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Force majeure gets tossed around whenever the world gets messy, but most procurement teams only discover what their clause really says when a supplier is already late. We take a clear, buyer-friendly look at how force majeure works in supply chain contracts, what it can legitimately excuse, and why “boilerplate” wording can quietly shift risk onto you at the worst possible time.

We start with a quick catch-up while Luke’s away travelling, then tackle a listener question that hits home for plenty of people building a career in purchasing: after completing CIPS Level 4, should you take the exam path or the assignment route, and how do you pitch employer funding. We talk through the practical trade-offs, including how businesses think about paying per exam versus paying upfront for an assignment programme, and why employer sign-off can become a real constraint if you change jobs mid-way.

Then we get into the main event: force majeure clauses and modern disruption. Using real-world pressures like chip shortages, conflict-driven route changes, and the post-pandemic habit of explicitly listing pandemics, we lay out three checks to validate a claim: the event must be covered by the wording, it must genuinely prevent or seriously hinder performance, and the supplier must show reasonable mitigation. We also cover what happens next in contract terms, including notice requirements, suspension of obligations, whether payments should pause, allocation of scarce supply, and when termination rights should kick in.

If you want stronger contract drafting and calmer supplier conversations when things go wrong, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave us a review, then tell us: what’s the biggest weakness in your current force majeure wording?

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Cya Later