The Fragility of Global Supply Chains

These days, most major companies’ supply chains span the globe. It is very rare that components and raw materials originate from the same country in which they are ultimately put together. Most of the time, these items arrive at the manufacturing plant or sales site by road, air or sea. However, this harbours a high level of risk, as recent events have again shown us. Just one break in the supply chain can have massive consequences for a company. Discover in this article why global supply chains are becoming more prone to issues. In the follow-up to this article, find out how you can harness new technology to give your supply chain some muscle.

Global supply chains designed for maximum cost efficiency have dominated world trade for many years. The global value networks in various business sectors lead to highly intricate supply chains that are designed for optimum performance under normal, predictable conditions. Today’s supply chains require the companies involved to cooperate and coordinate work together. These high demands mean that partners in a value chain are no longer independent from another, but must be effectively interlinked to focus on a common goal.

The increasing complexity of supply chains – which, strictly speaking, are more like supply networks – means that if a single link is unable to perform, this jeopardizes the ability of all other parties to do their work. Unforeseen events, such as the container ship which recently got stuck in the Suez Canal, causing congestion in ports around Europe, make it very clear how quickly global supply chains can collapse. The shortage of containers and the associated rise in freight rates, particularly on the route from Asia to Europe, are further examples of external influences on global supply chains.

The following will all impact supply chains at some point and demonstrate their fragility:

• Natural disasters
• Pandemics
• Politics
• The economy
• The need to comply with global, national and regional regulations
• Reputation

Extreme weather can break a supply chain

Natural disasters pose a major threat to today’s supply chains. If production centres are hit by fire, flood or an earthquake, this can threaten the existence of an entire industry. For example, the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 dealt a severe blow to the Japanese automotive industry. Much of the auto parts production came to a halt, disrupting the global supply of vehicle parts. This permanently changed the dynamics of the automotive industry as consumers had to opt for other market players as a result of these supply difficulties.

In most cases, natural disasters are difficult to forecast. Although some countries are exposed to greater risk than others, recent events have shown that no region of the world is completely immune to extreme weather events. It is therefore important for buyers to minimise this risk through a broad-based sourcing approach. If one region is affected, the supply chain can simply be redirected to another centre.

How a pandemic highlights the fragility of a global supply chain

The current Covid 19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption within global supply chains and has damaged the export economies of many manufacturing countries. When entire factories in China are forced to close due to the impact of the Corona virus, the result is a shortage of components elsewhere. This has recently been clearly felt in the electronics, clothing and pharmaceutical industries. The automotive industry is an example of a particularly fragile supply chain. There may be up to 1,000 suppliers dependent on a vehicle. Most suppliers to German carmakers are based in Europe. However, some important parts, significantly electronic components, come from China. As vehicles these days are manufactured to a just in time schedule, it just takes one supplier unable to deliver on time to bring production, and even the network as a whole, to a standstill.

Many companies have needed to quickly find solutions to keep goods flowing in the face of material shortages, production downtime and supply disruptions caused by Covid-19.

How political instability can increase the fragility of a global supply chain

Political instability is another huge threat to global supply chains. Business relationships that seem good today may be frozen by political instability tomorrow, disrupting cross-border trade. A country’s political development, especially in China, plays a very significant role in developing a global supply chain. It’s not enough to evaluate a supply chain from a technical perspective. You also need to consider, reduce, defuse and balance any political dependencies as far as possible. If a country is involved in political tensions, events like strikes, protests or even the overthrow of an entire government can significantly hinder or even destroy trade.

When selecting a supplier, a sensible purchaser will consider if and how they may be affected by political risks. The country’s long-term political climate is crucial here. Is a political revolution or a left-right shift imminent? What trade policies can be expected from the next government? These are important questions that play a very significant role in today’s global supply management.

How economics can make a global supply chain more fragile

The 2008 financial crisis and the various global recovery strategies have highlighted the inseparable relationship between a domestic economy and a supply chain. Economic problems in a particular region could, for example, lead to a major exclusive supplier going bankrupt and therefore no longer able to deliver. This is particularly challenging if that supplier’s products are unique in the global market (such as active ingredients in pharmaceuticals). It could take a long time to find suitable alternatives, with the supply chain broken until this happens.

Another economic factor that highlights the fragility of global supply chains is a significant change in interest and exchange rates. Buyers should always keep an eye on a country’s long-term monetary policy, as this can subject raw material and products to massive price fluctuations at short notice.

