Beyond Cost: Building Resilient Supply Chains for the New Global Era

As global supply chains undergo a seismic reset, resilience has become a strategic necessity rather than a choice. By leveraging technology, talent, and regional partnerships, manufacturers can turn disruption into a competitive edge.

- Dijam Panigrahi

I have spent much of my career working with manufacturers in complex, mission-critical industries like defence, aerospace, supply chain-driven industries. In these environments, supply chain resilience is not a buzzword; it is a strategic necessity. For years, global models that leaned heavily on low-cost production in Asia delivered short-term efficiencies but introduced long-term fragility.

In practice, I've seen how a single disruption, whether a shortage of a specialised material or a sudden regulatory change, can jeopardise entire programs. Today, manufacturers across all sectors are facing the same realisation: the traditional supply chain model, optimised for cost rather than resilience, is no longer sufficient.

Geopolitical tensions, shifting tariffs, and global instability have only accelerated this awareness. Companies are reshoring and nearshoring to bring production closer to home, reducing reliance on stretched and unpredictable global channels. Yet proximity alone doesn’t erase challenges.

Nearshoring introduces higher operational costs, pressure to develop new regional supplier relationships, and one of the most urgent challenges of all, a widening skills gap in the manufacturing workforce. These hurdles are real, but they also present an opportunity. By embracing technology, investing in people, and forging strategic partnerships, manufacturers can transform a defensive necessity into a competitive advantage.

The Technology Imperative