Jun 8, 2020   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Avetta CEO: Rethinking Supply Chain Networks and Reviewing Business Continuity Plans Are Key Parts of an Effective Post Pandemic Program

Avetta® President and CEO Arshad Matin, and the company’s entire health and safety team, are instructing companies and safety leaders regarding how they prepare for increased productivity and reopening operations. These initiatives come into focus especially as National Safety Month begins.

“This unprecedented pandemic has tested a lot of companies’ preparedness, and it’s clear that many were not ready,” said Matin. “Reopening companies and factories worldwide give us a second chance to learn and better prepare for the future.”

Here are some areas of consideration to ensure your company is prepared:

  • Safe Return Protocols – For the short term, it’s critical that companies create and communicate their Safe Return to Work Protocols for worker protection. These protocols can be unique for each company’s circumstances but should be based on a foundation of essential social distancing and hygiene principles.
  • Review & Plan – Next, business continuity reviews and planning are essential to adjusting to post-pandemic conditions. Having a well thought out playbook to react to potentially unplanned events provides well-defined actions for companies to quickly activate and follow. Now is the time to update those plans so those who are accountable know their responsibilities and can act in real time with the necessary functional leadership involvement.
  • Rethink Supply Chains – Companies should rethink their supply chains. Over the next few months, they should be evaluating critical suppliers for post pandemic resiliency, which includes items such as financial health, quality controls, health and safety risks, and sustainability, among others. Begin sourcing new business opportunities, and new supplier and vendor relationships to grow the value chain. Leverage the right technology and data to provide real-time insights and mitigate potential future negative impacts.

“As companies emerge from this pandemic, we’ll see a deglobalization of the supply chain,” said Matin. “For years, companies have been focused on cost efficiency, and in just a few weeks, much of the savings generated by focusing on costs have been wiped out. For the long term, companies should diversify and shorten the distance of their supply chain options.”

Post pandemic, strategies include reviewing the entire supply chain in a risk-based supplier evaluation process. Identify mutual dependency fears and understand supplier dependencies a level down—how ready are the suppliers of my suppliers? Real-time dashboards with technology can help companies understand both the challenges and the opportunities.

Avetta has created a number of resources to educate supply chain companies, vendors and suppliers worldwide to help them react to and recover from impacts of the pandemic and, as employees return to work, provide ways companies can maintain and improve sustainability going forward. Resources include business continuity planning tips and examples; white papers; webinars on topics such as accessing small business assistance programs, preparing for OSHA inspections post pandemic, and best practices for returning to work safely and effectively; safety & sustainability moment slides; and infographics. A considerable amount of materials focus on small businesses, which are a significant portion of supply chain suppliers and vendors.

National Safety Month is observed annually by the National Safety Council, the nation’s leading nonprofit safety advocate. National Safety Month focuses on saving lives and preventing injuries, from the workplace to anyplace.

About Avetta

Avetta leads the world in connecting leading global organizations across several industries including oil/gas, telecom, construction materials, facilities management and many others, with qualified and vetted suppliers, contractors and vendors. The company brings unmatched access and visibility to its clients’ supply chain risk management process through its innovative and configurable technology, coupled with highly experienced human knowledge and insight. We contribute to the advancement of our clients’ sustainable growth by protecting supply chains from a wide range of potential risks through trusted contractor prequalification, safety training and monitoring, regulatory compliance, insurance/financial stability and other areas of risk. Avetta currently serves more than 450 enterprise companies and 95K suppliers across 100+ countries. Visit www.avetta.com for more information.