Understanding the Future of Global Supply Chains

Coupa
Read time: 3 mins
Understanding the Future of Global Supply Chains

The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed vulnerabilities in the supply chains of global enterprises everywhere. This is motivating businesses to reassess their supply chain design for optimal supply chain resiliency, yet most companies are currently finding it very challenging to make their global supply chains more resilient without weakening their competitiveness.

To address the challenges from supply chain disruption, Coupa recently hosted a Harvard Business Review webinar, Global Supply Chains in a Post-Pandemic World, featuring Willy Shih, Professor at Harvard Business School. Shih discussed the critical areas that supply chain leaders should focus on to prepare their supply chains for the future, including how to:

  • Use the crisis to understand vulnerabilities and reassess supply networks
  • Diversify your supply base to decrease risk and increase resiliency
  • Take advantage of process innovations like automation and robotics
  • Embrace globalization during this time of economic nationalism

Learn the Capabilities Your Company Needs to Navigate What Comes Next

Shih shared insights into how global supply chains came to be the way they are and how their vulnerabilities have been revealed through numerous crises. He discussed the tradeoffs and opportunities for enterprises seeking better supply chain planning that will make their supply chains more robust to withstand future challenges.

To understand the future of global supply chains and to identify what your company must be focused on at this critical time, listen to the webinar or read the event brief

“The crisis has unfrozen a lot of established processes, and I see organizations that are seizing that opportunity and saying, ‘I’m going to look for new ways of working,’ and I think those organizations are destined to thrive.” —Willy Shih, Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Key Takeaways from Supply Chains in a Post-Pandemic World

  • Global production systems are the result of trade expansion and ultra-specialization.
  • Today’s supply chains are marked by “deep tiering” and limited visibility.
  • Global supply chains have been destabilized by the shocks of the past 12 months.
  • The rapid increase in trade at the end of 2020 presents severe logistics challenges.
  • The results of this year-long disruption is a focus on supply chain resilience.
  • The need for supply continuity offers opportunities for innovation and simplification.

The crisis has incentivized organizations to accelerate the adoption of new digital supply chain design technologies that are far more agile and continuous than the project-based approaches of the past. Forward-leaning firms are innovating with continuous supply chain design built on data and powerful, AI-driven supply chain analytics to make smarter, faster supply chain decisions — and forging a leadership position in their markets. 

Learn about the critical areas that you should focus on to prepare your supply chain for the future: listen to the webinar or read the event brief.