clear Vision of Your Entire Supply Chain
Imagine driving on the highway in heavy fog. You slow down (and probably turn the radio down), squint your eyes, and attempt to watch the road ahead of you. But, you can’t really see it, can you? Perhaps if you have a car in front of you, you are putting your trust in its taillights to see you through. Not being able to see through the fog on a highway has led to one too many major pile-ups.
If you can’t see all aspects of your supply chain, how can you make a quick decision when you are facing disruption in its flow? What you do to help one element get back on track could severely disrupt another.
Have a deep understanding of your entire supply chain and be able to monitor it at every step and have a better plan of action if supply chain disruption were to arise.
2. Communication is Key
You absolutely must keep the lines of communication open between you and the team members throughout the supply chain. Leaders at every step should be able to report fluctuations and changes that are visible so that adjustments can be made in other areas.
If you find that something is off, you will need to address the issues effectively — and, again, you will need a clear vision of the entire supply chain to do so. No matter what, everyone needs to be on the same page. And that means everyone – from the hourly floor worker on up.
3. Check Your Supply Chain Regularly
You take your car for oil changes and routine maintenance every 3,000 miles. You go to the doctor and the dentist for checkups to make sure your body and teeth are in good working order. You taste your pasta sauce as it’s cooking to make sure it doesn’t need any extra seasoning. So it only makes that you’d take an in-depth look into your supply chain at regular intervals.
This audit will let you know if your supply chain is vulnerable to disruptions or if it is lagging in some way. Taking the time to do this can save you from bigger issues down the road. It keeps your supply chain healthy.
4. Have Alternate Solutions
Your backup solutions could be different vendors, alternate suppliers, or variations in your product. You never know what may come your way or from which direction. Always being prepared can reduce your risk of being without.
For instance, many corporations choose to stockpile their inventory. Keeping an eye on the economy, if they notice that a piece of inventory seems to be scarce, they may increase their availability. Should it become unavailable or delayed due to backorder, it won’t disrupt their chain.
Others opt for having backup vendors and suppliers. If you solely rely on one vendor and supplier to keep your production alive, you could be in for a major supply chain disruption one day. Having a backup just in case is all about being prepared.
5. Fill Your Storage Gap with a Temporary Tent
So what happens if you decide to stockpile inventory? Or what happens if part of your supply chain comes to a screeching halt and your warehouse is overflowing with products that have nowhere to go?
You can fill your storage gap – whatever that may look like for your company at the moment – using a temporary tent. These temporary warehouse solutions can be put together very quickly right where you need them. They are customized to meet your needs in all ways, such as:
- Sizing
- Lighting
- Flooring
- Climate control
- Doors
These clearspan tents have no inner beams or poles so you have a wide-open space to organize a layout that will meet your needs. The fabric structures can be strong enough to stand up to inclement weather and keep your supplies and equipment secure until the supply chain woes get ironed out.
6. Have an Emergency Plan
With anything in life – especially in business – you should always have a backup plan. Something will likely go wrong at one point or another and you will inevitably face some sort of supply chain disruption. Regardless of whether this disruption is huge or minor, you need to have a place in place to keep things flowing. Or, at the very least, how to manage when things come to a screeching halt, such as investing in the temporary tent structure we just talked about.
As issues arise, document what happened and how you fixed it. This can help you develop a bigger, successful plan for the future.
No matter how streamlined we think our supply chains are, even consumers now are realizing that one small hiccup has a massive impact at all levels. Make sure you have a clear vision of your entire supply chain, have a backup plan, and have your temporary tent structure on speed dial. Don’t let some small supply chain disruption take down all your hard work.
