The phrase “tip of the iceberg” seems to be the most fitting way to describe the last 18 months and impact it’s had on the global supply chain. We’ve seen the effect of COVID-19 on worldwide supplies of everything from toilet paper to coffee. We’ve experienced the residual aftermath on the broadband industry from weather-related storms in the Southwest impacting the resin and plastics industry. We’ve read the headlines of clogged shipping lanes halting billions of dollars of goods. And now we’re in the midst of a shipping container shortage that may have a trickle-down effect on business for the next 12-18 months.
At Comstar Supply, we don’t believe our customers should have
to adapt their operations to the disruption and evolution of the supply chain. It’s
the job of a distributor to manage stock, coordinate logistics, and ensure
product availability, providing a turn-key, all-in-one solution that takes the
guesswork out of the hands of multiple vendors.
Take a step back and imagine the list of material required
to construct and deliver a fiber-optic network. Now imagine the number of
manufacturers needed to fulfill that list. If our customers had to directly
manage and coordinate with each of these manufacturers, the end result would be
customers would have to invest in internal resources that are not
mission-critical to their overall business goals.
That’s where Comstar Supply comes in. We have nearly 30
years of experience deciphering and managing through disruption of the supply
chain. We manage hundreds of relationships with to ensure the required OSP materials
is delivered where and when it’s needed for our customers.
Of course, with every partnership the most critical aspect
of the relationship is communication. A distributor should be sharing news on
any impacts on product due to supply chain issues, while end users should be sharing
construction plans for the next 6-18 months. This will not only allow both the
customer and distributor to ensure complete ownership over the bill of
material, but it also allows for time to build a “Plan B” – meaning an approved,
alternate plan that allows for the greatest amount of flexibility in case of
emergency. As the supply chain moves past the tip of the iceberg, it’s
important for customer to have a pre-approved Plan B in place that can be
initiated at a moment’s notice to help keep plans continually moving forward.
Although the last 18 months have proven difficult, the next
18 months may prove to be even more so as we continue to experience residual
fallout from COVID. Building a true distributor partnership will become mission
critical for the broadband industry as it continues to ride the wave of investment
and construction of fiber networks during this turbulent time.