By Paul R Salmon FCILT, FSCM
Supply chains are the arteries of the global economy. They connect raw materials to factories, factories to markets, and markets to consumers. Yet in recent years, we’ve seen how fragile these networks can be. From the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ever Given blocking the Suez Canal, to geopolitical tensions and semiconductor shortages, businesses and governments alike are asking:
Can supply chains ever be fully resilient?
At the Supply Chain Council UK, we believe this is one of the defining questions for our profession in the 21st century.
🌍 The Myth of “Full Resilience”
In theory, a fully resilient supply chain would withstand any disruption, adapt instantly, and continue to deliver without interruption. But in practice, this ideal is unattainable – and here’s why:
Global Interdependence Today’s supply chains stretch across continents. A single smartphone relies on components from over 40 countries. This interconnectedness creates efficiency and scale, but it also means even distant shocks – like a port strike in Asia or a drought in South America – ripple through the system. The Cost-Resilience Trade-Off Resilience is not free. Holding more inventory, dual-sourcing suppliers, and investing in redundancy all come at a price. Businesses operating in highly competitive markets are often forced to prioritise cost efficiency over contingency planning. Black Swan Events By their nature, some disruptions are unpredictable and unprecedented. Even with sophisticated risk models, no organisation can anticipate every possible scenario.
🛡️ So What Does Resilience Really Mean?
Resilience is not about eliminating risk; it’s about absorbing shocks and recovering faster. A resilient supply chain can bend without breaking.
Here are some characteristics of resilient supply chains:
Visibility: Real-time data across suppliers, inventory, and logistics to enable rapid responses. Agility: The ability to pivot operations, switch suppliers, or reroute shipments when disruptions occur. Diversity: Sourcing from multiple geographies and avoiding over-reliance on single points of failure. Collaboration: Building strong relationships with suppliers and partners to share risks and solutions. Sustainability: Embedding environmental and social responsibility reduces exposure to regulatory and reputational risks.
💡 Building “Resilience by Design”
Rather than aspiring to total resilience, businesses should adopt a resilience-by-design approach. This means embedding resilience principles into supply chain architecture, processes, and culture.
Digital twins and scenario planning can stress-test supply chains against different disruption scenarios. Modular supply chains allow components to be sourced and produced independently, reducing interdependencies. Investing in people and skills ensures supply chain professionals can respond decisively in a crisis.
🔄 The Role of Supply Chain Professionals
Resilience is no longer just the remit of risk managers; it’s a core strategic capability. Supply chain leaders must now balance efficiency with robustness, cost with capability, and globalisation with localisation.
At Supply Chain Council UK, we encourage our members to champion resilience in their organisations – not as an optional extra, but as a fundamental requirement for long-term success.
🏁 In Conclusion
A fully resilient supply chain is a myth. The world is too complex, interconnected, and unpredictable for perfection. But that should not discourage us. The goal is not to eliminate all risk but to build systems that can adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of uncertainty.
As supply chain professionals, our challenge – and opportunity – is to design networks that are not only lean and cost-effective but also resilient, sustainable, and future-ready.
