Supply chain issues have haunted businesses during the past several months. Given the status of the pandemic and other challenges, they probably won’t be resolved any time soon.
The best e-commerce businesses can do to mitigate these issues is to adjust their own practices, timelines, and needs to ensure that they can continue serving customers and being profitable.
The E-Commerce Times spoke with several experts to get their perspective on what’s going on with supply chains and how online sellers can adapt to the disruptions.
“There is an unprecedented volatility and disruption in the end-to-end supply chain,” said Lisa Anderson, president of LMA Consulting Group.
“Manufacturers cannot keep up with demand. Material shortages are common. Transportation issues and delays plague the system, and consumers’ expectations continue to rise. With volatility in both demand and supply, service and profitability suffer,” she explained.
There are a variety of causes for the disruptions in supply chains, and all together they’ve had a domino effect.
The supply chain disruptions are attributable primarily to the pandemic, but other challenges in the manufacturing, economic, and business landscape have contributed to the situation, as well.
Because supply chain challenges are currently par for the e-commerce course, businesses must adapt and be agile to stay afloat. One answer, according to experts, is to diversify.