Supply, Disrupted: How Singapore Should Prepare for the Next Crisis

The Business Times

24 April 2021

Amid the widespread disruption from the pandemic, countries like the US and Japan have begun to review the security of their supply chains. Singapore, which imports nearly everything it needs, including 90 per cent of its food, will need increase its self-reliance in preparation for the next big crisis. S Viswanathan, Professor of Operations Management at NTU’s NBS said that while the other firms may dismantle their mask-production lines after the pandemic subsides, these capabilities will still come in handy in future crises if they are preserved in a “smart” way. Geoffrey Chua, Associate Professor in the Division of Information Technology and Operations Management at NBS, believes that companies can strike a balance between profitability and resilience with the help of technologies and applications that protect against disruption while increasing value creation. Food security expert Dr. Paul Teng, who is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at RSIS, notes that Singapore benefited from its good relationships with other countries and good logistics of its supply chains in keeping food supplies intact during this crisis.

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Last updated on 04/05/2021