Winning the game of risk
September 1, 2021
By Kevin Fitzgerald | VP of Government Sales & Emergency Response Lead, Sam Nafe | Senior VP of Sales - National Accounts, Melissa Puchalla | Director of Supply Chain Compliance
By Kevin Fitzgerald | VP of Government Sales & Emergency Response Lead, Sam Nafe | Senior VP of Sales - National Accounts, Melissa Puchalla | Director of Supply Chain Compliance
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The question on everyone's mind: How can we avoid repeating what we all just went through?
In the wake of tariffs, successive natural disasters, the pandemic, and all of the constraints associated with the recovery, risk mitigation has risen to the top of the priority list for supply chain professionals. Here are some insights summarized from a recent webinar featuring three experts in different areas of our business. Kevin Fitzgerald | VP of Government Sales & Emergency Response Lead If you don’t already have an internal team for supply chain risk mitigation, start building that out. Develop a plan with input from all relevant departments, and include your strategic suppliers. We’re already managing end-to-end risk behind the scenes and can be a great resource. Document the plan. Build in options – things don’t always go according to script during an emergency. Then communicate and practice it; put it into action and play out the scenarios. Be sure to designate an owner with authority to “quarterback” the team and make fast decisions in the heat of the moment. Sam Nafe | Senior VP of Sales - National Accounts It’s important to be flexible and open to options your supplier can give you – things that might not be exactly what you spec in but can keep you running in an emergency. The best suppliers out there will provide you with multiple options. So, if you’re planning around a mission-critical part, let’s get involved to help you identify two or three alternatives that provide what you need in terms of fit, form, and function. Now you’re moving beyond an allocation with a specific manufacturer. In the event of a disruption to plan A, we can immediately switch to a plan B or C that’s already been vetted and makes sense for your business. Melissa Puchalla | Director of Supply Chain Compliance It starts with basic questions. What are you most exposed to? What products do you depend on every day for production and safety? And who are the suppliers tied to those critical parts? You have to collaborate with those suppliers to make sure they have a strategic plan. It goes all the way to the raw materials – what goes into the product, and what happens if there’s a disruption to those materials? What’s the three-, six-, and nine-month plan? It’s about understanding the cause and effect and having plans in place for every imaginable scenario. As a supply chain partner, that’s a big part of our role – lean on us. You may also like:
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