________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
appro
A new
Taking stock of data to counter supply chain vulnerability
By Sara Cattaneo
Name any industry and its supply chain professionals will tell you they have experienced the toughest three years of their careers . During the pandemic , the well-oiled global transition of goods and services ground to a halt almost overnight as lockdowns kept factories closed and ships in port . Backlogs grew quickly , prices soared , and just as ‘ normality ’ seemed to be back on the cards , war broke out in Ukraine and global tensions escalated , further disrupting supply chains that were still suffering the impact of Covid-19 .
To compound these issues , supply chains were also put under pressure by an explosion in demand for some components and materials , increasing competition for limited stock . For example , the gathering pace of growth in the electric vehicle ( EV ) market saw demand for batteries , electronics and semiconductors rise rapidly , just as other markets were building stock so they would be ready to react once lockdowns eased . This led to an unprecedented 52-week lead time for some vital electronics components . But perhaps more importantly , it highlighted more starkly than ever how challenging it is to predict or control the outside influences affecting supply chains .
Additionally , when war broke out in Ukraine in 2022 , this created specific gaps in the supply chain as Russia and Ukraine are big exporters of a range of goods from grain and fertilizer to timber and metals . Outside of Europe , tensions between Taiwan – which is home to
20