SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
SUPPLY CHAIN: THE
PRESSURE’S ON
Here Keith Kentish, group commercial director at
TFC, leading supplier of fasteners and supply chain
solutions, shares guidance for manufacturers on
supply chain management, while the industry is
under the microscope.
The phrase “just in time
supply chain” probably
meant nothing to the
average consumer before
the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the empty
supermarket shelves have shone
a spotlight on British supply
chains like never before.
COVID-19 has highlighted
how important the domestic
supply chain is, particularly for
essential medical products, for
example, to produce ventilators
for patients in intensive care
or the supply of personal
protective equipment (PPE) to
frontline workers.
In contrast, much of the
automotive manufacturing
industry ground to a halt,
with a ripple effect felt across
the supply chain. The impact
has certainly been felt in
the fastener market, where
according to recent reports,
sales are down 50 per cent on
average. As the manufacturing
industry begins to return to
work, manufacturers may now
feel added pressure to catch up
with a backlog of orders.
The impact of the
pandemic has been felt by
many businesses, resulting in
a multitude of supply chain
problems, such as overstocking,
lacking the space to store
components or assemblies that
cannot be moved further on, or
struggling to source the parts
needed to keep production
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