CHAIN REACTION

Disruption everywhere leads to gaps in supply chain and resourceful thinking

- DAMIEN MARTIN

Name an industry, any industry. Its supply chain is in a state of disarray because of the novel coronavirus. Whether it’s goods that are in demand and next to impossible to keep in stock, produce going to waste because there’s no one to pick it, or items that suddenly no one has any use for, everything is topsy-turvy. From innovative to devastating to just plain weird, these are the most fascinating supply chain disruptions and possible solutions we’ve seen.

TOILET PAPER

As the coronavirus went from being some faraway thing we heard about in the news to a huge part of our daily lives, people began hoarding certain supplies. Chief among them was toilet paper. Two months later, it's still tough to find a pack, and stores have limits on how much you can buy. Even with restrictions, shelves are quickly cleaned out, and online vendors are often out as well. Crowdsourcing app OurStreets allows users to keep others in their area informed about inventory levels in local stores. Amazon, Target, and Walmart all have in-stock alert functions via their apps or websites that will give a heads-up email or notification when toilet paper or another out-of-stock item comes available. Still, you’ll have to be quick in order to reup before supplies run out.

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