With trends and new terminology continuously changing the logistics and supply chain management industries, it can be hard to stay informed. Read on to learn about different modes of sourcing, production, and operations; and explore some of the positives and negatives implications that each decision can have on your supply chain.
Pros and cons to outsourcing
Admirers of outsourcing have cited several benefits for the practice, including lower labour costs, improved focus on core business activities, and increased efficiency; all of which have the possibility of leading to higher profits for the company. In terms of outsourcing logistics, warehousing, and transportation: companies can partner with providers that have greater expertise so that they can focus instead on core business functions. On the other hand, critics have warned of a lack of control and oversight, security and confidentiality risks, and decreased opportunities for local job growth.
Pros and cons to offshoring
Some of the benefits of offshoring overlap those of outsourcing, such as lower costs for labour and cost savings in operations. Additionally, offshoring allows companies to draw from a larger labour pool and can provide service around the clock, as operations can now take place in multiple time zones. Some of the drawbacks of offshoring though can be greater complexity with internal communications, with new time zones and languages in the mix, as well as differing social and cultural norms. Additionally, quality control can be a potential hurdle for companies offshoring a portion of their business.
Pros and cons to onshoring
Onshoring allows companies to have greater oversight and control over the quality of their products and services. Additionally, socially-minded companies have opted for onshoring in recent years in order to bring more jobs to their local communities and to ensure oversight over compliant environmental and workplace protections for their employees. Some of the downsides of onshoring is that it tends to be more costly than offshoring: as the price of labour, raw materials, and real estate can be more expensive in the business’ home country than comparable options overseas.
Pros and cons to farshoring
As a subsection of offshoring, many of the pros and cons of farshoring remain the same. However, issues such as differences in communication, language, and cultural norms can be even more pronounced for companies participating in farshoring. Additionally, when it comes to farshoring production or the farsourcing of materials, there is a far greater possibility of supply chain disruption as there is a greater distance for these goods to have to travel. Unfortunately, this means that delays are more likely as unpredictable weather, social or political upheavals at the location of the raw materials; or even port, rail, or road congestion could mean that the very genesis of a supply chain could create a bottleneck in production.
Pros and cons of nearshoring
Nearshoring has been continuously cited as a standout option for increased resiliency in an increasingly unstable world. While farshoring and farsourcing are more vulnerable to delays and disruptions, having raw materials or business functions nearby allows companies to have greater control over their goods and services. Put simply, with less geographical distance to cover, there is greater opportunity for supply chain resilience. Additionally, some of the communications issues faced when farshoring are eased with a nearshoring model. For example, with nearshoring, companies are often in the same time zones and share similar cultural norms as their providers. Conversely, costs of labour, materials, and real estate can be higher in nearshoring contexts.
Pros and cons to friendshoring
While it is likely that a complete picture of the positives and negatives of friendshoring will only come to light in the coming years, it is possible to make several assumptions at the outset.
Positively, friendshoring aims to be less affected by geopolitical upheavals and social controversies. At its best, countries participating in friendshoring will be able to 'put their money where their mouth is', and partner with like-minded countries to adhere to the same environmental, political, and social regulations for continued mutual growth.
Conversely, while friendshoring is positioned as a two-fold success, partnering with allied countries does further politically, socially, and economically alienate non-allied countries. Though this approach is strategic, critics say that this growing gulf can lead to more outright hostilities as tensions increase under financial isolation. Additionally, some critics of friendshoring posit that while economic entanglement with non-allied countries can be messy, they also help to keep peace as cooperation is vital to mutual economic viability.
Lastly, critics of friendshoring are quick to bring up the potential for rising costs in the short term and decreased growth in the long term. Though these claims are not yet possible to prove or disprove, moving production sites does tend to create immediate supply chain disruptions, which will hopefully dissipate quickly and ultimately result in greater resiliency.
Supply chain management for resilience
Each of the methods described above will vary in success depending on numerous factors, such as the industry of the company, the countries involved, organisational hierarchy, functions off- or on-shored, languages of operation, financial viability of operations, etc. It is interesting to note however, that counter to the enthusiastic globalisation of decades past, the more recent trends of onshoring, nearshoring, and friendshoring aim to find supply chain solutions in one's own geographical or political backyard.
Want more information on how Maersk, as an integrated logistics provider, can help with supply chain management?
Learn more here
注册订阅物流时事通讯
接收新闻和见解,帮助您驾驭供应链,了解行业趋势,并制定物流战略。
感谢您注册
发生意外错误
很抱歉,我们无法完成您的新闻通讯订阅注册。