Security Sales & Integration January 2022 - 27

WITH SUPPLY CHAIN SLOWDOWN
initial manufacturing to international
shipping, final product assembly and
even warehousing, distribution and
final-mile shipping. Even if you can get
the hardware, if you have shortages of
trained installers and technicians you
still have a supply chain problem -
not just in components and devices
but also in people.
▶ Judy Jones, Napco
Supply chain issues, prompted by the
pandemic, have impacted everyone's
lives and created shortages experts
say may span into 2023. For the
security industry, it has created a lot
of stress on manufacturers and their
dealers, who rely on global supply,
especially China, for components and
finished goods. Fortunately, Napco
does not manufacture in China
and our purchasing group has been
incredibly responsive facing component
shortages, working directly with
multiple vendors. Many dealers and
distributors have often turned to
Napco to help cure product shortages
other manufacturers have experienced.
It's rewarding all around to be
the go-to source.
▶ George Brody, Telguard
With data and information coming in
from major semiconductor makers, a
step-up improvement should start in
the second quarter with the expectation
of June-December 2022 normalizing.
At Telguard, we have been
re-engineering cellular communicators,
moving away from Intel-based
microchips that have been in short
supply to Qualcomm-based technology.
Qualcomm has farmed out production
of certain products to multiple
manufacturers, helping ensure it has
enough supplies. Telguard was very
proactive in moving its manufacturing
back to the United States in the
middle of 2021 and we are proud to
securitysales.com
have every cellular communicator now
made in the U.S.
▶ Mark Hillenburg, DMP
The supply chain is a major issue for
the industry that will drive costs up
and make products unavailable. We
could actually see manufacturing
businesses fail if they are not able to
source important components for their
revenue products. Additionally, the
supply issues will chill innovation and
new product designs as manufacturers
turn their engineering resources
to redesigning existing products for
components that are available.
▶ Aaron Saks, Hanwha
Issues with the supply chain has been
a rude awakening for distributors,
integrators and end users alike. The
upside is it's teaching people to ask
the right questions regarding how
products are made and what is inside
of them. Where are the products
being manufactured? How much of
the product is OEM and how much is
the manufacturer in control of their
own destiny when creating product?
Do they have stockpiles? Having a
trusted supply chain and knowing how
a product is made is critical to cybersecurity.
These aspects, which weren't
appreciated previously, have taken on
new meaning.
▶ Andrew Elvish, Genetec
As we navigate our way out of the
current situation, we need to work
together as an industry and become
responsible stewards of the supply
chain, and do our best to discourage
unhelpful behaviors such as stockpiling.
There's more to it than the current
shortage of goods and materials. As
cybercriminals become more sophisticated,
there's even greater pressure
on organizations to scrutinize the
cybersecurity measures, standards and
certifications of their entire supply
chain ecosystem.
▶ Peter Giacalone, Giacalone
Associates
Consumers expect this as it is in the
news daily, so integrators should not
shy away from voicing this issue to
clients. New vehicle orders are taking
four-six months for delivery with some
options no longer available due to
supply issues. Car dealerships are not
apologizing, for this is out of their control.
Follow suit. Residentially, there
is a bit more cover as wireless devices
can be added to a system even after
the initial job is completed.
▶ Fredrik Nilsson, Axis
In order to support business and mitigate
risks, everyone in the supply chain
- suppliers, dealers and integrators
alike - should focus on forecasting,
planning and business continuity.
Practices likes diversifying resources,
building strong partnerships and closely
communicating with suppliers and
customers can help alleviate problems.
Well before the pandemic, Axis enacted
a plan to boost our investment in
sourcing, manufacturing and logistics
in order to meet the growing needs of
our partners and customers, which has
enhanced our position.
▶ Tom LeBlanc, NSCA
While there is no immediate solution,
integrators are focused on mitigating
the impact by planning for alternative
products and solutions in their system
designs and extreme transparency with
customers. An important aspect to
that transparency starts with integration
company leadership and carries
through to the sales team. Leadership
should work with their sales team to
make sure they're on the same page in
terms of setting realistic expectations
for customers.
JANUARY 2022 Security Sales & Integration 27
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Security Sales & Integration January 2022

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