Risk Visibility Under Pressure — SupplierBase Case Study

When COVID-19 hit, this leading telecommunications provider faced an immediate threat to service continuity. As lockdowns loomed, they needed fast, clear answers from their supply base, and a centralised system to manage risk in real time.

With critical infrastructure on the line, including internet and mobile networks for millions of households, the stakes could not have been higher.

Within weeks, the client worked with State of Flux to implement SupplierBase and launch a series of targeted risk workshops. The goal was simple: gain visibility, prioritise action, and protect essential supply lines.

The Challenge

The business needed to understand which suppliers posed the greatest risk, and where the most urgent vulnerabilities existed.

Their existing processes were not built for this kind of scale or speed. Risk data was fragmented, there was no shared platform for capturing supplier feedback, and the organisation lacked a consolidated view of risk across its supplier base.

But with operations depending on fast, reliable decisions, they could not afford delays.

What We Did

State of Flux consultants led a focused two-part response: technology enablement and risk insight gathering.

1. Risk Workshops & Data Capture
We facilitated remote risk workshops with internal stakeholders, designed to extract high-impact risks and build a standardised categorisation model aligned to industry best practices. In parallel, we co-developed supplier-facing questionnaires to capture risk visibility across critical partners, focusing on disruption from COVID-19, lockdown logistics, and operational continuity.

2. SupplierBase Implementation
The system was deployed rapidly with configurations tailored to support:

• A digital risk register

• Real-time dashboards showing risk trends and status

• A central location for questionnaires and supplier responses

• Action tracking and follow-up across business units

The platform was designed not just to capture data, but to make it usable immediately. This gave leaders the insights they needed to act.

Results

Within weeks, the client had a working, organisation-wide view of supply risk for the first time.

• SupplierBase enabled a digital risk log, centralised and accessible to teams across the organisation

• Questionnaire results were visible in real time, allowing targeted mitigation efforts

• Risks were categorised and prioritised using industry best practice frameworks

• Dashboards offered a clear picture of where the pressure points were, guiding contingency planning

• Supply continuity was maintained during a period of global volatility

This was not just an IT upgrade. It was a risk management transformation under fire. SupplierBase became the system of record for risk, and the organisation has since used it to embed long-term resilience planning into BAU operations.

When the next crisis hits, your supply chain visibility should not start from zero. SupplierBase helps ensure it never does.

Want to see how? Request a demo