Reflections on the Supply Chain Impact of COVID-19

Over the past nine months, so many aspects of our lives have been disrupted: healthcare, employment, the economy, how we buy goods — it’s all different. With changes in consumer behaviors and priorities, supply chains of all types have also been massively impacted. As someone in the industry, 2020 has certainly been the weirdest and wildest year I’ve ever experienced professionally, and I’d like to share a few takeaways as I reflect on what I’ve learned.

Supply chains are more important than ever

The supply chain industry has always been an important factor in the success of a business, but this year it gained universal recognition for its critical role in our lives and our economy. We’ve seen what strained supply chains look like — from toilet paper shortages in retail stores, to limited supplies of PPE and medical equipment, to delays in ecommerce delivery services. As the virus spread throughout the world, especially in the early days of its transmission, we saw ripple effects. An outbreak or transportation delay in one part of the world would have a devastating impact across the globe. If a manufacturer in one country had to shut down or a warehouse closed, shipments would be delayed, supplies would arrive late, and those in need of the end product would be left waiting. Global supply chains grappled to maintain their functions as the virus spread.

On the other hand, when supply chains run smoothly, the average consumer doesn’t think about them much, if at all. Things simply work. In 2020, the pandemic put a spotlight on the role and value of supply chains, bringing awareness of them into the public sphere. The reality is that they determine how effective a company’s operation is and directly inform and shape the strategy, growth and competitive positioning of that company.

It used to be the case that few people really cared to understand my job. Now that our role in the economy is more visible and valuable, it’s been interesting to see others seek to understand how supply chains work. It feels good to know that what we do is not only helping our customers get their products out the door and into the hands of shoppers, but that we’re enabling the economy to continue running.

Protecting our people has to be a priority

The talented people working within our walls (and from home) comprise the most valuable part of our business. I’m proud of the swift actions we took to prioritize their safety and offer flexibility during this pandemic. During the onset, our warehouse teams quickly implemented new processes and extra safety precautions to protect the associates who run our operations. This included adjusting schedules and break times to limit the number of personnel entering and exiting simultaneously, installing floor markings in heavily trafficked areas to ensure proper distancing, and creating guidelines around labor sharing to limit exposure between facilities. We also restricted customer and vendor visits and transitioned our non-warehouse team members to remote work to reduce foot traffic in our facilities. In addition, we established twice-weekly preventative deep cleanings in our warehouses, provided an abundance of sanitizing stations and PPE, and we continue to conduct temperature checks and questionnaires prior to entry.

I’ve been exceedingly impressed at the adaptability of our team’s ability to continue serving the ever-changing market demands safely. Without their dedication (and without others working in supply chains around the world), not only would creature comforts and conveniences suffer, but our health and access to critical goods would be negatively impacted and put at risk.

You can never plan too much for a disaster

No one could have predicted we would be in a global pandemic in 2020, but many companies lack a disaster recovery plan, or their emergency plans are covered in layers of dust. The events of this year have made it clear that backup plans must be a priority and not something that gets put on the backburner. While the global nature of this outbreak is unprecedented in our lifetime, there is always a risk of a disaster happening, so disaster planning, audits, rehearsals, and drills must be taken seriously.

We’ve proven that our office staff can work remotely, but the value of face-to-face interactions is higher than ever. Prior to this year, my experience with video calls was extremely limited, but I’ve adapted and am thankful to my team and colleagues for continuing to maintain face-to-face relationships through technology. It’s amazing to see those who used to be in the office go through the drastic shift to remote work (with families also at home), continue to meet and exceed goals, and maintain great relationships with our customers. I look forward to getting back in the office, traveling to different sites, and spending time with my teammates, but until then, I’m happy to know the remote working world is working out — technology is truly a game changer.

Face-to-face interactions do provide value

We’ve proven office staff can work remotely, but the value of face-to-face interactions is higher than ever. I admit, prior to this year, my experience with video calls was extremely limited, but I’ve adapted and am so proud of my team and colleagues for continuing to maintain face-to-face relationships the only way possible in these times. It’s been amazing to see our associates go through the drastic life change of a global pandemic and remote working with families at home, while still meeting and exceeding goals and maintain a great relationship with our customers to deliver on our promises every day. I look forward to the days when we can be back in the office, traveling to our different sites and spending time with my teammates but until then, I’m happy to know we’re all making it work in the remote working world.

Onward to 2021

I’m looking forward to a very different year in 2021 and expect to see our industry continue to gain strength from the lessons learned in 2020!