In November, supply chain continued to dominate Big Valley’s Top Conversations in Tech list, climbing up to the #4 spot (from #6 in October) with coverage volume growing 4%. Strikingly, year over year coverage volume skyrocketed in Nov’20, up 69% from Nov’19, showing how magnified supply chain is this season due to all the challenges brought by the pandemic.  

The distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine remained the most talked about topic, ranging from discussions around the challenges of the cold supply chain and timing for delivery, to security issues and the various carriers involved in the distribution. In addition, the demands on supply chain and logistics expected from a record holiday shopping season also drove conversations across technology and mainstream publications, pointing to an industry that is struggling to keep up due to a stretched shipping capacity and changing dynamics in supply chains. 

The big pharma companies including Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca as well as carriers such as FedEx and UPS continued to make headlines in November as key brands involved in the fight against the pandemic.  XPO Logistics, one of the biggest logistics operators in the U.S., announced plans to split its transportation and logistics businesses into two separate companies. And in anticipation of the massive uptick in e-commerce, Walmart introduced “pop-up” fulfillment centers in many of its regional distribution facilities, while UPS reduced ground delivery transit times.  

Looking back at all the disruption supply chains endured this year and the extraordinary transformation the industry made, one thing is clear. COVID changed the future of supply chains, and the majority of companies will never return to their pre-pandemic levels. As such, supply chains will be more relevant than ever., and companies need to continue sharing stories of transformation and innovation.