How to Protect Your Project from the Impact of Today’s Supply Chain

  • Supply-chain disruptions are significant and widespread in all industries, creating challenges for all vendors and consumers.
  • Taking proactive steps like sitting down with your furniture vendor earlier than you typically would and addressing potential potholes in certain manufacturers can help you minimize long lead times.
  • Ethosource’s blended office furniture solutions can help bypass many supply chain issues. We’ll manage project schedules, coordinate shipments, and help you problem solve for any issues that arise.

Supply chain issues are causing disruption in countless industries across the planet. Unfortunately, office furniture is no exception. The global supply chain demands strategic management, but right now, shortages of resources and surging prices of critical materials have made this process incredibly complicated. Add in the global labor shortage and your company could be waiting months for its furniture.

 

While we’re all trying to figure out how to navigate the newfound struggles and complexity of the market, there’s one thing that’s for sure: you must plan ahead. Being proactive throughout the process is the best way to avoid the obstacles so many companies are facing. In the first part of this two-part series, we’ve compiled a few tips on how to make the process of creating the office your company needs now as easy as possible so that you can effectively manage your project without the extra headaches — from start to finish.

  • Don’t Wait to Get Started

    Over the recent years, we have grown accustomed to convenience because of “just in time” production manufacturing (New York Times). Since companies rarely stock up on excess inventory, the shortages we’re experiencing now that affect product stock have become the definition of inconvenience. Unfortunately, right now you can no longer buy an item and expect it within a couple of days — or even weeks. If you’re considering an office remodel or reconfiguration in the future, start making the necessary calls now. Research vendors, get quotes, discuss what the options are, figure out your ideal timeframes and when that makes you actually have to order.

     

    Consider the extra processing time that will be added from these supply chain shortages. Begin planning months in advance and be flexible in terms of deadlines for when you’d like to receive your furniture and have everything moved in/out. Dates and times aren’t guaranteed, so starting early will ensure that you’ll receive exactly what you want a lot closer to when you need it.

  • Communication is Everything

    Despite the delays manufacturers are facing in the supply chain, the ability to track the movement of their data, products, and finances through the system hasn’t changed. Those updates are important to not only managing your order but also your expectations. While most of that responsibility should fall on the vendor, finding the right vendor who ensures those open lines of communication is key.

     

    Building trust and setting reasonable expectations with your supplier will only increase your confidence in the fact that your delivery is being fulfilled as quickly as possible. Constant communication also ensures that you’re being kept in the loop to minimize unpleasant surprises further down the road.

  • Plan For Potential Potholes

    Again, changes throughout the process should not surprise you. Delays and issues aren’t uncommon on a good day, so in today’s unpredictable supply chain, you can almost expect it. Congestion on rail networks and a labor shortage of truck drivers and warehouse workers have led to big backups at cargo facilities, which could derail your order for weeks at a time. And some pieces of furniture may be on backorder for months on end, forcing you to find another option offering larger inventory. Consider alternative products or temporary solutions until your order is fulfilled. This element of communication is equally important to problem solve with your vendor and create backup plans for worst case scenarios like these.

  • Choose a Vendor with More Options

    At the end of it all, you and your vendor are on the same team. Choosing a vendor that has your best interests in mind during the supply chain shortage is crucial when it comes to fulfilling your needs. And that means having more options and solutions to adapt to fit your needs.

     

    Ethosource not only offers services like sustainable office furniture solutions, reconfigurations, and project management, and design, but we also have a massive network of manufacturers to provide you with more options and better pricing. We will coordinate all shipments, keep clear and regular communication, and verify that your project was completed to your utmost satisfaction. We’re with you every step of the way to maneuver all the current supply chain issues together.

Interested in hearing more about how our creative approach and our versatile furniture solutions can minimize the major supply chain issues and extended lead times? Stay tuned for Part Two of our series, and in the meantime, contact us to start planning ahead for your office needs today.