Global supply chains are now under significantly greater pressure to adapt than they were just a few years ago. Geopolitical tensions, protectionist tendencies, increasing regulation, climate risks and pandemic-related disruptions have highlighted the vulnerability of international supply chains. Events such as Brexit, international trade conflicts or bottlenecks in transport and semiconductor markets act as a stress test for existing supply chain structures. What was long regarded as an operational discipline has thus become a strategic competitive factor – with a direct impact on costs, service levels and a company’s ability to act.
Studies and market analyses show that supply chain disruptions lead to productivity losses, rising costs and revenue shortfalls for a significant proportion of companies. Furthermore, many organisations still lack a comprehensive end-to-end view of their supply chains. Risks at upstream supplier levels – such as with Tier 2 or Tier 3 suppliers – often go unrecognised. The causes are fragmented data, non-integrated systems and unclear responsibilities. Without transparency regarding material flows, capacities, stock levels and dependencies, structural weaknesses arise which manifest themselves in recurring disruptions and limited control.
