Disruptions seem to be coming at us at an ever-faster pace, from pandemics to natural disasters to regulatory changes to technological advances and more. Some, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, are regional in nature; others, like COVID-19, are global and affect literally every nation and every business. How businesses respond to these challenges; how they prepare before a crisis hits can make the difference between success and failure. For many, finding ways to resolve these challenges is a matter of survival itself.
Bricks to Clicks — the impact on the supply chain
Legal, procurement, supply chain—oh my!
Visiting some retail clients during the holidays, I was struck by the impact of the accelerated shift from “bricks to clicks” on procurement, supply chain and legal. It’s no secret that recent holiday shopping sales showed a continuing significant shift to online buying habits. Actual physical toy retailers are nearly nonexistent, mobile phone retailers are all online, booking holidays is a 100% online pursuit, banking, grocery and now urgent purchases are easily accessible for online same-day delivery.
This is not a new phenomenon, but I was surprised by how unprepared indirect procurement or GNFR (goods not for resale) is for this change.
So what is the impact on GNFR, supply chain and legal?