Why procurement leaders in manufacturing must rethink risk in the age of supply chain volatility
By Eamon Williams, procurement solutions specialist, OneAdvanced For procurement leaders in Australia’s manufacturing sector, risk is no longer a minor consideration; it’s a daily reality. From the Red Sea shipping crisis to the ongoing impact of inflation, trade tariffs and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, procurement professionals are navigating an era defined by disruption. In the past, risk management was largely about switching from unreliable suppliers or ensuring compliance with agreed service levels. Today, that’s just the beginning of the challenge facing the profession. The volatility of modern supply chains requires a more dynamic, data-driven and holistic approach to risk, one that goes beyond spreadsheets and static supplier assessments. The good news is that the manufacturing sector’s procurement leaders now have access to a new generation of technology solutions that are designed for this environment. Source-to-contract platforms offer real-time visibility, predictive insights, and built-in agility, giving businesses the tools to make smarter, faster, and more resilient procurement decisions. The risk landscape has shifted The global business environment has fundamentally changed over the past five years. The pandemic exposed the fragility of lean, just-in-time supply chains. Since then, the list of disruptive forces has grown to include wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, economic sanctions, climate-related events, inflation and labour shortages across critical sectors. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly one in five businesses (19 per cent) reported supply chain disruptions in 2024, up from 15 per cent the previous year. For procurement leaders, this means risk can arise from almost anywhere and often without warning. A supplier operating in a previously stable region may suddenly become inaccessible. A shipping lane may close due to military action or piracy. A raw material price may spike due to climate-related harvest failure. These scenarios are no longer theoretical. The latest McKinsey Global Supply Chain Leader Survey suggests that when it comes to supply chain resilience, companies are taking their foot off the gas. Traditional risk models, which rely on past performance and static supplier records, are ill-equipped to deal with these variables. A supplier with a perfect track record may still be highly exposed […]