It’s no secret that the supply chain is struggling and it isn’t just an issue for those of us in the garage door industry. The global pandemic has caused significant delays for residential and commercial garage door companies with lead times increasing from around 3-5 days to 6-12 weeks. With delays and backorders of this significance, it’s no surprise that companies such as ours at OGD™ are getting push back from our customers and clients. We hear their frustration and stand with them. Our goal as a company will continue to be to deliver the best and most reliable garage door services, and we have continued to do so by diligently working to improve our planning and purchasing processes to mitigate any issues our industry is currently facing.
So you’re wondering what’s causing such an increase in lead times and really it’s pretty simple. COVID-19 produced new protocols for supply and manufacturing companies around the globe; these protocols demanded temporary shutdowns and many furloughed employees.
Although manufacturing was at a standstill, thousands of orders continued to roll in. With operations suspended and orders continuing to rise, it was only time before major delays became an issue.
As the risk of exposure continued to climb, so did the number of employees being required to quarantine. Regardless of companies taking significant measures to ensure the safety of their employees, a trickle-down effect arose, often wiping out entire departments. Although diligent efforts were made to hire new employees, the effort often went without success as many people were scared to return back to the workforce.
As manufacturers improved their processes to minimize delays, the effect of the pandemic across other industries was being felt. With doors finally being produced, often they are going weeks, sitting in warehouses waiting to be shipped due to shortages in the shipping industry. Inevitably leading to more delays.
It’s not all bad though, with an increase of workers spending more time in their homes than ever before, there has been a significant increase in the home improvement sector with an increased demand for garage door products. Although great for the industry, it is bad for lead times. With the demand outweighing the supply, garage door companies are frantically searching for door products with acceptable lead times customers are okay with.
Right now it’s more important than ever for customers and distributors to be effectively communicating and staying informed of industry lead times. It’s also important for distributors and customers alike to understand that just like everything else with this pandemic, future lead times are impossible to predict and everyone is doing their best to reduce the side effects of this increasingly difficult time.
At OGD™ Overhead Garage Door we have committed our team to improve planning and purchasing strategies which have helped improve turnaround times for our customers. While some factors causing delays are inevitable for the time being, we are better equipped to minimize delays, and better prepare our customers’ expectations for garage doors.
