{"id":7886,"date":"2020-08-07T10:00:43","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=7886"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:12:00","slug":"manufacturers-supply-chains-supply-networks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/manufacturers-supply-chains-supply-networks\/","title":{"rendered":"Why manufacturers should consider moving from supply chains to supply networks"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWhy manufacturers should consider moving from supply chains to supply networks\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-08-07T10:00:43+01:00\">7 August, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Why manufacturers should consider moving from supply chains to supply networks\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/manufacturers-supply-chains-supply-networks\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/rajharash\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/05\/Raj-Harash.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Raj Harash\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Raj Harash<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemics brought home to manufacturers the fact that modern supply chains are exceptionally efficient, but also lacking in resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Incredibly, 200 of the Fortune Global 500 firms <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/content\/dam\/Deloitte\/ca\/Documents\/finance\/Supply-Chain_POV_EN_FINAL-AODA.pdf\">have a presence in Wuhan<\/a>, the epicentre of the epidemic. A lockdown in that one city alone therefore disrupted the supply chains of 40% of the world\u2019s leading businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As business has concentrated on value \u2013 shaving costs \u2013 over the past decade (particularly as post-financial-crash austerity made cost-cutting a priority), there\u2019s been every incentive to buy materials and parts as cheaply as possible from an unlimited global range of sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Distance has been no object, provided the price is right. Even for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) manufacturers, supply chains often extend across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-linear-supply-chains-can-be-beneficial\">How linear supply chains can be beneficial<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next temptation is to cut costs further by buying from single sources, particularly if they are cheap. This is forgivable. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dawsonconsulting.com.au\/should-you-choose-a-single-or-multiple-supplier-strategy\/\">Dawson Consulting reports<\/a> that, as well as cutting costs, the linear <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ao-com-supply-chain-tech-coronavirus\/\">supply chain<\/a> has plenty of other benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You\u2019ll build strong relationships with an individual supplier \u2013 they are more likely to be loyal and it\u2019s easier to maintain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ll improve just-in-time processes with less complexity and lower stock holdings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re likely to benefit from volume pricing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-shortcomings-of-linear-supply-chains\">Shortcomings of linear supply chains<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The downside, of course, is that a disruption such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/coronavirus\/\">coronavirus<\/a> can bring production lines to a grinding halt in a matter of days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/agenda\/2020\/05\/this-is-what-global-supply-chains-will-look-like-after-covid-19\/\">World Economic Forum writes<\/a>: \u201cThe impact of China\u2019s lockdown and its dominance in key areas of manufacturing have further highlighted the problem with modern supply chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen Chinese factories closed, manufacturers struggled to pivot due to a lack of flexibility in their supplier base\u2026 Multinational companies such as Apple, Alphabet, Starbucks, McDonald\u2019s, and Proctor and Gamble have closed production facilities, offices, and restaurants across China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-to-consider-when-adopting-a-supply-network\">What to consider when adopting a supply network<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clearly, it\u2019s time for businesses to broaden their supply chains. Here\u2019s how to grow towards a supply network:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-look-elsewhere\">1. Look elsewhere<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unsurprisingly, China can no longer be \u2018the only game in town\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The World Economic Forum suggests that \u201cmanufacturing hubs such as Vietnam, Mexico, and India\u201d will be the likely beneficiaries of a wider perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deloitte, the consultancy, also <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.deloitte.com\/content\/dam\/Deloitte\/ca\/Documents\/finance\/Supply-Chain_POV_EN_FINAL-AODA.pdf\">points to Chile and Brazil<\/a> as strong emerging options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-look-nearby\">2. Look nearby<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The answer may be closer than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deloitte again: \u201cThere may be opportunities within the ecosystem including establishing shared resource pools for raw materials inventory, which is an approach that large companies in China have used in the past in times of crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-consider-business-to-business-b2b-marketplaces\">3. Consider business to business (B2B) marketplaces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your next supplier may be waiting for you online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alibaba (now by no means exclusively Chinese-focused) is a world leader but there are many alternatives. Tradeshift, in particular, comes with a host of third-party integrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tradeix\u2019s Marco Polo platform, meanwhile, promises even the smallest SME access to fulfilment tools, which will make supply chain management accessible to all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.raconteur.net\/manufacturing\/platforms-supply-chain\">Raconteur reports<\/a>: \u201cA platform gives enterprises the ability to see far beyond their own walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt becomes possible to receive automatic updates from suppliers, stockists, logistics partners and financial service providers all within a single environment&#8230; The best platforms offer a global community of users.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-question-your-suppliers-about-more-than-product-quality\">4. Question your suppliers about more than product quality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How will you be treated if they face delivery problems? How resilient are they, further up the chain?