There is no “quick fix” for supply disruptions

Those in the automotive aftermarket looking for help during at least the short term of the ongoing supply chain disruption should be prepared to dig in as there are too many problems at the same time, one said. industry observer.

“Right now there is probably no quick fix,” said Jeff Peterson, director of supply chain and manufacturing consulting practice at Baker Tilly.

The supply chain is going through logistical challenges, with suppliers who have been forced to shut their doors during the pandemic, which has restricted channels and workforce issues affecting businesses differently, from research to people to work in industry to shift truck drivers. product. There are too many obstacles to easy solutions, he noted.

“So in the very short term, there’s probably not much to do. It’s really just a matter of trying to do whatever you can to find material, to find open routes and lanes through which you can move products, etc. Supplier Association Supply Chain Webinar Series.

The sentiment was shared by Thomas A. Cook, managing director of Blue Tiger International, a supply chain management consulting agency that works with the US-based Auto Care Association.

“We don’t have the capacity, in the current state of the market, to eliminate all the problems,” he told the webinar. Reducing Risks and Expenses in the Global Supply Chain: Challenges and Opportunities in Importing and Exporting as part of the AAPEX October webinar series. “They are just too big and too big. “

But Peterson had a key tip for suppliers at this time. “Watching customers closely, customer segmentation and product line segmentation is probably one of the highest impact activities that could deliver results in the medium to medium term. “

This leads to longer term strategies. It’s important to understand who your customers are, what they’re buying, what part of your business they represent, how you should prioritize them, and how you can serve them.

“And the same with your product line: what is really selling? What can you put on the back burner for a while because it consumes inputs and labor, and so on? Said Peterson.