When parts don’t show up, production stops—and that means lost money, missed orders, and major headaches. This article walks through 5 practical, proven strategies manufacturers can use to avoid those costly disruptions. Whether you’re sourcing locally or globally, these are smart moves you can start using today to build a more reliable operation, and keep your manufacturing supply chain flowing—no matter what.
1. Build Multiple Supplier Relationships Before You Need Them
Don’t wait for a crisis to start looking for a second supplier. By the time a shipment gets delayed or a vendor goes silent, it’s already too late—and now you’re in damage control mode. One of the simplest, most powerful things a business can do is build relationships with multiple suppliers before there’s a problem. Not as an emergency backup, but as part of your regular operating model.
If you’re relying on a single supplier for critical components—say bearings, specialty metals, or wiring harnesses—you’re betting your entire production on that one company staying on track. But what happens when they run into a labor strike, customs delays, quality issues, or even just an unexpected spike in demand from another client? That bottleneck becomes your bottleneck.
A better approach is to split your purchases across two or three trusted suppliers. That way, you’re not starting from zero if your main one has a hiccup. You’ve already built trust, set expectations, and seen their quality firsthand.
Take a hypothetical example: A metal parts manufacturer in Michigan had one overseas supplier for precision fasteners. Great quality, good pricing—but everything came through one port. During a global shipping backlog, they were stuck waiting six weeks for a container. That delay cost them over $400,000 in late orders and overnight shipping fees. After that, they brought on a regional U.S. supplier as a second source. Yes, prices were slightly higher, but having a domestic option gave them flexibility. Now, even if global shipments get delayed, they can switch instantly—and keep production moving.
This isn’t about being paranoid. It’s about being prepared. Ask yourself: if your top supplier called today and said they couldn’t ship for 30 days, do you have someone else you can call? If not, make that a priority this quarter.
Also worth noting: alternate suppliers don’t have to match 100% of your volume or specs right away. Start small—get sample orders, test for quality, build rapport. Check their lead times, ask how they handle rush orders, and learn how their service compares. Over time, you’ll know exactly when and how to lean on them.
The key takeaway here is simple: relationships beat transactions. You don’t want to be cold-calling new vendors under pressure. You want to be reaching out to someone you’ve worked with before, someone who knows your business—and who’s ready to step in when you need them.
2. Keep a Rolling 60- to 90-Day Safety Stock on Critical Parts
Lean operations make sense—until they don’t. It’s one thing to run efficiently; it’s another to leave your entire production line hanging because a $3 part didn’t arrive on time. That’s why having a smart, focused safety stock strategy is crucial.
This doesn’t mean bloating your inventory or tying up cash in a warehouse full of parts you may never use. It means identifying the few items that, if delayed, could shut down your entire operation—and keeping just enough of those in reserve to buy you time when disruptions hit.
Here’s how to think about it: look at your top 10–20 parts that are absolutely essential for keeping production running. These are often small, low-cost items—connectors, fittings, bearings, sensors—but they’re the kind that, without them, nothing else moves. For those, aim to keep a rolling buffer of 60 to 90 days on hand. Update it monthly based on actual consumption and lead times.
Picture a scenario: a custom equipment builder in Texas depends on a specialized electrical relay that comes from overseas with a 6-week lead time. They used to order just in time to minimize inventory. But after getting burned during a delay and losing a $200,000 order because they couldn’t ship on schedule, they shifted to stocking 90 days’ worth of those relays. They now review usage every month and adjust purchases so they always have a cushion. The peace of mind alone was worth it—but more importantly, they haven’t missed a shipment since.
This isn’t just about planning. It’s also about buying time. If a delay hits and you have a 2-month buffer, you now have weeks to find another supplier, reroute a shipment, or place a rush order. Without that buffer? You’re stuck, and every day costs you money and credibility.
One pro move: involve your floor leads or production managers in identifying which parts should be prioritized. They usually know better than anyone what stops the line when it’s missing. Another trick? Label those parts in your system as “stopper parts” so they’re easy to track in reports.
Bottom line: this strategy doesn’t require big changes. Just better awareness and a few smart adjustments to how you order and restock. And in return, you get stability, fewer fire drills, and the ability to keep promises to customers—even when things go sideways.