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deloitte again: \u201cEmbrace new digital approaches to illuminate the supplier network to gain visibility to critical component supply as quickly as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-be-proactive-and-spend-a-little\">5. Be proactive \u2013 and spend a little<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Morris Cohen is co-director of the Fishman-Davidson Center for Service and Operations Management at the Wharton School of Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He says: \u201cIf you want to be prepared for the occurrence of a random risk, then you have to <a href=\"https:\/\/knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu\/article\/veeraraghavan-supply-chain\/\">make investments and decisions upfront<\/a>, before the event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We might be too late for coronavirus but the lesson is there \u2013 risk mitigation is in every business owner\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-buy-local\">6. Buy local<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As well as diversifying your supply chain, you may wish to shorten it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cohen\u2019s colleague, Marshall Fisher, says: \u201cAre people going to hit the pause button on globalisation? That was already happening for a number of reasons, including the tariffs and trade wars with China and other regions, and Brexit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTrade disruptions are already causing companies to have to rethink how they approach globalisation and basically do less of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consultant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/featured-insights\/leadership\/from-thinking-about-the-next-normal-to-making-it-work-what-to-stop-start-and-accelerate\">McKinsey adds<\/a>: \u201cThe state-owned Development Bank of Japan is planning to subsidise companies\u2019 relocation back to Japan, and some western countries, including France, are looking to build up domestic industries for critical products, such as pharmaceuticals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across the west, there is a clear political imperative to bring trade back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There will always be a conflict between cost and resilience. Today, the balance is firmly returning towards resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s perfectly expressed by Robert O\u2019Sullivan, CFO, Europe, VP Finance for the food giant, Kellogg\u2019s Europe, in a <a href=\"https:\/\/assets.ey.com\/content\/dam\/ey-sites\/ey-com\/en_gl\/topics\/attractiveness\/ey-europe-attractiveness-survey-2020-v3.pdf\">report for consultancy EY<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He says: \u201cIn recent years, outside of people and food safety, which will always be the main priority, businesses such as ours have looked at their supply chains primarily through the lens of cost as an enabler to margin expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPost-COVID-19, there will be an additional lens front and centre: resiliency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe challenge will be to find the right balance between the two. Those with a resilient supply chain have seen huge competitive advantage in the recent period of COVID-19, and I think this will continue in the longer term.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The advice is clear: it will cost a little more to diversify a supply chain, but in uncertain times, every manufacturer should have backup options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Coronavirus and your business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We\u2019ve gathered information and resources to help navigate this situation, including tools and webinars, to help you understand what financial support is 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href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/manufacturing\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tManufacturing\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/supply-chain\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupply chain\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col 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published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/why-uk-finance-teams-cant-close-faster\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhy UK finance teams can&#8217;t close faster\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tMost UK finance teams still take a week or more to close the books. Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s really holding them back.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-32002 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/financial-close-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Looking at business data\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is a financial close checklist?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-32003 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ar-automation-reduce-days-sales-outstanding\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Working on payroll tasks\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAR Automation: How to reduce DSO\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-31997 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/real-cost-of-manual-accounts-payable\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe real cost of manual accounts payable\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-32070 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/multi-entity-finance-acquire-expand\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMulti-entity finance: Acquire and expand\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemics brought home to manufacturers the fact that modern supply chains are exceptionally efficient, but also lacking in resilience. Incredibly, 200 of the Fortune Global 500 firms have a presence in Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. A lockdown in that one city alone therefore disrupted the supply chains of 40% of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1034,"featured_media":7853,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"9","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[191,155,130],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[61],"persona":[68,70,71],"imagine_tag":[98,95,165,96],"coauthors":[524],"class_list":["post-7886","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-business-continuity","tag-manufacturing","tag-supply-chain","business_type-medium-sized-business","industry-manufacturing"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Raj Harash","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/07\/Microplasticos_2019_SageX3_Portugal-12.jpg","imagine_tags":{"98":"Business continuity","95":"Manufacturing","165":"Medium business trade","96":"Medium businesses"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7886","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1034"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7886\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=7886"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}