Last year it seemed that every day there was a new natural disaster making the news headlines. From wildfires to tornadoes, Mother Nature ravaged the United States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather and climate disasters cost the US $306 billion in damages, and this year it is only expected to get worse. Not all of us are in the direct paths of disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or earthquakes, but many of our key suppliers are.
Many times companies and individuals don’t think of preparing for disasters until the threat is very real, when this planning should begin months before. Many producers must consider alternate options to continue supply for their customers such as having high inventories at different hubs throughout the world. When working with your suppliers it is important to fully understand their business continuity plans so that you can fully prepare as well.
Natural disasters can cause canceled or delayed deliveries, bringing manufacturing to a sudden stop, so it is important to have backup suppliers to offer alternative options. When you have a backup supplier or a few that are in different areas throughout the country they aren’t likely to all be affected by a natural disaster. ChemCeed is happy to explore any alternative options for their customers as natural disasters disrupt much more than just manufacturing, such as logistics. We recommend that our customers thoroughly examine their supply chain in order to identify where it begins and ends, key suppliers, and what is needed for supply chain continuity.