Turkey, will be the world's new power in supply
Its effective fight against the coronavirus epidemic, its proximity to world markets in general, and its supply power in many industries, made Turkey a key country. Assoc. Prof. Bengü Sevil Oflaç, Lecturer, Department of Logistics Management, Izmir University of Economics (IUE), stated that being addicted only to China posed a great risk and many countries and companies clearly saw this during the epidemic. “By making new investments and technological moves, Turkey will become a major player in the global supply chain configurations. Turkey, having advantage of proximity to key markets will become alternative to China with its power supply and quality in many industries,” said Assoc. Prof. Bengü Sevil Oflaç.
Emphasizing that companies that have a say in the world go through a difficult period, Assoc. Prof. Bengü Sevil Oflaç drew attention to the breakdowns and precautions that may occur in the supply chain.
LINKED TO EACH OTHER LIKE DOMINO STONES
Assoc. Prof. Oflaç said, “We are in a period in which the importance of supply chains and logistics operations are being better understood. Currently, every logistics operation for companies is fragile and risky. At this point, companies have a great duty to protect human health and operations. Necessary precautions must be taken in all logistics operations, warehouses, transportation, distribution. It should be seen that a break in the supply chains will have a domino effect and the measures should be handled in a totalitarian way. For example, the fact that some organizations cannot be held as before within the scope of social distance, struck not only the companies providing service or the owners of the venue but also the flower industry. Because all the players in the supply chains are linked together like domino stones.”
SUPPLY-DEMAND BALANCE CHANGED
Stating that the supply-demand balances changed on a global basis due to the pandemic, Assoc. Prof. Oflaç said, “Many causes, such as travel restrictions, closed borders, and additional health and hygiene inspections to border crossings, have led to halts and delays in supply chains worldwide. Many countries experienced difficulties in finding workers in agriculture. In some industries, chains that are broken also have reflections on prices. Manufacturers have unsold goods left due to falling demand and there are products that cannot be produced due to supply problems.”
THE OPPORTUNITY SHOULD BE UTILIZED
Indicating that Turkey is at a very important point for many countries and companies, Assoc. Prof. Oflaç said, “With the pandemic period, companies that attach importance to risk analysis and combine technology with proactive solutions will survive. Additionally, artificial intelligence will gain importance with the technologies that will follow the supply chains and provide information flow. The pandemic period changed the balances in terms of economics. Some countries will come to the fore with their geographical location and power in supply in the post-epidemic period. Turkey comes first among those countries. By making new investments and technological moves, Turkey will become a major player in the global supply chain configurations. Turkey, having advantage of proximity to key markets will become alternative to China with its power supply and quality in many industries. It is possible to use this advantage in more industries by increasing local suppliers in quality and capacity through development programs in industries where we have less competitive power. Turkey should use this opportunity in the best way.”