Case Scenario at Home 

Since the start of the pandemic, our country has been one of the most affected nations. Since the first case of CoVID19 in March, a few months back, in just a limited period, we have now reached 276, 000 cases. This led to numerous quarantine lockdowns being enforced, causing dramatic changes affecting each family in our country. For six months now, our nation has been under quarantine lockout, with more problems coming up. Here are some of my thoughts over the past six months about our condition at home. Due to the quarantine lockout, the distribution of goods and materials was limited since many individuals were hosting such products. Which generates a great deal more demand for products and supplies. 

That has resulted in numerous main issues in our home. Such as having a small supply of food and grocery products. This has a significant effect on our family as people need sustenance to survive and have a healthy lifestyle. Lack of sustenance results in having an overall poor body, making it vulnerable to disease, especially viruses. This main topic also has a significant effect on the practices of the supply chain. Given the limited supply of food and grocery products, demand for such supplies and products will increase. That means that the supply chain flow and structure must be assessed immediately. Fortunately, our family owns a sari-sari store that allows us to get through. My parents, however, have a challenging time getting supplies for the supermarket, which is one of our suppliers, because for a week we have only got to go out once. With this kind of system, my father was going out to buy the requisite supplies for our store and for our own supplies at home. The first problem we had in the first week was the monetary management of materials. We do not have the habit of budgeting our food supplies at home every month because we usually budget our needs every week. We are beginning to split the supplies by week, so it can last for a month. My mother maintains a list of what we often purchase and puts on the stuff my father is planning to buy so that it can minimize going out. Then I begin to disperse the supplies and products around the house where that supply or item will be located and needed. With this way, my family members could easily get the supply or product they would need.  

Another main issue was that because of the lockout, restricting access to markets and grocery stores, our ability to buy products was restricted. Restricting access to markets and grocery stores makes it more difficult for our family to get access to food and grocery supplies. This main issue also affects the supply chain's activity in such a way that the free movement of products by deliveries is reduced, as well as the travel from one supplier to another. Good thing, quarantine passes were issued by the government allowing some people to go out of their homes and buy vital goods. My father was the one with the quarantine pass, in the case of my family, he would follow market schedules to buy or eat for the week. For the supply chain process, the demand schedule was a brilliant idea. For it gives the supply chain structure, rendering its flow coordinated and systematic. Aid was also provided by the government. The help is made up of a few kilos of rice, instant noodles, canned goods, coffee sachets, and small quantities of vitamins. If the government followed the management of the supply chain, I would like to think that they have a coordinated procurement process, working with various suppliers and LGUs to distribute aid to various families in our country.  

The last main issue I found was that work has been interrupted due to quarantine, resulting in no income to support the family. Getting no income means having nothing to provide for the family. Without this opportunity to purchase food and other supplies, it is unlikely. Like the other crucial issues, this also has a significant effect on supply chain operations. Having no source of income means that the supply chain cannot begin or continue. The entire supply chain activity does not work, while there is a structure and instructions to follow, without money nothing can be accomplished. Since each process in the supply chain adds value to the product being made. Looking at our situation, at any phase we need to undertake to survive the pandemic, we need to use cash and supplies to achieve our objective of survival. The government was responsible enough to provide assistance funds. Our family was one of the families to obtain the assistance grant, and my dad's work also gave him the risk salary. This gave us enough money to get through the quarantine, thereby maintaining the supply chain flow. 

Apart from the solutions my family used during quarantine, I have produced a solution of my own that I have heard about in terms of supply chain management. Like every large supply chain manger should be, one must be prepared. For example, one can keep up to date on market rates, because staying up to date will lower your costs. In our case, due to a lack of income, one must be very frugal, so updating market prices can be of great benefit, particularly during the pandemic. Cost cuts may also be successful, spending only on the required products and supplies. Another example is the consideration of alternative labels or manufacturers. This can be immensely helpful, particularly if there is a problem with the procurement of certain products and supplies. A new example is to schedule the timing of orders. This ensures that the supply or object is usable. For us, this not only guarantees the availability of supplies or products, but also means that there is less risk of catching the virus. Finally, planning minimizes the need for emergency purchases. In our case, one really needs to prepare ahead to avoid an emergency market or a supermarket during a lockdown.  

To sum up, some of the supply chain issues illustrate the issues that we have faced or are facing during this pandemic. During my observation, I concluded that some of the solutions we used during the pandemic may be related to factors influencing the supply chain and its impacts. This means that supply chain management not only deals with the movement of goods and services in the supply chain, but as well as in the way we work every day.