
February 1, 2024
Beyond headlines – supply chain security in a complex world
In an increasingly connected global economy, the security of supply chains has become a critical concern for businesses and governments. In 2024, that pressure will only increase, particularly for small and medium size enterprises that are reliant on a global supply chain. This is a priority for Eumar Technology – to give our customers’ peace of mind, and a manufacturing process they can rely on despite global disruption.
Too often we get lost in the media coverage of national and international catastrophes and politics. We lose sight of the actual daily impact of poor supply chain security – and how it impacts every one of us – as consumers and for many as business owners.
From raw material sourcing to manufacturing, distribution, and delivery to the end consumer, every step in the supply chain represents a potential vulnerability. For many in the healthcare sector focused on ‘just in time’ stock management or manufacture, it can be the difference between delivering urgent and necessary devices or products or not.
Our investment in supply chain security
For EUMAR TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, we continue to insulate our customers from those influences that put supply chains at risk. This started with moving our supply chain partners as close as possible to the UK. This has a number of benefits:
- We minimise the environmental impact of moving raw materials around the world.
- We have a less complicated supply chain, limiting the number of organisations it takes to ship raw materials and products across the world.
- By having closer partners and suppliers, we mitigate many of the global pressures facing transportation and manufacture e.g. the targeting of freight by criminals.
- We have reduced costs of transportation by moving our supply chain into Europe and out of the Far East.
- By relocating to Europe, we have taken steps to mitigate potential political disruption that exists in many countries where raw material manufacturers may exist.
Supply chain resilience is not just about where you source your materials from geographically though. It encompasses a broad spectrum of measures aimed at protecting the flow of goods, information, and finances throughout the entire supply chain ecosystem. This includes not only physical security at warehouses and transportation hubs but also cybersecurity to defend against digital threats and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards. We take all of these into account when developing risk assessments. Another aspect often overlooked is the risk and ethical practices around employee welfare.
Employee welfare key to security
Eumar Technology and our sister company Ubersorb, have taken significant steps to reduce modern slavery and unethical employment practices from our supply chain. We place modern slavery at the heart of our supply chain security.
- All our suppliers must provide their anti-slavery policies to us.
- If our supply chain partners themselves are not as advanced in anti-slavery awareness, we help educate them. We believe in education and sharing, not closing the door.
- Internally and externally we promote the indicators of modern slavery, through continued training, so trends and practice can be spotted by staff wherever it may occur; we need to remain vigilant in our local community as well as and in our supply chain.
Building responsiveness into our approach
No organisation can fully insulate themselves from supply chain insecurities so it is important customers feel reassured we manage issues when they arise. The world changes daily and so will the risks potentially facing our supply chain.
With over 30 years experience of delivering products into frontline healthcare environments, we have had our fair share of supply chain challenges. But we have learnt from each and improved how we approach security. Without doubt, bringing our supply chain closer to our Hereford factory has been a big step to insulating ourselves from many of those challenges. And together these mitigations to improve supply chain security have laid the bedrock for us to invest in our own future.
New investment means enhanced supply chain focus
2024 is an important year for both Eumar Technology and Ubersorb as we grow as a company. But that investment in manufacturing and delivery for clients means nothing unless we continue to invest in how we do business. We know from our customers that supply chain security is high on their list of priorities, and it remains high on ours going forward.
Alongside our growth, we continue to review our risk assessments and mitigation strategies that reinforce our naturally evolving supply chain. And while we will listen to the media coverage or international incidents and politics, we will also take on board the lessons learned by peers across our own and other industries. Because as a sector, if we can all work together, we will all benefit.
So I would welcome any conversations from those managing supply chains to understand where others have seen risk and learned from it. Please do send me a message to connect.