This January marks the fifth anniversary of David Cameron's first public mention of renegotiating Britain's place in the the European Union. Since then, the British political landscape has changed radically. We've seen two general elections, a tense Labor leadership contest, the rise and fall of UKIP and all the while the question of Europe has continued to dominate the news . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get the original essay The lengthy political discourse around a potential unraveling has delayed progress, culminating in Michael Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator for Brexit, described last month as a “worrying state of impasse.” Five years later, Britain today continues to operate as an EU member state, under EU jurisdiction and the trade laws of the EU single market. While this lack of progress is frustrating for many involved, the resulting uncertainty presents a significant opportunity for procurement professionals. Understanding how to prepare for Brexit is not about creating a one-off solution, but rather about creating an intelligent and dynamic system. a supply chain that will be adaptable and able to withstand any future changes long after a post-Brexit status quo is established. In this sense, Brexit represents a fantastic opportunity to harness a sense of urgency to drive long-overdue progress. The smart professional will use this “crisis mentality” as a value-adding exercise, using Brexit as a catalyst to move procurement issues higher up the business agenda. One of the biggest threats to supply chains is uncertainty, and Brexit brings with it an interesting case of planned disasters. uncertainty. Unlike natural disasters or stock market crashes, we have advance warning of upcoming changes. Although we do not know the nature of the change, we can and must plan accordingly to equip our supply chains to be robust enough to mitigate any potential consequences of Brexit. Ironically, this robustness will come from flexibility. To achieve flexibility, it is possible to focus on three key areas. First, start by mapping your supply chain to understand the end-to-end value chain of your supplier base. This will help you understand trade flows and the impact leaving the EU customs union will have on your supply chain. Currently, a separate product or service can be assembled between factories in multiple EU member states, with parts often crossing borders, often back and forth, in the process. production or service design. Mapping your supplier base will allow you to visualize trade flows and understand the real impact that increased tariffs and regulations could have on your suppliers, including predicting the possible outcome of a “worst case” operation. cases” of WTO conditions. Second, after mapping your supply chain. , invest in the design and development of appropriate risk management strategies and procedures. This could include segmenting your supplier base with specific consideration of Brexit and developing contingency plans if, for example, a.