In Nick Hornby’s iconic novel, High Fidelity, the brooding protagonist, Rob Gordon, organizes his life into a series of “Top Five” lists. These include his most memorable breakups, his favorite books, and other, more arcane compilations. It’s a treasured novel (and movie, and Hulu series) that, like lists, can restore clarity and order to dark and chaotic times. And speaking of dark and chaotic times…
For procurement and supply chain organizations, 2020 has been a uniquely challenging year. It has presented leaders, practitioners, and suppliers with high-impact events and conditions occurring across the risk spectrum. Now, we won’t get into the whole ordeal—no one’s ready for a “what does it all mean” article. Maybe next year. Maybe never. But suffice it to say that the COVID-19 era business world contains economic, political, and social disruption. It is perhaps the fullest expression of a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business environment.
For procurement, sourcing, and supply chain leaders standing on the precipice of a new year, there is no going back to pre-COVID-19 times. But to help you navigate these unchartered waters, we recommend getting on board with these Top Five Supply Chain Trends for 2021 for greater resilience.