Mastering supply chain resilience: Lessons from industry leaders

Supply chain disruptions are no longer an if – they’re a when. The pandemic, the Suez Canal crisis, the Baltimore Bridge collapse, cybersecurity threats. Even unpredictable weather patterns have all underscored the need for businesses to rethink how they manage their supply chains today.

In the latest Double Click Episode, Katie Poehling Seymour, CEO of First Supply, joined me to explore what it now takes to confidently navigate supply chain complexity.

Preparation is the best defence

In my conversations with customers, one question keeps surfacing: How can we better prepare for the next big disruption? The truth is, it’s not just ‘big’ events such as pandemics or geo-political tensions that pose risks. Day-to-day disruptions – such as late shipments, labour shortages, or delays of raw materials – can have just as much an impact if a business isn’t prepared.

Such challenges present opportunities for growth and innovation, and forward-thinking leaders are embracing three critical strategies to turn these obstacles into strategic advantages:

1. Leveraging technology to stay ahead

Technology is redefining supply chain resilience. AI, automation, and real-time analytics enable organisations to better anticipate risks, optimise operations, and maintain continuity under pressure. First Supply, for instance, uses Infor Augmented Intelligence Service, a guided AI managed service to stay ahead of customer needs with predictive AI-driven insights on pricing and inventory processes. Katie noted, “We’re anticipating what our customers need before they even know.”

Their investment in a new distribution centre with advanced robotics and Infor® WMS demonstrates how automation can boost inventory turnover while reducing bottlenecks. These tools don’t just allow operations to run more efficiently – they empower employees to focus on high-value work and build stronger customer relationships.

2. Rethinking collaboration for adaptability

Resilience doesn’t happen in isolation – it requires strong partnerships across the supply chain ecosystem. Building closer relationships with suppliers, customers, and even upstream vendors allows businesses to adapt quickly when challenges arise.

Katie emphasised the value of collaboration in our discussion: “We've found that being even closer to our vendors than ever before, and closer to our customers than ever before has served very well.” Deeper collaboration allowed First Supply to adapt quickly during the Suez Canal crisis, when they began monitoring supplier schedules – right down to raw material shipments like resin – to ensure continuity. When disruptions arose, they were able to make smarter decisions, such as sourcing from backup suppliers to keep operations moving smoothly.

When supply chain partners share data and insights, and you have a solution to capture those insights and quick act upon them, the entire ecosystem becomes more adaptable and resilient.

3. Gaining visibility on supply chain blind spots

You can’t manage what you can’t see. Visibility into every stage of the supply chain, from raw material sourcing to customer delivery, is critical for managing risks and making informed decisions.

Organisations are moving away from siloed, homegrown solutions to cloud-based platforms by trusted, experienced providers, that give real-time insights across not just their own supply chains, but those of their suppliers and beyond.

Target, another Infor customer, is a great example of how visibility drives results. By leveraging real-time visibility, streamlining product flow, and implementing global risk management with Infor’s solutions, they reduced lead times to approximately 12 days and have saved $80 million. These successes highlight how transparency, supported by technology, allows businesses to anticipate challenges, avoid disruptions, and thrive even in the most complex of circumstances.

Turning disruption into success

Supply chain resilience isn't a one-time fix – it's an ongoing commitment to agility, transparency, and innovation. As Katie and I discussed on our Episode of Double Click, organisations that combine advanced technology, strategic partnerships, and unprecedented visibility will not only weather disruptions, but emerge stronger and more competitive in an increasingly unpredictable world.

For more insights and actionable strategies, you can watch the full web TV series, Double Click, on Infor's YouTube channel. This series brings together Infor experts, technology influencers, and inspiring customers to explore crucial business topics.