The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on various industries, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and travel. The handbook provides a framework for procurement and supply chain leaders to navigate through the crisis, including rapid risk assessment and mitigation, resource-building, setup of lead indicators, and decision-making. The handbook also highlights the anticipated shortages of masks and hand sanitizers, especially for medical professionals, and the anticipated general pharmaceutical reserves dwindling due to export restrictions on Indian drugs and China's supply disruption. Additionally, the handbook notes that gold prices are more heavily influenced by market volatility than by actual demand, and the shutdowns of gold mining have created an unusual spread of >$100/ounce between CME's Comex gold futures exchange in New York and the London bullion spot market. The handbook also notes that the demand for many industries has received dramatic shocks, with the resulting impacts being clear, but most businesses are grappling with uncertainty. The handbook provides a framework for businesses to navigate through the crisis, including identifying the spectrum of COVID-19 impact on demand, understanding the demand trends, and adapting to the new normal.
