Supply chain disruptions pose problems, but also opportunities

While COVID continues to hang around like an unwelcome house guest, leaving manufacturing workforces depleted and some industries in China completely shuttered – not to mention the war in Ukraine – Canadian companies cope with what best can be described as “hit-and-miss” deliveries of much-needed parts.

And it is a challenge that is being felt worldwide.

Tadano, the world’s biggest manufacturer of mobile cranes, is suspending production at factories in Japan and Germany due to supply chain shortages, as the combination of the semiconductor shortage that has been ongoing since last year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and supply chain effects from coronavirus lockdowns in China have brought manufacturing to a temporary halt.

That company – which makes rough terrain cranes, truck cranes and all terrain cranes – is closing its Kozai and Shido plants in Kagawa, Japan from May 9- 13.
Also due to semiconductor shortages and Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, Tadano Demag GmbH and Tadano Faun GmbH – Tadano Group manufacturing companies in Germany – have already suspended operations for certain manufacturing lines since April. 12.
But the adage “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” is how one company is looking at the supply chain woes.

“These are certainly unprecedented and challenging times, to say the least,” says Endress+Hauser Canada’s Logistics Manager, Karl Zelem. “But as it is often the case with trying situations, they are also rife with opportunity.”

For Zelem, he sees Endress+Hauser’s online order and tracking platform as being a crucial component to ensuring deliveries are finding their way to markets.

“The opportunity for our production and logistics team members across the world to display their talent and dedication, to strengthen our already robust supply chain and to enhance collaboration with strategic partners and make full use of our online platform that lets customers directly place their orders and track delivery progress,” points out Zelem. “That combination of expertise and close monitoring of events that impact global and regional markets has so far enabled us to maintain our on-time delivery through the storm.”