The concept of supply chain transparency is nothing new. It has been here for a decade and a half. However, it has gained fame over the past few years in the wake of the rising customer demand for information regarding the movement of its products across the supply chain. Furthermore, there is an increased interest from governments, NGOs and other stakeholders who seek information from the supply chain service providers. With these demands, the reputational costs of failing to do so are high.

Supply chain issues are spread across industries and countries. For small businesses, it can be a challenge keeping popular items stocked and dealing with impatient customers if you have a retail outlet or an e-commerce store. However, you can still make things better if you can develop a concrete strategy to avert some of the problems and keep the operations of your business running smoothly. Here are some supply chain management strategies to get you started.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the modern supply chains as just a house of cards that can collapse when they are put under pressure. Many businesses caught flat-footed by lockdowns and restrictions of movements have found the recovery process difficult to navigate. The clogged ports and shortages of materials resulted in backlogs across the supply chain hubs. While things are starting to unwind, trade channels continue to face challenges making it hard for operations to return to normal. Assuming that a new wave of the virus does not emerge, the worst-hit industries are expected to recover at the beginning of 2023 or the end of this year.