While the number of members reporting product shortages was low, the list is worthy of discussion. There were many mentions of products produced in Europe followed by India and Asia. A couple of manufacturers outlined potential shortages of sub-assemblies.
During an interview, one distributor member commented,
“We have had a couple of orders for components made in Italy. We were concerned on potential shipping problems because of all the news. However, our supplier was able to ship what we needed and commented the slow-down in Europe has given them extra inventory for us.”
Worthwhile Advice From Our Interviews
We are all struggling to keep our warehouses and value-add services groups going. In some states, if one person tests positive for the virus, all those working close by are at risk. If that person works closely with everyone on the team, you could be out of business.
Why not pair workers in groups of two? If one becomes ill, you’re not shut down. This applies in the warehouse, shipping and receiving departments, and panel shops.
Moving Forward With the Week Two Survey
Short, sweet, and to the point--less than four minutes to complete. For the sake of better tracking, we have added a question covering your type of business:
• Distributor/Automation Solution Provider
• Supply-Partner/Manufacturer
• Strategic Business Partner
Once more, we will ask a question tied to incoming orders but have added a question on accounts receivables and cash-flow. We have also asked a question tied to partnering between suppliers and their distribution channel.
A Personal Note from Frank Hurtte
I have been involved in AHTD since 1992. During this time, the organization witnessed the explosion of the internet, the bursting of the dot-com bubble, an attack on the World Trade Center, the Great Recession of 2008-09, and dozens of local disasters. We survived each iteration of bad luck and trouble through the power of networking; I know, I was there. This crisis is no different.
I am totally blown away by the participation in this survey effort. You can make it better by sharing the results with your team, your suppliers, and your friends in our industry. When they ask where you got the data simply say, “Through the Power of AHTD.”