As supply chain disruption becomes a persistent feature of the global business environment, organizations must strengthen their ability to assess and manage supplier resilience. Drawing on recent research and emerging geopolitical, cyber, and climate-related risks, this article, published at Resilience Forward, argues that procurement teams and business continuity professionals must work more closely to address vulnerabilities across increasingly complex and interconnected supply networks. While procurement functions are responsible for supplier selection, due diligence, and contract management, they often lack the specialist expertise and capacity required to evaluate the effectiveness of suppliers’ resilience and business continuity arrangements.
The article outlines a practical framework for improving supplier resilience through three key stages: defining resilience requirements, validating supplier capabilities, and maintaining ongoing assurance. It highlights the importance of identifying critical supplier dependencies, assessing upstream risks beyond direct suppliers, establishing clear resilience expectations, and incorporating contractual requirements for recovery and continuity. It also emphasises the need to move beyond questionnaire-based assessments by reviewing evidence such as business continuity plans, testing results, incident reviews, and governance arrangements.
Finally, the article advocates for supplier resilience to be treated as a continuous, collaborative process supported by regular reviews, joint exercises, and ongoing improvement. By integrating business continuity expertise into procurement activities and embedding supplier assurance within a broader operational resilience framework, organizations can move beyond compliance-focused approaches and build more robust, adaptable, and resilient supply chains capable of withstanding future disruptions.
Strengthening supply chain resilience: how business continuity professionals can support procurement teams