How to Plan Ahead for Supply Chain Disruptions in 2025 & Beyond

Supply chain disruptions are unexpected events that interrupt the flow of goods and materials and negatively impact everything from production schedules to your bottom line. Supply chain issues that began during the pandemic, such as scarcity of spare parts and labor shortages, continue to be a concern in 2025 and are expected to persist. While it may be impossible to avoid disruptions, creating a proactive plan can help offset the effects on your operation. This article provides practical strategies, from smart procurement to strategic automation, to effectively mitigate these challenges.

The Ongoing Challenge: Key Supply Chain Risks in 2025 and 2026

According to the World Economic Forum’s 2025 Global Risks Report, supply chain disruptions caused by climate events, geopolitical fragmentation and cyber incidents are converging to create uncertainty and instability in manufacturing and other sectors.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises, which form the backbone of supply networks, often lack the capital, infrastructure or visibility to respond effectively, according to the report. As a result, manufacturing ecosystems risk becoming even less resilient, less competitive and less aligned with emerging industrial and environmental demands.

Manufacturers can expected to face the following risks in 2025 and beyond:

●  Material and component scarcity: Long lead times for essential items like electrical components, spare parts and large production equipment will persist.

●  Skilled labor shortages: Difficulty finding and retaining qualified operators will continue to hinder production capacity.

●  Logistical bottlenecks: Ongoing transportation and shipping issues create unpredictability in receiving necessary supplies.

Building a long-term strategy to withstand these issues is key to creating supply chain resilience.

The Importance of Proactive Planning and Maintenance

Developing partnerships with reliable suppliers ensures the availability of critical spare parts. These partnerships are an essential part of a plan that includes strategic procurement and proactive maintenance.

Strategic Procurement and Supplier Partnerships

Proactive planning is the first step toward supply chain resilience. Work closely with trusted suppliers to obtain realistic spare part lead times so that you may plan maintenance projects and schedules accordingly. Developing strong supplier relationships will help you stay informed of potential issues. JHFOSTER can provide parts in a timely manner and keep you in loop if there’s a problem so you can plan maintenance schedules accordingly.

Fortifying Your Maintenance and Spare Parts Strategy

When planning maintenance schedules, assess which pieces of equipment are the most critical to your operation. Create an inventory of essential spare parts for those critical assets to prevent extended downtime in the event of a breakdown.

Developing a predictive or condition-based maintenance plan that identifies issues before they cause failure will reduce downtime and provide ample lead time to obtain the spare parts for any necessary repairs.

Mitigating Risk with Industrial Automation

Automation is a powerful solution that offsets the root cause of many disruptions, effectively transforming operations from reactive to proactive.

Overcome Labor Shortages with Machine Tending

Automated machine tending closes the gaps caused by labor shortages. A machine tending robot can load and unload CNC machines or other process equipment 24/7, moving your operation towards “lights out” manufacturing and maximizing the productivity of your equipment and existing operators.

Increase Throughput and Efficiency

Other forms of automation, including pick and place robots, improve the speed and consistency of material handling, assembly and packaging lines. This increased efficiency allows you to increase productivity and throughput with the material and staff you currently have, making your operation more agile and resilient to sudden disruptions or changes.

Start Building a More Robust Operation with JHFOSTER

Enacting proactive planning encourages immediate stability, while strategically installing automation increases efficiency, effectively preventing lengthy downtime and offsetting labor shortages while increasing throughput.

JHFOSTER can help you build supply chain resilience. We are more than a distributor. We are a robotics partner, automation provider and compressed air expert with the experience and know how to keep you up and running despite unexpected events. Our evaluate, design, integrate and support approach will help you work faster, smarter and more efficiently. Contact a JHFOSTER expert today to build a comprehensive strategy for overcoming supply chain disruptions.