Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, President of LMA Consulting Group Inc., predicts supply chain challenges for the foreseeable future. She also suggests that mitigating supply chain challenges will require leveraging the strength of direct and indirect global supply chains. LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth.

"Supply chains are going to be volatile until our world order becomes more predictable. The war in Ukraine, the shutdowns throughout China and the threats to Taiwan are just a few of the supply chain problems facing manufacturers. And it's the trickle-down effect. For example, the war in Ukraine has had far-reaching effects from the obvious distraction of combat and people being displaced from their homes. The war is affecting everything from gas and energy to grain and other foodstuffs. While Europe is feeling it severely, the impact is being felt globally," Ms. Anderson commented.

There is no easy answer. Certain regions are rich in natural resources. Others are abundant in land and their ability to grow and harvest crops. It's the coalescence of these strengths that provides for world demand. "No region or manufacturer is a silo any longer. Supply chains need to rely on the strengths of their partners to become resilient. We are seeing more collaboration. And, we are seeing our customers leveraging global supply chains – whether their own or accessing through their partners. The most recent example of leveraging a global supply chain is the shipment of infant formula from Ireland. While not financially sustainable long-term because of freight costs and import requirements, it provides a much-needed temporary solution," she continued.

Leveraging the global supply chain requires strategy, open-mindedness and creativity. LMA Consulting uses the S&OP process to help align sales, inventory and operations. LMA clients are also actively bringing operations closer to home. "Near-shoring, re-shoring and friendly-shoring are all part of the strategy and creativity being used in today's supply chains. Having operations closer to home allows for shorter lead times and more agile decision-making. Friendly-shoring is a fairly new term. We see this as the ability to collaborate and leverage the strengths of supply chains and partners willing to become part of the answer."

Ms. Anderson recently released a Special Report: Thriving in 2022: Learning from Supply Chain Chaos – Insights from 22 Trusted Advisors. This special report includes supply chain insights and perspectives from Ms. Anderson and 22 advisor experts who have supported clients through the supply chain upheavals of 2020 and 2021. The report is available at no charge from the LMA Consulting Website.