Yes, the coronavirus pandemic has flipped global supply chains on their heads and has disrupted markets in dramatic ways, but not everything in its aftermath has been doom and gloom. As forward-thinking companies know well, nothing drives agile decision making and innovations in the supply chain more effectively than times of crisis.
Dire shortages in personal protective equipment (PPE) is one such area, in particular, that has resulted in some dramatic and positive shifts in global supply chains—promising news at a time when supply management practitioners around the world say that “increased demand for health and safety items” is their greatest challenge caused by the pandemic. According to a recent supply management report by CAPS Research, 40 percent of 115 global companies listed increased demand as their top challenge. Relatedly, the No. 1 action supply-chain groups are taking in response to the pandemic is “high-level of sourcing for health and safety items,” cited by 70 percent of respondents.
