A new Gartner report says too many chief procurement officers ( CPOs ) are endlessly firefighting day-to-day problems and challenges , at the cost of forward planning and risk mitigation .

Gartner ’ s report – Shockproof Your Supply Chain for the New Age of Disruption – details how endless disruptions to global supply chains have left CPOs with insufficient time to recover in between and that many “ are confusing risk mitigation with resilience ”.

“ Their ability to respond effectively is depleted ,” Gartner says . “ The cost of recovery is constantly increasing and CPOs ’ focus is misdirected to solving the most immediate and simplest issues , time and again .”

The report outlines further serious problems :

As risks arise more frequently and with wider reach and urgency , CPOs lack the capacity to learn from past issues to prevent future disruptions causing similar issues .

Amid continual disruptions , CPOs are unable to devise long-term innovative strategies , such as disruption-proof products investments in processes that provide a competitive edge

� SUPPLIER RELATIONS

Thames Water ’ s Director of Commercial and Procurement , David Wylie , tells Procurement & Supply Chain LIVE that supply disruption is making strong supplier relations “ more vital than ever ”.

� FEDEX EXPRESS

FedEx Express is setting up a new South China Operations Centre as part of its Asia Pacific Hub at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China .

� SMART FACTORIES

Industry 4.0 technology has made smart factories a prominent target for cyberattacks , according to a new report from multinational consulting company Capgemini . The report found that , in 2021 , manufacturing overtook financial services as the most attacked sector .

� SME SUSTAINABILITY GOALS Sheldon Mydat , CEO of supplier relations firm Suppeco , says that most SMEs lack the resources or motivation to act on sustainability issues such as Scope 3 emissions .

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