Supply Chain Challenges May Be Waning, But Best Practices Remain

Apply these best practices to enhance supply chain resilience and agility amidst ongoing challenges.

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Over the past few years, integrators have been stretched to their limits as they faced unprecedented global supply-chain challenges while, simultaneously, continuing to perform mission-critical work for their clients. That might even be putting it mildly.

Although obstacles persist, the industry has seen notable overall improvement in most areas and markets. For example, freight capacity continues to stabilize, and freight rates are normalizing. Meanwhile, integrators have been diligent about finding ways to make sure that these supply-chain challenges don’t stand in the way of giving their clients what they need.

But those facts don’t mean supply-chain issues are going away. In fact, some of the impacts will linger forever. Ernst & Young recently discussed what it (and many others) are calling “the great supply-chain reset.” It predicts that the entire business model — from strategy, marketing and design to sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, storage and transportation — will transform and restructure.

You should carry forward some of the best practices you established during the most trying times to help your company continue to improve supply-chain agility and resiliency. And, if you haven’t implemented some of these yet, now is a great time to start!

What follows are a few recommendations from NSCA and its board of directors regarding what should be top priorities for you — even as we see the supply-chain situation improve.

NSCA has an online resource that lets you sell products that you don’t need or want, thus supplying them to other professionals who do need them. You can also use this site to locate specific products that you’ve been looking for but haven’t been able to find.

It’s an exclusive place for integrators to do business with one another. You can post, search for and purchase access-control, AV, intrusion, fire and video-surveillance products.

If you’re selling: Ask an underutilized staff person to list your unused equipment on StockroomExchange.com. For example, one NSCA member company successfully charged its receptionist with turning overstocked inventory into cash within a span of a few months. To get started, just upload a picture, a product description and your contact information. Your product will then be available for purchase.

If you’re buying: StockRoomExchange.com is almost like Craigslist for integrators. It lets you browse for products you need and then buy them from other integrators.

You can contact sellers directly to set up payment for products and shipping. You’ll know whom you’re buying from, and you can make arrangements that suit you both. If you’re looking for new, used or refurbished products, StockroomExchange is a great place to start.

This is post is brought to you by the support of NSCA.

Leah Garris is marketing and communications director for NSCA. Visit NSCA.org to learn about the benefits of NSCA membership.

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