Three Ways to Deal With Supply Chain Shortages

Businesses are struggling with supply chain shortages significantly between may of 2020 and May of 2021. Supply chain news is showing that this is causing widespread disruption and affecting companies of all sizes.

As a business, this can cause thousands to millions of money lost. However, there is hope. When it comes to supply chain management issues, there are ways to deal with them.

Here are three ways to deal with supply chain issues.

1) Create Stronger Business Relationships

As a business, one of the main objectives should be to create stronger relationships with its suppliers. This can be done by working harder at building a rapport and a professional relationship with these companies.

When the supply chain is disrupted, having good relationships with suppliers can be beneficial. If a supplier agrees to hold their own finished goods for when their buyers need them, they will not only protect themselves but also protect their customers against larger variations in demand.

This also means working with a good and reliable supplier, such as Chartering | Broekman Logistics. When you work with a supplier that is professional and knows the ins and outs of the business, they’ll do everything they can to work through these types of global supply chain shortages.

2) Look for Alternative Supplies or Materials

When the primary material for an item is unavailable, it can be difficult. However, there are usually several other substitutes that can be used in its place.

This is where you can get as creative as possible. If you typically use lumber for your products, consider something else such as bamboo or hemp. If rubber is hard to come by at the time of manufacture, consider alternatives such as silicone.

There are always alternatives and sometimes that is the perfect fix to global supply chain issues.

3) Think About the Customer and Make Them Aware

When you’re in the middle of dealing with severe supply chain shortages, it can be easy to forget about the end of the consumer.

However, that is one of the most important things to worry about when you are experiencing global supply chain issues. When people find out there is a shortage, they may become frustrated and your brand’s reputation could take a hit if they leave bad reviews online or complain on social media.  

Make sure you proactively monitor customer feedback about these types of problems during times like these. You can do this by having an automated system in place where customers can contact support easily with any questions or concerns.

This way your team will be able to deal with them immediately before they escalate into something worse.

You should also contact your customers as soon as you are away of the issue. Most people will understand and this can save you from getting a bad review or upset phone calls.

Dealing With Supply Chain Shortages

One of the most important things you can do is keep customers abreast of supply chain shortages, items that are out of stock, and shipping delays. In most cases, people will understand if you let them know ahead of time.

Creating stronger business relationships with suppliers and considering looking for alternative supplies or materials when your primary material becomes unavailable.

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