Supply Chain Resilience Without the Enterprise Budget
Resilience is not only for enterprises with risk departments. Five practical moves for mid-sized firms.
By Owen Hartley, Partner, operations and technology , 1 min read
Resilience is not reserved for enterprises with risk departments. Mid-sized firms can make five practical moves this year. Resilience is not only for enterprises with risk departments. Five practical moves for mid-sized firms.
Know where you are exposed
List your twenty most important inputs and, for each, the number of qualified suppliers and the weeks of stock you hold. Any input with one supplier and little stock is a risk the leadership team should discuss explicitly.
Buy options, not just inventory
Qualify a second supplier for critical parts, agree flexible volumes with your main ones and keep a small buffer where lead times are long. Options cost less than blanket safety stock and can be used when they are needed.
How we apply this with clients
In client work this usually becomes one priority on the quarterly plan, with a named owner and a measure the leadership team reviews every month. Our operations partners start with a short diagnostic of where the business is today, then agree the smallest change that will make a visible difference within ninety days.
Key takeaways
- Map single-supplier inputs and stock cover.
- Qualify second sources for critical parts.
- Negotiate flexible volumes instead of holding blanket stock.
Want to apply this in your business? Book a discovery call with a Maia Lafortezza partner.
Owen Hartley
Owen Hartley leads the firm's operations and technology practice. An industrial engineer by training, he spent twelve years running distribution and manufacturing operations before moving into advisory work. He redesigns workflows, operating rhythms and supply chains for logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and service businesses, and helps clients choose and implement technology, including practical AI, where it pays back. He is based in Milan.
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