Supply chain resilience is now more important than ever before due to the higher risks of disruption posed by globalization. Supply chains of all industries now extend across the globe and are increasingly complex.
Nowhere is it truer than for the aerospace and defense supply chain. The entire world is currently in the grip of the COVID-19 crisis. Due to shutdowns enforced worldwide, the aerospace and defense supply chain is facing significant production challenges. Even before the current crisis, the aerospace and defense supply chain was feeling the aftershocks emanating from the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX.
However, despite the challenges that supply chain encounters, it can still rebound strongly if short and long-term issues are taken into account.
Challenges
Before the COVID-19 crisis engulfed the world, the Boeing 737 Max grounding showed the importance of quality assurance across a sprawling and vast supply chain network of suppliers. Whether it is safety, performance or durability, it is imperative to audit quality assurance procedures of supply chain partners to ensure that they supply only the highest grade components.
While the international scope of the aerospace and defense supply chain provides numerous benefits, there are inherent risks as well that must be addressed. One of the key issues facing intricate supply chain networks is that partners also happen to be dependent on each other, which further deepens the complexity of the network while obscuring visibility.
Leaders in the aerospace and defense industries are now facing a challenging scenario. They have to find ways of mitigating risks, attenuating the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, and make preparations for a rapid recovery. They need to revise both short and long-term strategies so that global risks to the supply chain are mitigated.
Visibility
Aerospace and defense industry leaders will have to look for ways to increase supply chain visibility. But what level of visibility will enable better control? In view of facing supply chain challenges, it is necessary to gauge the true extent of the supply chain in order to formulate a sound strategy. Such analysis will help to accurately determine not just direct suppliers but also the 2nd and 3rd tier suppliers on which the supply chain partners are so heavily dependent. These downstream suppliers have a powerful role to play in the supply chain, yet they are perhaps the most overlooked facet of the sprawling supply chain. It is important to align with partners that offer real-time visibility across detailed supply chain metrics for instant analysis. This level of visibility will effectively mitigate disruption risk and elevate production performance.
Analysis
After mapping the supply chain and viewing activity, industry leaders will be able to make accurate decisions that impact productivity and improve outcomes. With the right visibility tools, instant assessments and rapid actions can ensure that even a global disruption will have a comparatively smaller effect on operations and bottom-line results.
