FOREWORD Supply : the Grinch that stole Christmas ?
With supply chains overworked and undermanned , good cheer may be in short supply this Christmas - but the reopening of the US to international air traffic hints at brighter times ahead
“ Everyone has an annoying relative who brags about having all their Christmas shopping done early . This year the advice from many experts is you should be that annoying relative ”
RICHARD HOWELLS , SAP SUPPLY CHAIN THOUGHT LEADER
A couple of short years ago , the only people talking about supply chains were stakeholders . Now , it ’ s one of the hottest news topics out there . That ’ s because supply is a hygiene factor : we only notice it when it ’ s not working properly .
It ’ s little wonder supply chains are overheating . They have been overwhelmed by the monumental upsurge in online shopping fuelled by the pandemic , and then hobbled by labour shortages at virtually every turn .
By Christmas , ‘ supply ’ could well be a dirty word , as toys , smartphones , consoles and trainers arrive long after the last of the turkey sandwiches has been snaffled , German software giant SAP has warned .
But there is hope . With the US finally opening its borders to fully vaccinated foreign nationals , airlines can again fill passenger flights with cargo , bringing much needed relief to log-jammed container ports the world over . Let ’ s just hope it ’ s not too late to save Christmas .
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