How do you handle purchasing emergencies or disruptions in your supply chain?

From my experience, purchasing organizations can develop a risk matrix, considering financial, logistics, and other supply chain risks. Another interesting approach is to develop a precise sourcing process, in which there is an evaluation of the possible risks, assigning a bonus or malus to the suppliers that don't fullfil the criteria.

We all know, no supply chain can be managed 100% perfect without any disruption. So we need to assess beforehand what are the bottlenecks in each stage and prioritise them according to the risks associated. Once we know how risky a process is we will accordingly devise back up plans to sustain difficult situations.

Para enfrentar emergências de compras, é vital antecipar e avaliar possíveis problemas na cadeia de suprimentos. A aplicação de uma matriz de risco para categorizar a probabilidade e impacto de diversos cenários, como falhas de fornecedor ou atrasos no transporte, permite uma priorização efetiva. Acredito que essa abordagem estratégica, baseada em avaliação de riscos, é essencial para uma gestão eficiente em situações imprevistas na cadeia de suprimentos, permitindo uma alocação mais assertiva de recursos.

Die Bewertung von Risiken in der Lieferkette ist entscheidend. Wir führen regelmäßige Analysen durch, um potenzielle Schwachstellen zu identifizieren und zu bewerten. Dabei berücksichtigen wir auch externe Einflüsse wie Naturkatastrophen, politische Instabilität und Marktschwankungen. Unsere Risikobewertung ermöglicht es uns, präventive Maßnahmen zu ergreifen und alternative Beschaffungswege zu entwickeln, um die Kontinuität unserer Lieferkette sicherzustellen.

In my experience, risk evaluation comes from experience, data collection and selecting the right suppliers. Before assigning or nominating a new supplier, a risk assessment is needed. As a start, this data will be part of your database. As Purchasing organization it becomes necessary to develop a risk assessment questionnaire, to be fullfiled by the supplier. Of course it is always valuable to create a risk matrix, but more than that, organizations should develop their own score card based on the results of the risk assessment. Risks can be logistics, financial, quality, R&D, certifications and product strategy.

In handling purchasing emergencies, I start by quickly identifying the root cause and assessing its impact on the supply chain. Immediate communication with suppliers is crucial to securing alternative sources, expediting shipments, or adjusting production schedules to minimize delays. Maintaining safety stock and pre-vetted alternate suppliers provides a buffer during disruptions. I ensure close coordination with procurement, logistics, and production teams for a unified response. Developing contingency plans, such as supplier diversification, regular risk assessments, and digital monitoring tools, helps improve long-term supply chain resilience and adaptability.

Desenvolver planos de contingência é essencial após avaliar os riscos na cadeia de suprimentos. Ter alternativas e definir papéis e responsabilidades são medidas cruciais para lidar com emergências de compras. Essa abordagem estruturada facilita a resposta eficaz diante de imprevistos.

Wir entwickeln umfassende Notfallpläne, die verschiedene Szenarien abdecken, von Lieferverzögerungen bis hin zu schwerwiegenden Unterbrechungen. Diese Pläne umfassen klare Kommunikationswege, alternative Lieferquellen, Lagerhaltungsstrategien und Maßnahmen zur Kapazitätsanpassung. Regelmäßige Schulungen und Simulationen stellen sicher, dass unser Team im Ernstfall schnell und effektiv reagieren kann.

To develop a contingency plan, organizations must consider a multidisciplinary team. Before any disruption happens, several teams must bring their ideas and purchasing department is the one coordinating the contingency plan. From 2nd sources to select secure areas or prefer best supply chain concept, solutions may vary.

Wir überwachen kontinuierlich unsere Lieferkette und führen regelmäßige Überprüfungen durch, um potenzielle Engpässe oder Risiken frühzeitig zu erkennen. Dies umfasst die Nutzung von Datenanalysen, Lieferantenbewertungen und Leistungsindikatoren. Durch diese Überwachung können wir proaktiv auf Veränderungen reagieren, Anpassungen vornehmen und sicherstellen, dass unsere Lieferkette effizient und resilient bleibt.

Each organization must have a monitoring system. This can be done in several ways, such as: - Continuous tracking of on-time deliveries. - Regular meetings with suppliers, to review their score card (e.g) - Stablish an advanced ERP with early alerts - Audit suppliers factories and system

Your first action should always be to get in direct contact with the supplier. They may already have a response in motion as your supplier is closer to the problem. Ask how you can help facilitate the mitigation response. Too often a buyers response will be to move away from a trusted partner who has an issue when that partner is already working on a solution. By moving away you may further impede your supply partner's ability to deliver successfully in the future.

Im Falle eines Einkaufsnotfalls oder einer Unterbrechung in der Lieferkette reagieren wir umgehend gemäß unseren vordefinierten Notfallplänen. Unser Team aktiviert sofort Kommunikationswege, mobilisiert Ressourcen und koordiniert alternative Beschaffungsstrategien. Ziel ist es, die Auswirkungen der Unterbrechung zu minimieren und den normalen Betrieb so schnell wie möglich wiederherzustellen. Nach der Bewältigung des Notfalls führen wir eine gründliche Nachbereitung durch, um Lehren zu ziehen und unsere Prozesse kontinuierlich zu verbessern.

The first step is to communicate: understand the problem, offer help, and contribute to solving the issue. Remember, even as the client, you'll benefit most from a swift resolution. You must be involved and do everything possible to address the issue promptly, as it is the top priority. This is not the moment for blame. After resolving the situation, conserve some energy to focus on understanding 'why' it happened and how to prevent it in the future. Evaluate your supplier's capability to avoid such issues going forward. Do not hesitate to walk away from a supplier if you think this might happen again or if they refuse to take responsibility.

For supply chain emergencies, Purchasing emerges as the coordinator of the response, as well as responsible of the application of contingency plan. A response must be fast, clear and very transparent. The communication is crucial, with a central role of the Buyer, to get inputs from logistics, planners... etc, as well as from supplier. Recover and solution only comes after negotiation with affected supplier and with the aim of finding the most logical but also creative solutions to the problem.

During the process, lessons learned are key. Usually organizations define preventive measures and apply new plans of contingency. Long-term measures could be a joint improvement of the supply chain, change of supplier or diversification of sources.

Um Einkaufsnotfällen oder Unterbrechungen in der Lieferkette vorzubeugen, setzen wir auf präventive Maßnahmen und kontinuierliche Verbesserungen. Dazu gehören eine robuste Risikobewertung, die Identifizierung von Engpässen, die Diversifizierung der Lieferantenbasis und die Implementierung von Redundanzen. Durch regelmäßige Schulungen und die Integration von Feedbackmechanismen aus vergangenen Notfällen streben wir nach einer ständigen Optimierung unserer Prozesse, um die Widerstandsfähigkeit unserer Lieferkette zu stärken.