Building an Agile Supply Chain

Prepare for and prosper through supply chain disruptions

Weathering the Storm: Supply Chain Resilience in an Age of Disruption

This Executive Report explores the findings of the 2020 Gartner Weathering the Supply Chain Storm Survey, as well as interviews with supply chain leaders in sectors such as medical devices, electronics, consumer products and aerospace. It helps companies explore the main strategies to develop greater supply chain resilience in the years ahead.

Download the report to dive deeper into key strategies for greater supply chain resilience and supply chain management. 

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    Bad companies are destroyed by crisis. Good companies survive them. Great companies are improved by them.

    Manufacturing Company

    Supply chain disruptions create multidimensional uncertainty

    Economic turns are common in business, but there are many other types of turns, or unexpected changes, that force decisions. Turns can also be geopolitical, environmental, social or competitive.

    Unexpected turns may be extreme, and the time to impact may be short due to digital capabilities. They often come in combinations, and increase the need to react on different business vectors and require a high-performing executive team.

    The 3 Pillars of Supply Chain success: 1. Strategy: Prepare to act confidently. 2. Cost: Establish a cost management approach. 3. Talent: Sustain progress on transformation.

    Strategy, cost and talent are the pillars for staying agile

    Staying agile through disruption demands contrary measures around cost, strategy and talent. Top performers defy conventional thinking during disruptions, and the most successful take risks during these turns. Supply chain leaders prepare for turns and lead by building agility into systems, processes and decision making.

    The 3 Pillars of Supply Chain success: 1. Strategy: Prepare to act confidently. 2. Cost: Establish a cost management approach. 3. Talent: Sustain progress on transformation.

    Supply chain insights you can use

    Gartner’s insights, advice, data and tools help supply chains move beyond the hype of predictions, and prepare organisations to evolve and succeed during a time of constant change.

    Supply Chain: Sense and Respond is Just the Beginning

    This report — based on interviews with senior supply chain leaders — provides strategies to position supply chain as a critical decision enabler by improving sensing capabilities.

    Supply Chain Strategies to Build Resilient Supply Networks

    This complimentary webinar draws on new Gartner research to outline the main strategies that supply chain leaders use to build greater resilience into their supply networks for the future.

    The Agile Supply Chain Imperative: Defining How Companies Can Sense and Respond to Change

    This report explores the term “agile” in the context of supply chain management. We discuss what agility means for businesses and illustrate how supply chains are dealing with this expectation.

    How CSCOs Can Stay Agile in the Turns

    CSCOs responsible for supply chain strategy, leadership and governance must start pushing their teams now to make sure they are prepared to implement plans, make course corrections and are ready to accelerate out of each turn. View this infographic to learn more.

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    Saved $200,000 by leveraging low oil prices to renegotiate terms in ocean freight contract.
    Client Success Story

    Buying Smart Amid COVID-19

    When a solar panel company's ocean freight contract was up for renewal, they mentioned the possibility of renegotiation. Gartner acted quickly in aligning the appropriate BuySmart resources. With Gartner's support, the client was able to take advantage of low oil prices and save up to $200,000 on the new terms of their ocean freight contract.

    Gartner topic experts

    Gartner’s supply chain experts include more than 100 people worldwide. Meet a few of our leaders. 

    Michael Uskert
    Managing VP
    Research & Advisory

    David Gonzalez
    VP Analyst
    Research & Advisory

    Geraint John
    VP Analyst
    Research & Advisory

    Marko Pukkila
    VP, Team Manager
    Research & Advisory

    Beth Coppinger
    Sr Director Analyst
    Research & Advisory

    Simon Bailey
    Sr Director Analyst
    Research & Advisory

    Gartner experts are trusted advisors for 2,500+ supply chain leaders and executives

    Gartner helps organisations grow and maintain ownership of strategic initiatives. Make the right decisions with trusted insights and objective advice.