Dave Christie: What's needed to pull NZ's supply chains out of 'serious, if not critical condition'

<p>New Zealand's supply chains are in "a serious, if not critical condition," requiring holistic systems thinking and a long-term focus, investment and government support to become stronger and more resilient, says self proclaimed supply chain tragic Dave Christie.</p><p>Christie, who has worked in supply chain roles for the army, PwC, the Warehouse, Fonterra, Coda Group, Tainui Group Holdings developing the Ruakura Superhub, and Synergic Technologies, spoke to interest.co.nz in the latest episode of our <a href="https://www.interest.co.nz/of-interest-podcasts" target="_blank"><i><strong>Of Interest podcast</strong></i></a>about NZ's supply chain issues and the Ministry of Transport's recently released <a href="https://www.interest.co.nz/sites/default/files/2023-10/MOT_Aotearoa-Freight-and-Supply-Chain-Strategy.pdf" target="_blank"><strong>Aotearoa New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Strategy</strong></a><strong>. </strong>Christie was part ofan industry reference group in the development of this strategy.</p><p>He says supply chain problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic brought "an invisible part of business and society" out into the light, and highlighted to the Government how vulnerable NZ is to global disruptions.</p><p>"The concern I have is we feel we've come out of Covid and people are kind of going' the supply chain's resolved.' ... What happened with Covid is the tide went out and we saw these rocks, they were exposed and we started to deal with those, but we dealt with them in what I would say were very unsophisticated ways. Now the tide's rising and everyone's forgotten about the rocks below the water," Christie says.</p><p>"if I was a doctor who was diagnosing the New Zealand supply chain as my patient I would have to say the diagnosis is that we are in serious, if not critical condition."</p><p>"And perhaps staying with that human analogy and referring it to the supply chain, the heart is the beating production sector of New Zealand. And while that's performing well, I think it's actually unproduc