There isn’t a business on Earth that hasn’t felt the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic- one way or another. As industrial plants pause or close down on a global level, it’s become crucial for companies in Georgia to adapt their maintenance and repair operations, changing the way they function and predicting future problems that will inevitably result from the current state of the economy.
Covid Supply Chain Disruptions in Various Industries
While every manufacturer is taking a hit from Covid-19, disruptions look different depending on the nature of the industry. Some have fallen further than others, but all are working on finding a path to recovery.
From significant restaurant chains and auto parts suppliers to small businesses and food processing plants, no industry has been immune from Covid-19. In the beginning, every affected field of manufacturing went into crisis response mode, focusing heavily on safety within the workplace.
For many businesses, this meant closing the doors completely. For others, it meant difficulty getting the raw materials they need to maintain production. Every day, industries that have faced Covid-19 disruptions face the logistics management struggle of anticipating what’s next. The truth is that no one can truly make an accurate prediction- for the long-term future much less the short-term. .
The industrial supply chain in Georgia has not been an exception to this. As we restructure our supply chain management and better prepare ourselves for every possibility, we must establish resilience and a better way of doing. In large part, this requires a higher degree of communication between all companies involved in the supply chain- from raw materials to finished products and services.
How Covid Has Affected Supply Chains Around the World
It’s no secret that the onset of Covid and its relentless spread around the world has been shockingly disruptive to global supply chains. From temporary trade restrictions to massive shortages on pharmaceuticals and critical medical supplies, manufacturers in the United States (and on a worldwide scale) are facing pressure to produce domestically, and quickly, as they bleed money and make financially forced cuts on staff and output.
While consumers continue to demand low prices and the competition grows, manufacturers have to understand their vulnerabilities to become stronger. Establishing vendor managed inventory relationships are part of maintaining the necessary stability, but a restructuring is inevitable.
Remaining dependent on a single supplier is no longer an option, and that applies to every link in the manufacturing chain. Understanding where the risks lie is the first step in avoiding future chaos, and the closing of warehouse doors everywhere.
What we’ve seen here at GTA Industrial Supply is a greater openness to discuss ways to maintain or even in some areas increase production by outsourcing the inventory management process completely. This allows the manufacturers to focus solely upon the manufacturing processes and increases their efficiencies as well as cut costs.
The Pandemics’ Effect on Georgia Supply Chains
Many manufacturers in Georgia are focused on remaining resilient, and taking advantage of the opportunity this pandemic has presented to dig deep into the root of manufacturing disruptions, and how it can be prevented, even in the face of an unprecedented global disaster.
One thing is crystal clear. Companies are seeing the need to become more nimble in their vendor relationships and the need for greater vertical integration. This helps reduce the supply chain risk for the manufacturers.
Of course, there will be disruptions, that’s to be expected, but it’s the recovery in which we plan to focus our full attention. We must prepare for every scenario. Though facing significant setbacks, this pandemic has also managed to bring Georgia manufacturers forward a few steps when it comes to establishing flexible relationships with suppliers and building speed and agility into supply chains.
We have learned and continue to perfect the practice of acting quickly in the event of a crisis. We know that understanding the primary aspects of sustainable mitigation efforts, and establishing how to prepare ourselves better moving forward is essential to survival.
No business is immune to the effects that Covid-19 has on global supply networks, but we can learn from what we know, and do better as we rise from the ashes. If we continue to work together, Georgia supply chains will recover.
Creating Supply Chain Resiliency
As Covid-19 ravaged its way across a somewhat unsuspecting planet, people from every walk of life began to panic. Widespread accounts of empty supermarket shelves and lack of protective gear for those working on the front line sent the world, industrial suppliers included, into a frenzy.
We learned very quickly that many of our supply chains, Georgia included, were built on efficiency instead of resiliency. We had manufacturing practices in place meant to create products as quickly as possible, without any real way to maintain them in the event of increased demand.
Because of this lack of resiliency, when disaster struck, manufacturers didn’t have time to fix the internal problem, inevitably running out of industrial supplies like fasteners, abrasives, and bandsaws, and then searching for them simultaneously. A rise in demand does nothing but create more shortages.
It’s crucial to understand the importance of striking a balance between surplus and manufacturing. We must embrace new methods, such as 3D printing, to fill gaps in the supply chain. We’ve got to learn from what we now know.
Georgia Tool and Abrasives Remains Committed to Evolving
In the face of a pandemic that has affected our families, our state, and our nation, Georgia Tool and Abrasives is learning, growing, and ever-evolving. We have always specialized in affordable rates while getting you the industrial supplies you need to keep your business moving.
We’re focused on change and ready to work with you today.