We are seeing business just beginning to ramp up. As said in our eBook, Future-Proofing Manufacturing & Supply Chain Post COVID-19, this is not an on/off switch. We should turn the dial carefully (as quickly as possible while accounting for the end-to-end supply chain). Every situation is different.  Yet, common concepts exist and preparation is required. A few highlights include:

• Employee readiness: There are several rules and regulations in addition to considering your employees’ mindsets and readiness.
• Customer readiness: Clearly, without predictable sales volume (at least to an 80/20 standpoint at a high level), it is impossible to know what to produce, purchase, store, prepare cash reserves etc.
• Supplier readiness: Of course, no matter how ready our customers and employees, if our suppliers aren’t ready (and our suppliers’ suppliers), nothing will be accomplished.
• Financial readiness: It sounds obvious but we also need the cash to operate our end-to-end supply chain successfully.
• Risk tolerance: We are pushing clients to assess risk to make prudent decisions.  Yet, in order to be successful, they will have to take on additional risk. A no risk policy will result in bankruptcy!
• Resiliency: Start the process of future-proofing your manufacturing and supply chain and make a commitment to continuously improve. Without this mindset, do not turn the dial.

Your most important job in the foreseeable future (minimally 9-12 months) will be to navigate this ramp up to the new un-normal, and even more critically, the most successful clients will take the bull by the horns and create their future.