There have been a number of supply chain problems over recent years, thanks to recent global events. Just about everyone throughout the UK has been affected in one way or another. Although some issues have been resolved, others are still ongoing, but the five following issues have had the biggest impact on supply chains over the past two years.
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Suez Canal blockage
The Ever Given container ship blocked the Suez Canal for a week during March 2021, causing major disruption to shipping routes for months. Around 400 container ships backed up waiting for the Suez Canal to become navigable again. Some of them chose to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding several weeks to their journey. Port schedules were thrown into chaos, and the impact on delayed goods continued for several months.
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Brexit
Becoming independent from the EU has led to an increase in supply chain issues. In part this is due to a national UK shortage of qualified HGV drivers, as foreign drivers returned to mainland Europe. Further disruption has come from an increase in paperwork at ports, leading to delays in getting goods to their destination. New rules and tariffs are having an ongoing impact on both delivery schedules and the price of goods.
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Covid
As entire countries went into lockdown in 2020, global supply chains were heavily impacted with delays still ongoing in many places. Staff shortages continue to be a particular problem, as employees testing positive or displaying symptoms have stayed at home to avoid infecting their colleagues. Many supply chains from Asia were badly affected, as new Covid variants completely shut down some manufacturing sectors for weeks at a time.
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Current Ukraine conflict
The situation in Ukraine is already having a major effect on global supply chains, and there could be worse still to come. We’re already seeing huge increases in the cost of fuel, with oil and gas climbing to new heights on an almost daily basis, and these associated costs are being passed onto customers. Supply chain issues are expected to intensify over the coming weeks, as sanctions against Russia impact further on trade patterns with possible shortages.
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Climate change
As the earth’s temperature continues to rise, we’re experiencing an increase in extreme weather events. Gale force winds, hurricanes and flooding continue to contribute towards transport and shipping delays, causing disruption in supply chains throughout the world.
At GenRev we’ve avoided many of the disruptions and delays affecting the UK’s logistics industry. By using smaller vehicles, we’re not affected by any HGV licensing issues. And by using trunking routes and driving through the night, we’re guaranteed to get your parts where they’re needed before your field service engineers start work. Our In Boot and In NIght distribution services are quick, easy and efficient, saving you time and money.
In an ever-increasing volatile world, we expect to see more supply chain bottlenecks in the future. Switching to a safer delivery solution with GenRev could provide your business with some stability.
If your business is looking to improve its delivery strategy, contact us today to find out more about our In Boot and In Night services.
