Unfortunately, this headline is not new news to anyone involved in the glove industry. Due to COVID we’ve seen unprecedented demand for disposable gloves, and thus an unprecedented struggle to keep up with demand.
Not only has COVID caused disruptions in the supply of disposable gloves and other personal protective equipment, but it has caused a disruption in supply chains across industries. Many manufacturers are dependent on processes that are very labor intensive, and when COVID was at it’s highest, many of those processes were put on halt because large warehouses of employees were not able to gather.
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One main industry to be impacted, outside of the glove industry, has been the prescription drug supply chain. Many of the raw materials used in the production of prescription drugs come from China and India. Since those countries were heavily shut down over the past year, it has been difficult for that supply chain to keep operating effectively.
Despite the difficulty experienced, this is also an excellent learning opportunity for manufacturers across all industries. We’ve seen production held up by the delay in supply for the smallest, most inexpensive part of a product. It is so important to consider everything that goes into making a single product, and create a diligent “map” of supply chains. By being proactive and breaking down your supply chain into multiple tiers, you and your team should hopefully be able to take preventative measures to avoid a major crisis.
