What is supply chain structural flexibility and why is it so important?

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The smooth running of supply chains is a crucial component for business success. With the increasing prevalence of geo-political issues and tensions, it’s becoming increasingly imperative for businesses to operate flexible supply chains.

What is supply chain flexibility?

Supply chain flexibility refers to a business’ ability to quickly adapt to changes in demand, disruptions and market conditions. Sue Williams, Managing Director at Hexagon Consultants, discusses why flexibility in supply chains is crucial and shares insight into the benefits maintaining an adaptable approach can have for businesses.

Creating robust systems

Sue Williams, Managing Director at Hexagon ConsultantsSue Williams, Managing Director at Hexagon Consultants
Sue Williams, Managing Director at Hexagon Consultants

The global business landscape is continually evolving, presenting new challenges and obstacles for organisations to navigate. As we advance further into a digitally dependent era, the need for not only flexible but also resilient tech infrastructure becomes more apparent.

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Whilst businesses face pressures to technologically advance, it's important that they balance innovation with practicality, starting small and choosing the right tools to ensure that robust systems are implemented. When adopting new software, companies are also advised to implement thorough back up systems, remove redundant software, carry out regular disaster recovery testing and develop vigorous software update protocols.

Process optimisation

As supply chain challenges become more common and dynamic, it is crucial for businesses to maintain a clear overview of their supply chains and be ready to adapt to changing market conditions and customer demands. By optimising processes such as material flow planning and inventory management, businesses can also better align with consumer demand, leading to overall cost savings and improved performance.

Responsive and resilient approach

Businesses need to be more dynamic to support a responsive approach, for example, segmentation of a business's operations and logistics can help structure systems to be more agile and better positioned to facilitate change. Practices such as supply chain segmentation and business fluidity will allow organisations to quickly respond to operational disruptions through dynamic contingency planning and forecasting, while also allowing them to mitigate reputational and financial risks from technology failures.

To find out more about supply chain flexibility, please visit: www.hexconsultants.com.

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