Max HenryFounder & Executive Director, Global Supply Chain Council (GSCC) · Founder & Executive Director at Global Supply Chain Council (GSCC)

The Rising Importance of Supply Chain and Procurement in the Post-COVID Era

9 Feb 2024 · 1 min

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1:01

In this brief monologue, the speaker explains how the COVID‑19 pandemic fundamentally changed the perception of supply chain and procurement within companies. Before the crisis, these functions were largely invisible back‑office activities that CEOs knew existed but did not understand in detail. The disruption caused by COVID forced senior leaders to pay close attention to logistics, sourcing, and overall supply‑chain resilience, elevating the strategic importance of these areas. While this heightened visibility is seen as a positive cultural shift, it also creates new pressure on supply‑chain professionals to meet heightened executive expectations and deliver reliable performance in a post‑COVID environment.

Chapters

I think to add, I guess one most important piece that COVID has done from us as supply chain procurement professionals is it has elevated the status of supply chain and procurement within the organizations. I mean, I call it as before COVID we were okay, CEO knew what existed, but honestly, he never knew how logistics was happening or how we were sourcing it. It was considered a back office. I think post-COVID or with COVID coming in, the interest of the executives in procurement supply chain has heightened to a great extent. So I think that is the biggest positive from a supply chain perspective. And I think that as well puts additional pressure or burden on us as supply chain professionals to live to that expectation and deliver on that expectation. So I think that's one big change or a mindset change or a cultural shift that I see happening.