In this article, we examine how companies can reconfigure their supply chain strategies to build greater resilience and agility to quickly adapt to disruption.

Looking into the future, business leaders are coordinating across their organisations to reevaluate the resiliency of their end-to-end global supply chains. This includes developing strategies that consider changes driven by technology and enacting new ways of working whether though the adoption of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) or the future of work.

Shift the global supply chain model

Since 2020, nearly all companies have experienced some level of business disruption and many have been transformed forever. The impacts vary significantly by sector. The manufacturing sector generally pivoted effectively to adapt to the crisis—quickly adopting digital technologies and using automation and, (depending on their location) rerouting where they source and manufacture their goods to bring production closer to consumer markets (nearshoring/onshoring).

Moreover, manufacturers with technological and digital capabilities (robotics, AI, machine learning, drones, advanced analytics, big data, digital twins, virtual/augmented reality) showed an advantage in their ability to more quickly adapt in response to disruption. Some companies also transitioned from dependency on physical retail stores to digital or hybrid selling models to deliver their products.

Reconfigure for competitive advantage

To stay competitive in this new business and economic environment requires new strategies and practices. Companies must reevaluate the resilience of their supply chains—from planning for potential disruptions within their current geographical footprints, to a full review and transformation of their end-to-end supply chain models. Synchronisation of the end-to-end supply chain through technology is key to enabling better decision-making to reduce the risk of disruption

Assess the tax impacts of supply chain planning and transformation

It is crucial that tax leaders are involved in the early stages to better assess the tax impacts of supply chain transformations. Success requires, combining supply chain transformation with operational tax changes which means tax teams must have full visibility into the digital innovation and supply chain strategies and their impacts on operations, profitability and asset values.

Resilient tax leaders should assess the direct and indirect tax consequences of proposed changes to their company’s supply chains. Through value chain alignment—the process of integrating global tax strategy with business operating models—the tax department can provide business leaders with timely and effective input on the tax implications of supply chain decisions

Take steps to build resiliency

According to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Resilience Report, 6 in 10 Chief Operating Officers believe disruption on the scale of 2020 will recur in the future on either an occasional or regular basis. That’s why it’s critical for businesses to build supply chain resilience and implement business strategies that accelerate performance and mitigate risk.

Resilient tax leaders need to focus on three key areas:

Provide their business leaders with timely and effective advice on the tax implications of supply chain decisions.

To do so they need to understand their company’s end-to-end supply chain and collaborate across their organisations to create value

Participate in rethinking a businesses technology strategy as a means of driving increased innovation and agility at lower cost and faster speed to market.

Take an active role in planning and designing for their organisation’s future of work—particularly with respect to identifying areas for automation within the supply chain and, determining where and how to redeploy (and upskill) the workforce and what skills and capabilities they’ll need to set themselves up for growth.

Doing so will provide more strategic value, enhance resilience and empower organisations to invest in the right capabilities from technology to operating models to outperform their competition and operate boldly.