Export enterprises’ response to supply chain delays and risk management plans

I. Main risk sources of supply chain delays
Risk type Specific manifestations Impact degree
International transport delays Port congestion, ship cancellations, flight reductions ★★★★★
Raw material shortages Upstream suppliers’ supply interruption, price increases ★★★★☆
Production interruptions Factory shutdowns (epidemic/natural disasters), labor shortages ★★★★☆
Customs clearance issues Document errors, inspection delays, tariff disputes ★★★☆☆
Demand fluctuations Customer order cancellations or surges ★★★☆☆
II. Supply chain delay response strategies

1. Transport optimization
   (1) Multimodal transport and alternative routes
   When ocean freight is delayed:

Switch to China-Europe Express (railway) (10-15 days faster than ocean freight)

U.S. routes switch to West Coast ports + inland trucks (avoiding congestion in the East Coast)

When air freight prices increase:

Use Fast shipping (e.g., Maersk Express arrives at the port in 12 days)

Foreign warehouse stocking: Stock up in advance at a third-party warehouse in the destination country

(2) Logistics supplier management
Risk diversification: Sign contracts with 2-3 freight forwarders to avoid relying on a single channel

Real-time tracking: Require freight forwarders to provide GPS/container tracking systems (e.g., Maersk Spot)

2. Supply chain resilience building

(1) Supplier diversification

Strategy Implementation method Case
Dual sourcing: Purchase the same material from A/B suppliers (geographically dispersed) Electronic components are purchased from Shenzhen and Vietnam at the same time

Local substitution: Find secondary suppliers around the target market (e.g., Eastern Europe replaces China) Polish factories supply EU orders

(2) Safety stock setting

Formula:
Safety stock = (maximum delivery time × maximum daily consumption) – (average delivery time × average daily consumption)

Recommendations:

High-value goods: Keep 4-6 weeks of inventory

Low-value goods: Keep 8-12 weeks of inventory

3. Data-Driven Decision-Making
   Tool Applications:

Real-Time Alerts: Flexport Platform monitors global port congestion indexes

Demand Forecasting: Use ToolsGroup or Oracle Demand Planning

Key Metrics Monitoring:

Markdown

• Order-to-Inflight (OTIF) ≥ 95%
• Inventory Turnover ≤ 60 days (Consumer Goods Industry)

III. Risk Management System Development

1. Risk Identification and Assessment
   Risk Matrix Template:

Risk Event Probability Impact Response Measures
Shanghai Port Lockdown Medium High Pre-route to Ningbo/Qingdao Port
US Customs Detention Low Medium Pre-review documents + purchase insurance

2. Emergency Response Mechanism
   Sample Plan:

Chart
Code

3. Insurance Coverage
   Recommended Insurance Types:

Marine All Risks

War and Strike Insurance (especially for Red Sea/Middle East routes)

Letter of Credit Insurance (covers payment risks)

IV. Cost Control and Customer Management

1. Control of Delay Additional Costs
   Cost Type Control Method
   Demurrage Apply for a free shipping period with the shipping company in advance (e.g., COSCO offers 21 days).

Overdue storage fees: Sign a flexible overseas warehouse contract (charged based on actual usage).

Customer claims: Include a force majeure clause in the contract.

2. Customer Communication Strategy

Script template:

“Due to recent space shortages on the Asia-Europe route, your order (#12345) is expected to be delayed by 5 business days. We have upgraded to a priority shipping option and attached a link to the latest shipping history. As an apology, we will provide a 3% discount coupon for your next purchase.”

V. Recommended Technical Tools

Tool Type
Recommended Solution
Usable Scenarios
Supply Chain Visualization
Project44, Shippeo: Real-time tracking of global shipping nodes
Dynamic Inventory Management
SAP IBP, Kinaxis RapidResponse: Intelligent multi-warehouse allocation
Risk Simulation
Resilinc, RiskMethods Predict the impact of strikes/natural disasters
VI. Implementation Steps and Timeline
Risk Audit (Weeks 1-2)

Draw an end-to-end supply chain process map

Identify the top five high-risk areas

Implementation of the plan (Weeks 3-8)

Sign a backup logistics agreement

Deploy an inventory monitoring system

Stress Testing (Week 9)

Simulate a strike scenario at a US West Coast port

VII. Expected Results
Increase supply chain disruption response speed by over 50%

Control transportation cost fluctuations within ±5%

Maintain a 90%+ customer order fulfillment rate