Current Supply Chain Difficulties: ATEK's Edge

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

For electrical contractors struggling to get orders in for supplies and components to finish a job, it's no secret that global supply chain disruptions are a continual problem. Shortages of raw materials, pandemic-related delays, shutdowns in manufacturing firms, shipping, and transportation issues are the new normal, at least for now. And this is before you consider that some distributors are short shipping orders without notification and then explaining away their responsibility. And this works for distributors too! Electrical distributors are getting shorted on components orders that are critical to our customers.

Since the pandemic hit in 2020, wave after wave of shocks has pummeled global supply chains. Extended manufacturing delays and even shutdowns in China have created cascading failures in supply chains that plague most sectors today. And these disruptions don't look like they will be getting consistently better any time soon. According to KPMG:(https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2021/12/six-key-trends-impacting-global-supply-chains-in-2022.html), six factors impact and exacerbate problems in supply chains in 2022:

• Logistics disruption
• Production delays
• Over-reliance on a limited number of third parties
• Over-ambitious technology investment
• Commodity pricing
• Labor

What do you think KPMG's biggest suggestion is to weather these storms?

• Operations should be flexible and resilient enough to adapt and adjust in real-time to changes in trade flows, new regulations, the impact of COVID-19, climate change, trade tensions, and other geopolitical movements

• Collaboration and supplier partnerships, and ongoing risk monitoring are all needed to de-risk the supply chain

So what can you do as a contractor to follow their advice?

Work with ATEK. We are not tied to a particular manufacturer and are authorized to source materials from various reputable sources. We can walk a much more complex path to get you what you need than large distributors because of the breadth of our business relationships. Already we have more than 35k products in our online catalog and access to hundreds of thousands more if you call us directly. And although you may or may not know this, we work with all sizes of projects, including governmental and municipal, all the way down to independent contractors. The U.S. government has selected us as a source for LED lighting in complex overseas retrofit projects, so we can undoubtedly get products for both large and small outfits.

Buy online or call us here at ATEK and get an edge in the supply chain game. ATEK can help make a difference.