3. Get Real Visibility Into Your Supply Chain
If you don’t know something’s going wrong until the truck doesn’t show up, you’re already behind. Visibility isn’t about fancy dashboards or expensive tech—it’s about knowing what’s happening upstream before it hits your shop floor.
Start with simple steps. Ask your suppliers to give you weekly updates on production timelines and shipping schedules. Even a five-minute Friday email that says “all shipments are on track” or “we’re seeing a two-week delay on Item X” can help you plan. If they won’t commit to regular updates, that’s a red flag.
A hypothetical example: let’s say you run a plastics molding business, and you rely on resin from three suppliers. One of them starts getting spotty with communication. You ask for lead time updates and don’t get a response. That’s your cue to start shifting orders toward the other two or at least prepping for a delay. Without asking, you’d probably find out there’s a shortage only after it hit your loading dock—and by then, it’s already hurting production.
You don’t need complex systems to get real visibility. A shared spreadsheet with your supplier that tracks current orders, ship dates, and lead times can be enough to stay ahead. For businesses wanting to go a step further, tools like order tracking apps or cloud-based inventory systems can help—but the core goal is the same: spot problems early, not when it’s too late to react.
And don’t forget internal visibility. Your own team should know what’s coming in, what’s at risk, and what’s running low. Quick daily huddles with purchasing and production teams can surface these issues fast and prevent surprises on the floor.
When it comes to supply chain disruptions, information isn’t just power—it’s prevention. The sooner you know, the more options you have.
4. Simplify Your Product Lines Where You Can
One of the best ways to avoid supply chain chaos is to reduce the number of things that can go wrong in the first place. That means simplifying.
If you make 12 versions of a product, and each one uses slightly different parts, you’re multiplying your sourcing risk for no real benefit. Complexity in your product line adds pressure to your supply chain, your inventory, and your vendors.
Instead, look for ways to standardize and consolidate parts across product lines. Can multiple products use the same fasteners, brackets, or motors? Can you slightly modify the design to reduce the total number of unique parts you need to source?
Consider a hypothetical: a regional HVAC manufacturer reviewed their product line and realized that 80% of their sales came from just 3 models—but they were stocking unique components for 12 versions. By redesigning two of those products to use shared parts, they cut their BOM (bill of materials) down by 30% and significantly reduced sourcing headaches. Now they keep fewer items in stock and have more flexibility when something is backordered.
Fewer parts also means larger purchase volumes per item—so you might even get better pricing or priority from suppliers.
And this isn’t just about hardware. The same idea applies to packaging materials, electrical components, even documentation. The more you can streamline, the more resilient your entire operation becomes.
Simplifying isn’t about dumbing down your products. It’s about making smart trade-offs that give you breathing room when the supply chain tightens. And it’s one of the few levers you can pull that pays off immediately—and long term.
5. Create a “Plan B” for Transportation and Logistics
Even if your suppliers are rock-solid, how you get goods from Point A to Point B can still cause you problems. Transportation delays, customs bottlenecks, weather events, or border issues can all derail your schedule if you haven’t planned for them.
Every business should have a logistics contingency plan—a simple document that outlines what happens if your main shipping method falls through.
Start with these questions:
– If your materials normally arrive by truck, what would you do if that carrier has a labor issue?
– If everything comes through one major port, what happens if there’s a backup or strike there?
– Do you have a partner who can expedite critical items on short notice?
A small metal fabrication shop in the Midwest, for example, ran into trouble when a snowstorm shut down regional trucking routes. For three days, they had staff waiting around with no material to work on. After that, they set up relationships with a local courier and a regional air freight service. Now, if something gets held up, they have options—and production doesn’t grind to a halt.
It’s also worth doing a quick annual review of your freight partners. Are they still responsive? Are they proactively communicating delays? A good logistics partner is more than just a shipping company—they’re a key part of your resilience strategy.
One final tip: test your “Plan B” once a year. Even a dry run—like asking your secondary freight provider to quote a job—can reveal gaps before it really counts.
3 Actionable and Clear Takeaways
- Don’t rely on just one supplier. Start building a second source for every critical part now, even if you only send them 10% of the volume to start.
- Keep a safety buffer on key parts. A 60- to 90-day rolling stock on vital items gives you breathing room when delays hit.
- Improve visibility before there’s a problem. Ask for weekly updates from suppliers, and make sure your own team has a clear picture of incoming materials.