But supply chain issues have made it a challenge to meet business continuity needs, as well as enact other network solutions. The good news is that you can maintain resiliency and cybersecurity — even when it can be challenging to source the components you need.
How the Current Supply Chain Climate Affects Your Network Improvements
Despite the headlines recent supply chain challenges have garnered, their impact on sourcing networking equipment hasn’t always received the same amount of attention. For businesses, however, the delays caused by the time it takes for products to leave shores and airport runways have been significant. In certain areas where networking equipment gets produced, ports have been shut down to contain or avoid the COVID-19 virus.
In some cases, people haven’t been able to work their shifts at shipyards and airports due to government-imposed restrictions or health concerns. As a result, shipping companies have been forced to delay shipments, leaving networking components sitting in factories and warehouses around the world.
But armed with a team of experts who understand which components are needed, multiple options for sourcing them, and how to navigate a tricky supply chain climate, you can stay a step ahead of these kinds of obstacles.
Working Around Supply Chain Issues
A good work-around for supply chain issues is to focus on the cost of acquiring specific components in relation to the cost of having to wait for them due to delays that may be out of your organization’s control.
For example, suppose you’re upgrading your business continuity system with data replication tools that automatically duplicate and store critical data in case your primary system suffers an outage. The key to getting the components you need, especially when there are supply chain complications, is to have a variety of manufacturers or retailers in multiple areas.
Robust Networks can strategically choose the best components from reliable manufacturers — while also making sure you have enough options to circumvent supply chain problems. For example, if a Chinese supplier isn’t able to ship out of the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan and you need a key component right away, Robust Networks can source it domestically or from an area that isn’t impacted by similar issues.
Long-Term Planning for Supply Chain Delays
Formulating a long-term plan to avoid supply chain delays involves SCP or supply chain planning. This is a discipline that focuses on identifying raw materials and components that need to be purchased from suppliers, as well as planning out how and when you’ll need to use what you’re sourcing.
By analyzing your sales, operations, and business continuity needs, Robust Networks can systematically choose which components it’s best to stock up on, saving time and money while simultaneously supporting your business’s continuity.
Each situation is different, of course, but many challenges can be solved by following similar principles. For example, by acquiring spare components, you enhance continuity for everything from a data center to a sales team that depends on tablets and laptops. At the same time, you could arrange for multiple data backup solutions, using a combination of on-premise and cloud solutions, in case one or the other gets impacted by an event.
Also, if you know your network components will have to be updated in the near future, Robust Networks can determine what you need by examining your current digital infrastructure and what it will have to do in the future. This simplifies the process of finding a mix of suppliers in diverse locations, which can help avoid supply chain snags.
By examining your business’s workflows and uptime requirements, as well as the future of your network, Robust Networks can pinpoint what you need and how to get it, regardless of the supply chain situation.
Maintain Continuity in Every Supply Chain Climate With Robust Networks
No matter what’s happening in the supply chain universe, Robust Networks can help you meet your continuity goals. When you partner with experienced professionals that specialize in keeping businesses running smoothly, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re ready no matter what life throws at your business. Learn more by connecting with Robust Networks today.