End product availability is a key factor in achieving profitable business growth, rigorous control across each aspect of the supply chain is critical to meet the volume and commercial demands of your customers.

Ensures product movement of raw materials and finished product align to enable the fulfillment of customer orders and ultimately sales.

Product movement, domestically or internationally, inventory management and storage, ultimately that essential link between operations producing the products and the commercial team selling products and the goods arriving with your customer on time and in full.

Supply chain management is more encompassing across the operations, logistics management is an important function within SCM.

An example would be warehouse automation where we are increasingly seeing robotics to pick customer orders, replenish stocks or even the final delivery to consumers via drones or automated vehicles.

Its brings everything together, like a highway linking other functions together to achieve business growth aspirations. If we look at some of the challenges last year such as the suez canal, where the supply chain was interrupted major costs were incurred and stock levels impacted which in turn affected sales and business performance. Customers and consumers were impacted.

Absolutely, its a major focus today and an effective SCM program can make a significant difference to a business and their ability to win or maintain contracts.

Its the system for tracking and moving goods effectively and increasingly with enhanced transparency.

The ability to source and receive products when needed where required. Its different in the hospitality industry as volumes are generally smaller or less consistent demand so is supported by a network of distributors that play key roles. Imagine the MCG on boxing day 98k people all requiring food, drinks and even bathroom facilities, the week after the demand is significantly less so the Supply chain needs to have the capability to meet the highest demand and also the flexibility to manage lower demand levels.

Really focus in on the nature of the issue and chase it back to the root cause, its hard to compensate for an issue further up the supply chain without impacting profitability, the aim is to identify the bottleneck or weakest point and invest in address the issue at source, using industry experts.

Engage each part of the supply chain to improve communication, focus on alignment and try to secure as much of your demand as possible to reduce the impact on the business. Ensure that end users i.e. retailers understand the coming impact so they can assist also. Don’t avoid the conversation, early planning and communication is key.

Massively and still impacting, its reduced available labour for temporary workers, its increased absenteeism for standard workers and has also interrupted the flow of product and demand especially into Food service. Its lead to a refocus on security of supply and preference for locally made whilst also reflecting the change in consumer buying habits seeing an acceleration in channels such as on line. Its ultimately linked to challenges on availability from packaging, raw materials and finished products through to price increases.

These changes are likely to influence FMCG for the next 10 years, as it is driving a change in the way we source, manufacture and value food. Its also been a catalyst to the ESG agenda (Environmental, Social & Governance) which demands increased transparency across the supply chain as brands look to differentiate.