Supply problems disrupt business. They can even stop it dead. Recently, the shortage of HGV drivers was one of the factors that led to a limited supply of fuel, which caused chaos across the UK.
Globally, supply chains are failing. China is facing an energy crisis: Goldman Sachs estimates that 44% of China’s industrial activity has been impacted by regular blackouts. The largest ports in the world are clogged with container ships and the supply problems of the past 18 months are forecast to continue.
In addition, businesses face unpredictable events. Brisant had a month’s worth of product aboard the Ever Given, the container ship which blocked the Suez Canal. It wasn’t a crisis, because we didn’t run that tight, but it could have been when the ship was impounded in Egypt for months. Letting customers down was out of the question; we asked our manufacturing partners to remake it, and air freighted it to the UK, so that customers didn’t suffer any disruption.
Brisant’s new strategy is simple: We don’t rely on product stored on the other side of the world. Our goods are in the UK. We have more than doubled UK stocks to 10 to 12 weeks of sales. When a Brisant customer orders, their requirement will be in the UK. This means customers get their orders on time and in full.
Everyone needs dependable suppliers in this unpredictable world. A dependable supplier has to have the resilience, agility and resources to make quick decisions and deliver reliable products on time. And that’s exactly what Brisant offers.
Nick Dutton
CEO of Brisant Secure
