Research by SCALA reveals that 52% of UK businesses have only partially implemented measures to build resilience against supply chain disruptions, while 14% possess no strategy whatsoever to mitigate significant financial losses. This leaves a considerable number of companies vulnerable to ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and other unforeseen events.
The report highlights key areas of weakness, including customer concentration, where 47% of businesses are overly reliant on a limited number of clients, and general operational resilience. These vulnerabilities could lead to substantial financial exposure if disruptions occur.
For freight forwarders and operations managers, this data underscores the critical need for robust supply chain planning and risk management. Shippers who are underprepared may face increased costs, delays, and potential business interruptions. Forwarders should proactively engage with their UK clients to assess their resilience strategies, offer solutions for diversified routing, inventory management, and contingency planning, especially given the current global instability. This could involve recommending alternative transport modes or storage solutions to reduce reliance on single points of failure.
