When global supply chains break, will your production line keep moving?

What a Delayed Magnet Shipment Tells Us

Earlier this week, headlines revealed that India has initiated diplomatic talks with China due to delays in rare earth magnet imports. Read the full story here.

For most people, it was just another trade story. But for manufacturers?

It was a wake-up call.

Magnets like Neodymium and Samarium Cobalt are essential for electric vehicles, medical devices and industrial motors. If they don’t arrive on time, your machines don’t run.

Your production halts. Orders get delayed. Your customers walk away.

That’s the cost of being vulnerable to a single point of failure.

And unfortunately, many manufacturers don’t even realize this risk exists in their BoMs (Bill of Materials) until it’s too late.

The Bigger Problem : Hidden Dependencies in Manufacturing

Most BoMs are built with ideal supply chain conditions in mind –

• Component A comes from Vendor X.
• If we run out, we place a PO.
• Vendor delivers. Production continues.

But real life doesn’t work like that. Components can get stuck at ports. Governments can impose sanctions. Prices can shoot up overnight.

And when one part is missing, your entire production line suffers.What makes it worse? Most manufacturers don’t have a fallback system. There are no backup components, no automation and no smart workflow to help the line keep moving.

When the world shakes, Shop floors tremble

This magnet delay isn’t isolated. Here are other recent disruptions that hit manufacturers :

• COVID lockdowns in China froze shipments for months.
• Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted metal supplies.
• Red Sea piracy delayed global freight by weeks.
• Semiconductor shortages paused entire industries.

The question isn’t if your supply chain will face disruptions. It’s when – and how prepared you are.

Most plants only realize they’re vulnerable after production halts.

Can technology help? Yes – if you plan smart

Here’s the good news : You can’t control the global trade system, but you can control your factory’s ability to adapt.

One of the smartest, lowest-effort ways to increase resilience is to automate fallback mechanisms in your manufacturing workflow.

That’s where something like Odoo’s Manufacturing Backup Components module comes in.

Let’s be clear – this module doesn’t fix international shipping delays.

But it makes sure your shop floor doesn’t sit idle when your preferred component isn’t available.

How automated backup components in Odoo work

This lightweight app allows manufacturers to –

• Define a backup component inside the BoM.
• Automatically detect when the primary component is out of stock.
• Auto-substitute with the backup during MO confirmation.
• Avoid manual BoM edits, calls, or purchase delays.

Say your EV motor production depends on a rare magnet. But you also have a domestic supplier for an alternative version.

You set the alternative as a backup component. The moment your imported stock runs out, Odoo switches automatically and your line keeps running. No stress. No manual intervention.

That’s operational resilience built-in.

Real impact – Why this matters beyond magnets

This isn’t just about one magnet delay. It’s a pattern.

The global manufacturing ecosystem is becoming increasingly volatile and businesses that wait for the next shock to react will keep losing –

• Orders
• Trust
• Time
• Money

But those who build shock absorbers into their operations now – tools like automated backup components – will stay ahead.

They won’t be faster because they’re bigger. They’ll be faster because they’re smarter.

Building shock absorption into Manufacturing

The rare earth magnet crisis shows us that supply chain stability is not guaranteed.

You don’t need a massive digital transformation to be resilient. You just need to add a few smart, automated layers that help you adapt quickly.

The Manufacturing Backup Component module in Odoo does exactly that. It ensures your production keeps moving, even when your vendors slow down.

You can’t control delays. But you can control whether your line stops because of them.

Connect with our team for a detailed demo to  understand how you can prevent any halts in your production.

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FAQs

Q1: Does this app solve global supply issues?
No, it doesn’t prevent disruptions. But it helps you respond faster and keep operations flowing.

Q2: What kind of products is this useful for?
Any product with a BoM that uses components prone to delays, price hikes, or import restrictions.

Q3: Can I add more than one backup component?
Currently, the module supports one backup. Multi-level backups may require customization.

Q4: Will this change affect reporting or costing?
All substitutions are logged and visible in your inventory and MO reports, so there’s full traceability.

Q5: Is this suitable for SMEs or just large factories?
This is perfect for small and medium manufacturers who need lean, low-cost automation that adds big value.