What are the lessons learned from COVID-19 crisis that has had a huge impact on

manufacturing, operations, and supply chain?

The learning curve to stay in business has been severe and never-ending, and after COVID-19,
supply chain specialists are rethinking everything from risk management, smart planning, and
inventory regulations to resiliency and analytics.
1. Consideration of multi-sourcing options
Having numerous suppliers for each product is crucial for a successful supply chain, and
businesses are becoming more conscious of risk management regarding sourcing. For
companies, COVID-19 has resulted in several issues, including production delays and reduced
profit margins.
2. Investments in a diversified global footprint
The new coronavirus epidemic has significant effects on global supply chains since China serves
as the "factory of the world." Businesses that have never had a presence in places like Mexico,
Malaysia, or Vietnam are now better at recognizing their potential there. Companies are
evaluating sourcing possibilities in these locations as they continue to negotiate the aftermath of
COVID-19 and strengthen their supply chain strategy.
3. Invest in New Supply Chain Technology
To facilitate supply chain optimization and visualization applications, businesses are investing in
cutting-edge technology. One such application is supply chain network optimization, which uses
data and supply chain analytics to provide a quantitative overview of a company's supply chain
from beginning to end.
4. Develop a Supply Chain Resilience Strategy
Manufacturers can make efforts to build a demand strategy for the "new normal" by establishing
resilience. Resilience programs emphasize speedy recovery and multi-sourcing, among other
things. This aim has grown increasingly important in recent months because of manufacturing
delivery delays caused by the pandemic.
5. Enhance Inter-Divisional Cooperation
Cooperation across divisions was critical to our capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to the
crisis, and it should be embedded into routine, everyday procedures to limit the likelihood of
interruption.
6. Implement a Supply Chain Risk Management Strategy Based on Prediction
COVID-19 has increased the use of predictive analytics which will enable businesses to fine-
tune their supply networks and achieve levels of efficiency previously unattainable. Businesses
are going to use predictive analytics to build predictive insights into their data and make
decisions based on future patterns rather than previous information. This will optimize demand
planning, inventory management, logistics, and delivery.

Manufacturers have been compelled to limit face-to-face interactions on the plant floor because
of the COVID-19 pandemic, companies are moving from linear supply chains to more integrated
networks and focusing on future-proofing their operational procedures.

Reference
[1] https://abas-erp.com/en/company/news/manufacturing-operations-management-covid-19?
fbclid=IwAR0f7z23xPJLcspGN074BUI5edWl8yn0ubHY-EG8ku5ovXLoWM6pLiJDYn0
[2] https://www.ey.com/en_ca/supply-chain/how-covid-19-impacted-supply-chains-and-what-
comes-next?fbclid=IwAR3PIXfj4hLtsyHBd18LqnboUDUmHRug0AZnc8sUEB-
dQ7J_iXuzT4GXRjA
[3] https://www.jabil.com/blog/covid-19-supply-chain-lessons.html