We Need a Playbook and It’s the Last Thing We Need

Many enterprises and countries around the world have playbooks to deal with pandemics such as COVID-19.  These range from ISO standards and those based on the United States’ Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), Center of Disease Control & Prevention, and even the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USARMIID).   

But as much as present-day playbooks may have protocols for pandemics, they don’t have any for supply chains.  Enterprises and governments may have response plans such as quarantines and allocations of resources for medical facilities & personnel; there wouldn’t be any, however, for cross-border supply chains.

Why is that?  Because global supply chains have become prominent only in recent years.  Governments and many enterprises still manage supply chains as if they exist only within their borders and factories. 

Global supply chain relationships are mostly in the form of contracts with vendors and 3^rd party providers.  Most of the links, from the sources, to the transportation, to the storage & deliveries are siloed, that is, they’re autonomous and overseen separately.  Collaborations and interactions are mostly done between individual representatives such as between sales agents and purchasing personnel. 

With no real connection, there is no protocol, and therefore no synchronisation that can overcome widespread disruptions from adversities such as what has happened from COVID-19.  Every link on the supply chain is actually vulnerable to whatever form of adversity, more so a global pandemic.

If enterprises can synchronise (some people call it integrate) their supply chains, then there would be a united front versus any adversities.  Enterprises would be able to adapt together.  Goods would keep moving.  People will get their products.  Economies would remain stable.    

Playbook protocols and procedures, however, are the last thing supply chains need.  Synchronising supply chains requires several things first: 

1. Management commitment;
2. Establishing comprehensive policies and strategies;
3. Setting objectives and performance measures;
4. Designing structures and systems to support the strategy;

Many enterprises have embraced (1), (2), and (3).  Many have not been fully successful with (4).  This is because many enterprises have trouble finding the talent to do (4). 

Doing (4) is an engineering effort.  It requires talent that will be sought for because before enterprises can sync their supply chains, they’ll need to engineer their networks to establish the links. 

Only then can enterprises rewrite their playbooks and prepare for the next pandemic and whatever adversity that comes their way.