Nature’s nudge to check your business supply chain
Recently car plants in Europe and around the world announced a temporary halt to vehicle production. This wasn’t due to a drop in demand for cars, but a shortage of one of their smallest but most vital components, the microchip.
Microchips are in everything these days, from games consoles to mobile phones, fridge freezers to washing machines. They’re so ubiquitous we rarely think of them as something that can be in limited quantities. But like everything that’s mined, made or manufactured, getting this crucial part from where it’s made to where it’s needed relies on a robust global supply chain.
Thanks to a series of disruptions including a global pandemic, Brexit and the blocking of the Suez canal, supply chain issues are making the news. The general public only really hears about them when something goes wrong, but for many businesses, supply chain issues are a constant threat to service and stability.
Let’s dig a little deeper into why the microchip shortage is such a challenge and see what lessons businesses can learn to make sure that supply chains always deliver a steady and predictable supply of goods.