You're facing supply chain disruptions in a crisis. How do you decide which aspects to tackle first?

𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Identify the disruptions that pose the greatest threat to your operations. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀: Strengthen ties with suppliers and explore alternative sources. 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Analyze stock levels and adjust accordingly to minimize risks. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: Implement tools for real-time tracking and predictive analytics. 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲: Explore new sourcing strategies or product alternatives. Remember, a crisis can be a catalyst for innovation. Adapt, overcome, and emerge stronger.

I would assess the impact first. Get a birds eye view of the whole situation. Then from there, decide which elements need to be prioritized and get to work from there.

En mi experiencia una de las herramientas que nos sirve para realizar esto es el esquema de Ishikawa. Además otra herramienta complementaria es los 4 Why?. Al aplicar estas herramientas en este orden podrás detectar varias posibles casusas y áreas de mejora, por lo que es recomendable hacerlas en equipo y aportando ideas de clientes internos que también se están viendo afectados. Traer visiones nuevas, nos permite cubrir puntos que el equipo ya ha naturalizado y no puede ver.

If prioritizing includes diversifying your business model, this may help you embrace resilience. I'm glad the following chapter is about communication. Being transparent about challenges and how they're impacting the business will create trust among existing customers, which could help maintain loyalty because you've been upfront with them the whole time.

There's a supply chain disruption and you just assessed the impact and prioritized the actions needed. Next comes an essential piece which is to communicate. Everyone, customers and employees all need to be in the loop of what is going on to prevent any further disruptions. So many times customers come back with a "If I had known I could've made adjustments and it wouldn't have been a problem." Providing your contacts an ETA along with a temporary solution goes a long way to maintain that good relationship.

El comunicarse con claridad y de forma oportuna es clave. Los equipos tienen que contar con indicadores que permitan determinar el impacto del atraso en su subproceso y deben informarlo oportunamente.

Experience and adaptability form the backbone of supply chain resilience. This is how I did it, basing my argument on the experience that I have gained: Diversification: I have to expand my base of suppliers to reduce dependencies on one source for raw materials or goods, making sure options were available when disruptions struck. Stock Management: Extra inventory of critical items buffered my business against delays. Tech Investment: Better forecasting tools that I invested in helped predict problems well before they became major. By investigating previous disruptions and putting into practice such strategies, I approach potential future ones with increased poise and stability.