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Expert Advice on Managing Supply Chains in Turbulent Times – Case Two

Written by Jacek Warchoł | Apr 22, 2020 11:50:05 AM

“In these uncertain times, we have tried to find alternatives for broken supply chain networks. What are your recommendations to help mitigate the risks related to planning and decision-making processes?

According to Gartner, more than 80% of supply chain professionals report that “decisions made in response to disruptive change could be improved”

We can see that alternative material sourcing, moving production, or finding workarounds for closed distribution centers of major transportation hubs are becoming key challenges.

In order to ease all the possible risks that are connected to these actions, I would advise to:

  1. Work to develop a rapid strategic roadmap to respond to disruption and use fast logistics network modeling, including constraints in terms of people and infrastructure, to facilitate rapid decision making.

  2. Maximize all capabilities which could minimize human effort (RPA, AI), learn to operate with a limited workforce.

  3. Focus on the best industry practices and analytical solutions delivered in the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) model.

 

Analyze the current disruption and design a mid-term plan (for up to 3 months) for when the COVID-19 pandemic is over.