The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is knocking on the door of New Zealand. If we look around the world it is just a (short) matter of time before this more transmissible variant is running through our communities.
This is not a scare story, in fact, as we can see globally and more locally in Australia, most countries are just getting on with it and dealing with the impacts – the reality is that they have needed to, this variant is a lot harder to contain and control.
In Australia we have seen food production halted because of severe staffing and product shortages, retail stores with 10-20 per cent staff absence, distribution centres with 20-35 per cent & trucking companies with 10-50 per cent absence because they either had COVID-19 or were in isolation. These are material impacts.
The NZ supply chain can take heed from Australia. Here are a few practical steps to consider or test within your crisis planning:
The reality is that the NZ supply chain is about to be tested by COVID once again. There will be impacts, costs will increase, service will deteriorate, and shortages will happen. Knowing that you have prepared well, building resilience and agility is fundamental.
If you’re concerned about the impact of Omicron on your supply chain or would like to gain further insights from the Argon & Co ANZ team, please feel free to contact me on my email below.