Building a resilient supply chain response to the pandemic

I don't think I've heard the words 'supply chain' said as many times as I have in the last few weeks than perhaps the entire past year! And when you add in my focus in the public and health sectors, I have the unique opportunity to be in conversations across the country as health organizations, provincial governments, national governments, and suppliers scramble to stay ahead of the situation. As such, I decided this month we would refocus our monthly blog on this exact topic!

What I have observed through these past day-and-nights is an opportunity to better coordinate a response that will benefit all. Individual facilities, ministries/departments, and others are focusing on their immediate needs. In a way, rightfully so. What this means is multiple people requesting supplies for the same facilities from the same suppliers, and often requesting more than their actual demand, “just in case.”

To help address this, we see organizations creating emergency crisis centres and ad hoc teams to help coordinate the response - but these often have too few connections to other centres, limiting coordination and increasing duplication of effort. To address these short-term and long-term concerns, we looked at lessons from suppliers, leading practices, and previous crisis to come up with three strategies to respond effectively to the pandemic at hand:

1. Act as one, act for all: Consolidate, coordinate, and mature your crisis response teams to breakdown silos, empower tactical decisions, escalate important issues across provinces and begin building transparency into your supply chain
2. Focus on the whole: In collaboration with suppliers, manage the immediate need for personal protective equipment but don't lose sight of the entire patient pathway. Build strategies for identifying and planning inventory to manage the pathway
3. Partnership power: Collaborate and communicate with your suppliers to benefit from their experience and establish new ways of working to address issues and maintain ongoing supply chain business to minimize negative economic effects

I've heard a lot of 'this too shall pass' and there will be a return to normal. These practices and approaches we take today will help put us in a much stronger position for this new normal.

Take a read of our full point of view on how to take a strategic approach to supply chain disruption in healthcare and government operations during this pandemic here.

How is your organization responding to this crisis?