Research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has found that the majority of businesses in the UK have experienced problems obtaining credit in the past three months and also expect the problem to become worse in the next quarter.
The CBI figures show that already, 63 per cent of businesses have faced problems with credit, and almost as many (59 per cent) expect the problem to worsen.
With credit issues becoming more severe the chances of a company failing are higher and, as such, many more supply chains are now at risk of failure.
Richard Lambert, CBI director general, said: "We have urged the government to move as quickly as possible to set out when the various support packages to tackle the credit crunch will come into effect, and to implement them quickly.
"Day by day, constrained credit is damaging our economy. A lack of clarity creates a 'fear the worst' mentality and could be costing people their jobs."
Companies affected by the threat of a failing supply chain can take steps to strengthen their own supply chains, namely by contracting a third-party supply chain management company.
Supply chain management companies can offer a wealth of experience as well as contacts to ensure clients have the most robust supply chains.
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