According to the Supply Chain Resilience Report 2021 from Hubs, the global leader in distributed manufacturing, 56 percent of businesses experienced more supply chain disruptions this year than last year.
The past year has been marked by a number of challenges, including computer chip shortages, port congestion, the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, logistics impediments and energy crises, though with every hurdle faced, solutions are being sought. It is increasingly clear that while certain risks are hard to anticipate and difficult to plan for, it is possible to mitigate the effects of supply chain disruptions by establishing a robust and agile supply chain.
Over 98 percent of global companies are now planning to boost the resilience of their manufacturing supply chains, however, 37 percent have yet to implement any measures. As businesses develop long term strategies, over 57 percent of companies say diversification of their supply chains is the most effective way of building resilience. This report explores this year’s most disruptive events, how disruptions have changed over time, industry trends and strategies for strengthening manufacturing supply chains.
The Hubs Supply Chain Resilience Report 2021 includes insights from a 2021 survey of 437 professionals, a 2020 industry survey of 1,281 professionals, its own database of 36,000+ companies and 240 global manufacturing partners.
Key findings include:
- Material shortages have overtaken COVID-19 as the top supply chain disruption in 2021
- 75 percent of companies have experienced external disruptions in the past year, and 56 percent say that this year has seen more disruption than last year.
- 98 percent of companies believe measures should be taken to avoid future supply disruptions, but only 63 percent have done so to date.
Over 57 percent of companies believe that diversifying their manufacturing supply is the best way to prevent future disruptions. Creating more autonomy by investing in automation and developing more transparency throughout the supply chain can also help companies build resilience.
