This archive report was first published on 28 June 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, testing every supply chain on earth. Just three months ago, supply chains were still working as usual, but the pandemic has exposed their weaknesses, making it clear that less is better.
As an entrepreneur and founder of Sendy, I have seen firsthand how complicated supply chains can be, especially for essentials like food, water, medicine, and medical equipment. An inefficient supply chain is not just a simple annoyance; it is expensive, stressful, and at times dangerous.
Even though the Digital Age was meant to simplify supply chains, it has not happened. A small business, like a kiosk, still has multiple supply chains for the many wares it stocks. Nearly every product for sale has to be sourced and delivered through a different supply chain, each with its own realities and complexities.
According to a report by The Standard, a simple rule of the thumb is that the more intermediaries there are in a supply chain, the easier it is to fail. In the current semi-lockdown in Kenya, coupled with a halt on global travel, the value of efficient supply chains has never been clearer.
One way to ensure product quality, reduce cost, and meet deliveries is to reduce touch points as much as possible, identifying and removing all unnecessary ones. Another critical one is to be proactive on public health measures within your supply chain, so that your driver does not end up at a police roadblock without proper documentation.
As The Standard notes, adapting is not a choice anymore; it is now a daily endeavour, and impossible to achieve if your supply chain is too complicated to change direction in good time.
