What’s a Supply Chain and how does it affect your business supplies?
As a business owner, you expect fluctuations in your daily, monthly, and yearly business and even build them into your plan. But sometimes there are things outside your control that can have lasting impacts on your daily operations. If it seems like those are becoming more common and more lasting, you’re right.
As we’ve seen, economic downturns can cause significant disruption, including a drop in production of the supplies you need. Local and worldwide events can make it hard for supplies to reach you. The supply chain is the reason. Let’s talk more in depth about what supply chains are.
Let’s take that new printer you might have been eyeing as an example. That printer likely has parts that are manufactured all around the world, from the US, to China, to India and more. Under normal circumstances, those parts are shipped without problem to a factory where they’re assembled into the finished printer. The printer is then delivered to distributors ready for purchase.
However, if there is a problem in any one of the areas where the parts are manufactured, those parts may become scarce. Or if there’s a problem with shipping, the parts can’t get to the factory to be assembled. The printer can’t be completed without them. That means fewer printers are made. And with fewer printers and the same demand, the price on them will go up.
The principles of supply chain work for anything you might need, including everyday items such as paper, ink, toner, even staples and folders.
So how can you be prepared for supply chain disruptions?
An office supply company like CWPA always keeps its finger on the market pulse. We regularly scour the industry looking for trends, prices and options. Because of that, we’re aware of events that can impact the supply chain and limit the business items you need. We can give you a heads up if we see something looming on the horizon.
And because we’re always looking for the best deals for our customers, we’re keenly aware of price fluctuations and changes in the market for business goods. We have the resources and contacts to get supplies quickly and efficiently. We manage our client’s supplies so they don’t have to spend their time visiting and contacting multiple stores only to find low inventory or empty shelves.
Helping your business thrive today means also keeping an eye on events locally and worldwide. We can help you with advice, assessing needs and getting you the supplies your company depends on.
