Havoc in supply chains due to a perfect storm of issues

As major disruption to supply chains continues across the UK, Grant Thornton UK LLP’s latest Business Outlook Tracker* finds that a perfect storm of temporary and structural supply chain challenges, from changing Brexit regulations to production delays, are threatening to create a winter of discontent for UK businesses and consumers alike.
Over the last few months, the UK has been facing severe supply chain disruption resulting in delayed deliveries and increased prices. One in five of the 605 mid-sized businesses surveyed said they are finding it harder to move products around the UK and across the world because of the ongoing issues.

The research finds that there are a range of problems contributing to the disruption, but the main issues cited by respondents who said they have been negatively affected were found to be:

Delays from source production facilities (23%)
Changing rules and regulations from Brexit (21%)
International delays in shipping (21%)
While not ranked individually within the top issues, collectively, over half of respondents who said they had been negatively affected said problems relating to a lack of available workers was a major blocker. Including shortages in skilled (18%) and unskilled (19%) operators, and shortages in transport workers, including heavy/large goods vehicle drivers (19%), and specialist transport workers (18%).

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