Since the pandemic, small, medium, and large businesses have struggled to protect their supply chain. The supply chain is the lifeblood of any business, and having it strangled by anything—including COVID-19—is a real danger to the life of a business. It was always important to keep the supply chain moving along unimpeded. Now, with COVID-19 amongst us, it’s even more critical to secure your supply chain.
1. Consider Local Sources
If you are like millions of other businesses in the U.S., you source at least some of your supplies from abroad. China may be one of your major suppliers. There are many reasons for sourcing your materials and/or ingredients locally, but you don’t need any better reason than the fact that it is more secure to source locally. Local sourcing eliminates the need for customs processing, overseas oversight, and the long wait time for shipments to arrive. Your goods won’t be a victim to the blockages that have come from the COVID-19 fallout. Not to mention the fact that part of the increased cost of sourcing locally will be recouped in lower transportation and shipping fees. You may or may not be able to source locally, depending upon your business. But if it’s possible, it’s certainly worth considering.
2. Order in Bulk
If you can’t source locally, you can at least order in bulk. This will shore up your supplies so that you can better weather future delays in shipment arrivals. Bulk ordering also locks in current rates. With the inflation rate rising as it is, this is yet another benefit of securing your supply chain by placing bulk orders. If you lack adequate storage space, talk to your 3PL warehouse about supplies storage. At American Warehouse, Inc. we have facilities in place to handle such needs. If you are in the food business and refrigeration is an issue with ordering bulk supplies of ingredients, we will do whatever we can to ensure your bulk supplies are properly stored until they are ready to use and ship out final products to your valued customers.
3. Be Prepared to Pivot
If worse comes to worst and your supply chain does dry out or incurs an unstoppable impediment, be ready to pivot. Don’t wait for things to turn to research alternative supply sources. Do this now, while things are still flowing as expected. Put into place a backup plan that will enable you and/or your team to instantly turn and leverage alternative suppliers that can deliver your needed goods. You may incur additional charges or have to pay more for supplies, but at least you’ll be able to deliver on time and meet the expectations of your existing customers. That in itself is worth it.
Contact American Warehouse
These days, you can’t expect that your supply chain is going to operate as it should. Take action now to secure your supply chain against the global forces that threaten it. For more information about meeting your customers’ delivery expectations, contact American Warehouse, Inc. today.