Faced with the most severe supply chain crisis in decades, compounding factors such as inflation and the energy crisis are putting businesses at existential risk. Simultaneously, the drive toward greater productivity from policy and boardroom level – ongoing from the first industrial revolution – is now intersecting with demand for increased flexibility from employees and customers. Habits formed during the COVID-19 pandemic mean customers now expect the same level of flexibility from manufacturers as they do from shopping online.
For the most part, industries have struggled to respond. According to PwC, just 22% of business leaders have made net zero commitments.