Impact of COVID-19 on Accucam’s Global Supply Chain Management System

Since rearing its ugly head in early 2020, COVID-19 has been a disruptive and, in some cases, destructive and lethal force in almost all sectors of the global economy. No business has been immune to the pandemic’s negative impacts, particularly in the area of supply chain management. This article highlights COVID-19’s impact on supply chains and the measures Accucam has taken to maintain the integrity of our global supply chain management system to protect our customers.

What exactly is supply chain management?

Supply chain management is the coordination of the flow of goods and services and includes all processes that transform raw materials into final products. It involves the active streamlining of a business's supply-side activities to maximize customer value and provide a competitive advantage in the marketplace for our customers.

How has COVID-19 impacted supply chains?

China is a critical part of any discussion on the impact of COVID-19 relative to  global supply chains and its position as a global manufacturing superpower.

As Chinese government officials came to fully realize that the lethal virus was spreading quickly, many parts of the country went into lockdown. Other countries, including Canada, subsequently followed suit and adopted their own anti-coronavirus measures, many of which impacted global supply chains. Such measures resulted in:

• Business closures
• Suspension of manufacturing and production
• Ship berthing delays and quarantining
• Reductions in air freight and courier capacity
• Soaring container and air freight fees
• Suspension of signature-on-delivery services
• Customs delays and changing border relations
• Container shortages out of Asia
• Rail car shortages
• Extended ocean transit lead times
• National postal service route suspensions

Accucam’s global supply chain management measures for COVID-19

Accucam has a sophisticated, start-to-finish global supply chain management system that instills confidence in our OEM customers. They have long understood our dedication to providing them with the parts they need in a timely manner at an attractive price. In other words, they are confident that Accucam offers exceptional value—our calling card. Despite the obstacles that COVID-19 presented, we were unwilling to compromise on this value proposition.

Accucam’s global supply chain team reacted proactively to implement the following measures by:

• Maintaining open lines of communication
• Using risk assessments and detailed reviews of demand for all our customers
• Working with customers to prioritize demand
• Securing containers earlier to protect customers against extended transportation lead times
• Changing shipping routes to ensure faster deliveries or direct routing
• Expediting rail car loading (ERS) where possible

The above efforts are coordinated between our global operations and supply chain teams.

The future of Accucam’s supply chain management strategies for COVID-19

Recently, two American pharmaceutical giants announced what appears to be probable game-changers in the battle against COVID-19 — vaccines that have a reported 90% or above effectiveness rate. According to a recent CBC article, in the case of Pfizer’s vaccine, “Dr. Bruce Aylward, the World Health Organization’s senior adviser, said the vaccine could “fundamentally change the direction of this crisis” by March 2021, when the U.N. agency hopes to start vaccinating high-risk groups.” This news, of course, fills all of us with tremendous hope

Until the vaccines are approved, Accucam will remain vigilant in managing the impacts of COVID-19 on our supply chain to ensure our customers are protected.