The lockdown situation during the COVID-19 pandemic has highly impacted the global economy. Most of the governments from different countries imposed a lockdown to break the chain of coronavirus spread. All companies related to various industries have been shut down except a few dealing with COVID-19 operations such as pharmaceutical, essential goods and services and the food industry. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, many bulk material handling companies throughout the world have had to either temporarily close or reduce their workforces to prevent the spread of the virus. Through worldwide shortages of goods, it soon was apparent how important the world’s manufacturing and warehouse productivity is to the economy. In the bulk material handling system market, the business impact eventually proved to be less severe than first anticipated once lockdowns and restrictions were lifted. Nevertheless, the limited access to customers’ sites affected both capital and aftermarket sales of suppliers throughout the year.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that automation is needed for supply chains to increase efficiency. During the recent period, very few percent of supply chains felt fully prepared for the coronavirus impact. However, the bulk material handling industry can develop this situation with innovation, automation and perseverance.
AFTERMATH OF GLOBAL BULK MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM MARKET
COVID-19 pandemic affected a wide range of industries, from small to large manufacturing companies. It hampered the worldwide demand for solutions in the bulk material handling system market up to a certain extent. Limited workforce and operational restrictions negatively affected the product development life cycle. But at later stages, when lockdown restrictions were lifted, demand got stable up to a certain point. The companies developed different strategies and technologies specific to tackle problems that occurred because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For instance,
Likewise, many companies have started introducing new technologies and methodologies in the COVID-19 situation to remain better positioned in the market. Losses during this period can be overcome in the future by taking this slowdown to redesign and refresh the business processes and logistics operations.
Market players have an opportunity to upgrade their operations and prospective for the betterment of their companies. Automation is the key to success in this unpredictable world. Different crises, labour shortages, natural disasters impact a lot on every industry. So being one step ahead of time and understanding the market well will ensure the success of the market player. In this COVID-19 pandemic, many companies adopted process automation and customization as an opportunity to survive and grow.
Some of the instances are mentioned below:
Impact on Supply and Demand
COVID-19 has disrupted the supply chain on a global scale. International trade restrictions and customs regulations resulted in longer wait times and a lack of capacity for long-haul deliverables. During this pandemic, the demand for bulk material handling solutions decreased because of the limited access to customers’ sites. This affected both capital and aftermarket sales throughout the year. Most of the companies faced challenges in managing on-time project completion and order deliveries.
However, many companies took this to redesign their operation and logistic models with digital capabilities to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness in such a period.
For instance,
Such positive changes and automation in the supply chain will enable the companies to emerge stronger and supply chains that are more resilient to future disruptions.
Conclusion
The global bulk material handling system market suffered losses during the recent period because of COVID-19’s negative impact on global demand and supply chains. Yearly sales for the market-related products got hampered due to limited access to customer’s sites. But relaxation in lockdown regulations after few months helped the market to somewhat come back on track. However, many companies started building new technologies to overcome supply chain problems in pandemic situations. They adopted digitization and automation in day-to-day business processes and supply chains. Although it will take some more time for companies to come back on track, this period made everyone realize the need for up-gradation in many business aspects.