We’re now starting to experience the true effects of supply chain interruptions related to the COVID pandemic. Australia has been particularly lucky in how we have handled the pandemic situation, however, as a technology supplier we’re now starting to see disruptions in the supply of hardware items. I’d heard it personally affecting cars, bikes and other consumer goods – but now it’s affecting computer hardware and devices that we deliver to support our software solution, we are seeing lead times shift from two weeks up to as much as 20 weeks or more.
How does this affect you and what should you start to consider?
In reality, cost and timeframes –
If you are planning on doing work for July 1 – 2022 – then factor lead times into your procurement and risk far more diligently. In the context of a project or the delivery of work (and even in our personal lives) where hardware components are required, there will be the need to plan for longer delivery times (and the related coordination and management to ensure it does arrive) and discernible price increases for hardware items related to the current inflationary challenges around the world.
More than ever, it’s time to look at your site asset management and operational contingency plans. Consider the age of your existing hardware and what impact a critical hardware failure will have on your site and its ability to operate. This is especially important for those sites relying on automation processes to manage peak traffic volumes. A relatively small investment in critical hardware components can ensure your site operation isn’t impacted for extended periods of time while waiting for replacement hardware under the current market conditions. Likewise, renewing end of life hardware is the best measure to prevent failures occurring in the first instance.
Where else will this affect you and your teams project plans this year?
In our context, we are doing our best to mitigate this but preparation and forward planning are critical to minimising delays to projects to ensure successful outcomes. We’re committed to your success so please reach out to me or the team if you have any questions. Let us work with you to set you up for success.
