For years, many businesses treated supply chains as a matter of price, speed and little else. The logic was simple: buy from wherever was cheapest, move goods as quickly as possible and let technology smooth over the gaps. That model looked efficient on paper, but recent shocks have exposed its fragility.
Graham Mercer, managing director of Glasgow-based Rearo, argues that the lesson of the past few years is clear: supply chains are sustained by people, not merely by systems or...
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invoices. In his view, trust, face-to-face engagement and long-term commitment are no longer optional extras; they are the basis of resilience.
Rearo’s own experience reflects that shift. The company once relied on birch plywood from Russia for part of its production. After the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions, that arrangement became untenable on both ethical and strategic grounds. Rearo responded by building a closer partnership with Medite Smartply in Ireland and switching to FSC-certified exterior-grade MDF sourced from sustainably managed forests. The change shortened its supply route dramatically, cut transport miles and reduced exposure to geopolitical disruption.
That kind of move is increasingly common across industry. According to a 2026 supply chain outlook cited by Supply Chain Digital, 77% of companies are now pursuing regional, more self-sufficient supply networks. The trend reflects a broader reassessment of the old “just-in-time” approach, which has been tested by war, inflation, labour pressures and the uneven recovery of global trade.
Mercer’s point is that stability comes from collaboration rather than opportunism. Rearo now audits suppliers more actively, holds regular discussions across its teams and works closely with partners on production planning. Trusted suppliers are not just asked to deliver; they are brought into the company’s thinking. The business also encourages mutual visits, with staff from both sides spending time on each other’s sites to build familiarity and improve communication.
That emphasis on integration is echoed elsewhere in manufacturing and logistics. Molex, the connectivity solutions group, said its work with SAP Business Network helped standardise supplier information and improve collaboration with more than 900 suppliers. The company said it processed $1bn in transactions through the network within 18 months and cut purchase-order confirmation times sharply. It is a reminder that digital tools can strengthen supply chains, but only when they support human relationships rather than replace them.
The same principle underpins many successful industrial partnerships. Harvard Business Review has long argued that deep supplier relationships depend on transparency, continuous improvement and mutual trust. Industry examples from Toyota to DHL and Lenovo also show how long-term collaboration can support decarbonisation, innovation and operational resilience.
For Rearo, the shift has practical as well as strategic consequences. The company says it is now holding more strategic stock and adapting to a harsher commercial environment in which distributors are destocking and manufacturers are increasingly selling directly. In that setting, the old assumption that leaner is always better no longer holds. A “just-in-case” mindset, supported by dependable partners, has become the new safeguard.
Technology still matters. Rearo has invested in new machinery, including a £100,000 beam saw, alongside systems that link estimating directly to production and improve stock management across its depot network. But Mercer makes clear that automation only works when it is backed by skilled people who understand the business and the relationships that sustain it.
The wider lesson, he suggests, is that supply chains are now a strategic asset. They can support growth, quality and sustainability, but only if businesses treat them as ecosystems built on trust, shared knowledge and mutual accountability. In a more volatile world, that may be the difference between disruption and endurance.
Source: Noah Wire Services
