Shortages in the United Kingdom are providing plentiful ammunition for many critics with an axe to grind. Brexit opponents were quick to lay the blame directly upon Great Britain’s departure from the European Union. Anti-Globalization activists have pointed out the dangerous vulnerability of Just-In-Time supply chains. Then there is COVID-19 where we are seeing the anti-vax and pro-mandate camps slinging blame for the shortages at each other.
The fact of the matter is we’re in a perfect storm of conditions and circumstances at present. COVID restrictions and mandates, post-Brexit teething issues and supply chain disruptions in other parts of the world have combined and brought chaos to the United Kingdom and other nations. It will be some time before normal conditions return. Even though the UK is receiving the lion’s share of media attention for its fuel and food shortages it is not the only one dealing with shortages. In the United States, most major ports are dealing with extreme congestion. Dozens of merchant vessels sit at anchor off places like Long Beach, Elizabeth, and Dundalk, waiting for extended periods of time to enter and unload. This has resulted in a growing number of shortages across a wide range of sectors in the US. Panic buying has exacerbated the situation as well.
Under normal conditions, Just-In-Time supply chains work efficiently. In short, JIT is an inventory management strategy designed to guarantee fast order fulfillment. Production starts only when an order is placed, and inventory stock shipped out as needed. The onset of the pandemic changed the dynamic markedly. Restrictions, shutdowns, and a growing shortage of workers has plagued Asia where much of the manufacturing is done. This was Patient Zero for the current disruptions, for lack of a better term.
Modern supply chains were neither designed or intended to weather a storm of conditions like the one we are seeing. Supply chains were not built for this. Their vulnerabilities have now been made abundantly clear and systematic changes are most certainly on the horizon. Before that time arrives, though, the current storm needs to be handled.
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