The impact of the recession could trigger lasting changes in business behaviour as concerns about supply chains and finance continue to grow, it has been claimed.
According to the Confederation of British Industry, UK companies are being forced to make major alterations to the way they operate as a result of the economic downturn.
The group's The Shape of Business - The Next Ten Years suggested firms will look to forge closer relationships with suppliers to help offset ongoing concerns over a domino effect of supply chain failures during the next decade.
Director-general Richard Lambert said: "A more collaborative, less transactional world, closer relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders look like becoming the new norm."
The report's findings were supported by a survey carried out by Ipsos Mori, which found that 76 per cent of firms were concerned about supply chain fragility.
In response to this threat, some 68 per cent said they would be looking to strengthen links with suppliers in the coming years, while one in three intend to recruit more suppliers.
According to a recent study by the Business Continuity Institute, supply chain failure has increased by 35 per cent over the last year.
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