It’s hard to imagine an industry that hasn’t been impacted in some way by the pressures of supply chain issues and inflation, but the technology and electronics sectors have been a bit more prominent.
Trouble is, it’s never just a silicon chipset shortage, is it? It’s glues, metals, and all sorts of materials that many of us don’t even think of because they’re so far removed from the final product we hold in our hands or put on our desk.
Ignite has been designing and deploying seamless user experiences in boardrooms and other on-premises workplaces for over a decade, and our Director of Operations, Curt Dieckelt, has some insights to share on how you can best navigate supply chain challenges when you are preparing for your next project.
Q: What are the biggest challenges you’re seeing in project delays, and how can organizations avoid them?
A: I think the greatest challenge for any collaboration project deployment is when hardware that we’ve ordered is delayed in shipment from the manufacturer. I always encourage our customers to consult with us early so we can get the ball rolling on procurement.
Q: In our Collaboration discipline, we serve a lot of physical, onsite workplaces and office spaces including boardrooms and breakout rooms. What other factors can hold up our onsite workspace projects like these?
A: Contractors across the construction industry are experiencing delays due to their own supply requirements, and so when we’re set to deploy a net-new boardroom build or even a retrofit, we’re sometimes held up by the completion of carpentry or other elements.
Q: What can organizations do to mitigate delays in their on-site office projects and tech procurement? (Besides work with us of course.)
A: Order early whenever possible. Whether you need laptops and collaboration gear for remote new hires, or a new training room with amazing AV, our recommendation is to start planning as early as possible so that if there are delays from manufacturers, you won’t miss important project milestones.
Q: How are you and the team preparing our customers for what to expect?
A: Sometimes it can feel like you’re shooting at a moving target with ETA’s on certain hardware and electronics on backorder, but our team has been really agile. Because the supply chain demands are so widespread, we find that most of our customers are empathetic to this as they’re often experiencing similar things in their own industries. The key to customer experience for us is timely communication and setting expectations early.
Q: What’s been most difficult for you as an Operations leader and your team of Project Managers?
A: There is a lot to coordinate with all the different pieces of deploying a project. Resourcing for deployments is a big one. Having to send team members to each site multiple times rather than all at once to deploy a project because of product delay can be a juggling act at times … but we just operate with a lot of transparency. Our team has been incredibly flexible through these challenges, we can’t thank them enough.
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If you’re ready to explore the possibilities for your workplace transformation project or boardroom upgrade, connect with us to book your discovery session today.
~Sarah Allen, Content Coordinator