The COVID-19 outbreak is massively spreading across countries impacting every sphere of life. What started as a health crisis, the COVID-19 outbreak has now impacted global trade, economy, and business growth across geographies. Primarily being a medical crisis, the healthcare industry has witnessed major changes in healthcare standards. The surge in demand accompanied by panic buying and misuse of personal protective equipment amid the outbreak of novel coronavirus is disrupting the equilibrium of the healthcare industry and its supply chains. The exponential rise in demand for surgical masks, safety glasses, gloves, and other personal safety equipment has exhausted the stocks and initiated a price rise. The sudden surge in demand for personal protective equipment has also given rise to production backlogs. However, the most significant problem is to ensure that the necessary personal protective equipment and other safety gear is provided to the frontline healthcare workers and patients at the right time.
In terms of product offerings, the personal protective equipment market is categorized into various segments such as eye and face protection equipment or headgears. Growing concern for safety and government initiatives for reducing the impact of COVID-19 is expected to drive the demand for PPE over the next few months.
Looking for effective ways to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic? Request for a free proposal and our experts we will get back to you with customized solutions.
Personal Protective Equipment Industry Overview
Europe and the US have been the largest consumers of personal protective equipment due to the massive spread of coronavirus in Europe. Personal protective equipment manufacturers in the US and Canada are continuously trying to manufacture environment-friendly equipment. Millions of PPE such as gloves and face masks are ending up in landfills every month causing soil pollution. Healthcare companies are now trying to come up with biodegradable products and packaging for the same.
The Current State of Personal Protective Equipment Supply Chain
The coronavirus pandemic is impacting the healthcare industry on the granular level, the production, and logistics, and supply chain is witnessing the major impact due to reduced air freight capacity and reduced workforces. Last year the global market value for PPE was approximately USD 50 billion. Today, the demand for personal protective equipment has risen close to a thousand-fold, disrupting the supply chain processes.
PPE like surgical masks, respirators, goggles, and gloves have been facing the largest supply constraints ever since the pandemic has spread. Most of the PPE stocks held by suppliers and manufacturers have exhausted due to an increasing order backlog high demand induced by supply chain disruptions. Considering the global cutback in international transport and logistics, healthcare industry experts are now prioritizing the shipments of emergency and essential personal protective equipment. However, the world still suffers from an acute shortage of such gears.
The inability to construct a demand-driven supply chain can leave a long-lasting impact on brand identity. To stay ahead of your competitors, contact our analytics experts now.
How PPE Manufacturers Can Respond to Supply Chain Disruptions
Developed countries are already implementing measures to expand the production capacity of personal protective equipment. The healthcare industry is also extensively supporting the production of such equipment by aiding the purchase of raw materials and hiring more workforce. Supply chain analytics solutions, in such cases, can pacify the disruptions in healthcare logistics and supply chains by predicting the upcoming demands.
Quantzig’s advanced demand forecasting models can also help tackle such scenarios by avoiding undersized production and stock-outs. Request for more information now.