How the actions of distant suppliers can negatively affect you downstream

It is becoming increasingly complex to regulate a supply chain, especially in global networks. Companies need to navigate the laws in several different countries and ensure that all their suppliers in the value network are complying with the law. If a company breaks the law, the consequences can be huge. Compliance is about much more than just business transactions. The human rights and sustainable development goals set by the European Union and other organisations require companies to ensure that their suppliers’ manufacturing conditions are also humane and environmentally friendly.^[2] In Germany, for example, the national Supply Chain Act will apply to any company with over 3,000 employees from 2023. From 2024, it is being extended to companies with more than 1,000 employees. It requires a company to practise due diligence along its entire supply chain.^[3] Meeting this obligation is only possible if you have efficiently integrated the suppliers along your whole supply chain.

How bad press can increase the fragility of a global supply chain

Companies are not only damaged by the legal consequences of not complying with legislation. If poor or even exploitative working conditions in the supply chain become public knowledge, this can lead to a massive loss of reputation .On July 26th 2021, for example, Harvard Business Manager wrote on how reports of poor working conditions and child labour at Nike’s suppliers had destroyed Nike’s good image, and how Apple had come under pressure after several suicides at its contract manufacturer Foxconn became known.^[4]

If it turns out that if suppliers upstream are flouting regulations, especially in sustainability or human rights, this can seriously damage the reputation of the company. It needs to lay down strict rules and ensure that all the companies working with them comply with these. This is not easy if a supplier is thousands of miles away. Therefore, it is essential that a company performs extensive due diligence before entering into a business relationship with a supplier. Due diligence involves determining the suitability of a business partner for a business relationship by carefully examining various business and activity areas relevant to their projects. This process may encompass several stages, such as appraising a company’s senior management, performing risk analysis, evaluating a company’s strategy and reviewing a company’s reports.^[5] Errors or risks can be detected early on in the audit. And efficient supplier relationship management can make it easier to digitalise and automate the supply chain.

Conclusion

Until recently, German industry and commerce had been spared serious supply crises. The global supply chains which sprung up over the years meant companies and consumers could benefit from the cost advantages of global sourcing and production. However, this has made us hugely dependent on other manufacturers, particularly from Asia. Companies have optimistically used the ease of global procurement to build the cheapest yet most efficient global supply chain they could. Global sourcing allows us to constantly look for a cheaper supplier, while just-in-time delivery strives to get our resources to us at the exact moment we need them. The result is extremely efficient yet very fragile global supply chains.

Companies and their supplier networks cannot significantly influence global politics, but they can prepare for potential risks and take appropriate measures. Even if we can’t accurately forecast weather or environmental influences, companies could still do a risk assessment and plan exit strategies in advance. And this could protect their supply chain from the worst of a natural disaster. A useful step along this path is to digitalise and automate your supply chain. Discover in the follow up to this article how you can use new technology to give your supply chain some muscle.

^[1] cf. Fuchs, Martina: Risiken weltweiter Wertschöpfungsketten: Maßnahmen und Lernprozesse in deutschen Metallunternehmen nach der Katastrophe in Japan im März 2011. [Risk in Global Supply Chains: Measures Taken and Lessons Learned in the German Metal Industry after the 2011 Catastrophe in Japan] Design and Cartography: P. Dieckmann, P. Beyelin. Sources: Survey by Martina Fuchs, Japan Meteorological Agency, ZEIT Online (all 2011). From: https://wigeo.uni-koeln.de/sites/wigeo/Veroeffentlichungen/Working_Paper/WP_2011-01.pdf (accessed 19th Oct 2021).

^[2] cf. Auf dem Weg zu einem europäischen Lieferkettengesetz [On Track to a European Supply Chain Act] (bdi.eu) (accessed 20th Oct 2021).

^[3] cf. Das Lieferkettengesetz ist da [The Supply Chain Act Has Arrived](Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung) (accessed 28th Oct 2021).

^[4] cf. Supply Chain: Welche Lieferanten schaden [Supply Chain: Which Suppliers Are Harming You?] manager magazin (manager-magazin.de) (accessed 20th Oct 2021).

^[5] cf. E.g. GRI 102 – REWE GROUP SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 2017  [Risk Management – REWE Group Sustainability Report 2017] (rewe-group-nachhaltigkeitsbericht.de) [Risk Management – REWE Group Sustainability Report 2017](accessed 2nd Nov 2021).