Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, President of LMA Consulting Group Inc., looks back at 2020 and recognizes a pivotal year for manufacturing and the supply chain.  The pandemic caused considerable disruption for manufacturers and their supply chains.  Yet, there were silver linings for many companies that accelerated growth. LMA Consulting Group works with manufacturers and distributors on strategy and end-to-end supply chain transformation to maximize the customer experience and enable profitable, scalable, dramatic business growth.        Shifts in consumer demand disrupted supply chains for retailers and manufacturers alike. "Resilience and innovation have been key during the pandemic," commented Ms. Anderson. From retooling manufacturing lines to produce ventilators to identifying new uses for existing products or new products to address a customer need, manufacturers, distributors and their supply chains stepped up.

 "While our economy continues to suffer and there are some industries that will have long recoveries, manufacturers and distributors in general, have been able to weather the storm. There are five areas that the most successful have in common:  Supply Chain Resiliency, Attention to Innovation, Talent Engagement, Leveraging Technology and Ongoing Education," she said. 

Many companies are ending 2020 on a cautious yet optimistic note. "Companies that had strong supplier relationships and backup plans were able to hang on during the wild ride. Those who took stock of their strengths solicited input from their employees and took a deep-dive into customer needs, identified new markets and products to replace existing losses. Working from home changed the way we look at our talent and productivity. Leaders who adapted to new ways of engaging employees and tapping their strengths found a renewed respect for collaboration. Who knew that Zoom and other video-conferencing firms would play such an integral role in our business? While manufacturers had been using artificial intelligence, IoT and software to improve processes and analyze demand, 2020 took the value of technology to a new level. Manufacturers who took advantage of technology have really come out ahead. And, finally, nothing takes the place of continuous improvement. Those companies who continued to emphasize ongoing education will have a workforce second to none. The bottom line is that while 2020 will go down in history as one of the most difficult years of the century, it will also be the example for innovation, resiliency, speed and ingenuity," Ms. Anderson said. 

Ms. Anderson recently published an eBook, Future-Proofing Manufacturing & the Supply Chain Post COVID-19, that provides insights, advice and experiential value for creating the customer experience. She also offers assessments to determine how prepared manufacturers are to take advantage of post-COVID opportunities.