35080_RS_August_MRO_Brochure_AU_Final_Digital_Lo-Res

using the most up-to-date technology to keep track
of goods, from factory to freight. In addition to this,
CEOs and managers need to be communicating all
the possible supply chain risks with their employees,
alongside risk-prevention measures.
Whilst the Red Dot has been held up as a model
on the world stage for detecting and containing
the virus, business leaders themselves should set
a standard for protecting their employees, either
through hygiene education or screening protocols.
For companies that supply, produce or distribute
from an impacted country, it is important to focus
on workforce and labour planning, so staff are both
protected, and resources are managed effectively.
From Reactive to Proactive
Thanks to digital transformation and the availability
of supply chain management tools and big data,
specialist trade organisations are in a better position
to anticipate these unforeseen circumstances. With
the right data and channel visibility, companies
can monitor their flows of inventory, map potential
disruptions and use the global network create
strategies to mitigate these and minimise the impact
to end customers.
Effective supply chain management gives the
companies a competitive advantage over their
rivals and helps them eliminate waste and reduce
inherent risks. However, few seem to be using these
management tools enough. According to Harvard
Business Review, the majority of companies around
the world have responded to the pandemic in a
“reactive and uncoordinated way,” due to a lack of
clear information and visibility of their channels.
Chief executive officers should see the current crisis
as an opportunity to re-evaluate their procurement
management, switching from a reactive to a
proactive mindset. This can include, where possible,
planning and activating alternate sources of supply,
utilisation of digital and supply chain specialists,
The global picture of the world’s eventual recovery
from the pandemic looks bleak: as of early July, the
number of cases stands at almost twelve million and
only a few nations are showing signs of flattening the
curve. For most organisations, it will still take at least
six months before they can claim to be “business as
usual” again. But if organisations choose to adopt
the right risk assessments, supply chain management
strategies and communication with employees and
stakeholders, they will emerge from this stronger. As it
is often said, prevention is better than cure.
Syed Suroor Anwar
Vice President–Strategy and Commercial
for Asia Pacific - RS Components
Syed Suroor
Anwar has vast
international
experiences in
Asia, Europe
and North
America
with key
e-commerce
and technology
companies. As
Vice President
of Strategy and
Commercial for
APAC, Suroor is
responsible to
formulate the
Go-to-market
Strategy for
RS APAC and
implement that through managing the overall
product and supplier offer on the website and
sales enablement through digital marketing, sales
effectiveness and customer experience.
33