2020 was a year like no other, as markets and industries around the world faced disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Companies of all sizes suffered shifts in customer demand, supply-chain availability, funding options, or all three, but the challenges were largest for small businesses. While many multinational organizations were able to survive the pandemic (if not thrive) through their broad diversification of market exposures, the small to midsize companies in their supply chains were often vulnerable to the local, pandemic-driven challenges that arose.

Some large companies saw this situation as an opportunity to further extend their competitive advantage. Others looked for ways to help the smaller organizations in their supply chains.