Manufacturers cannot keep up with the demand
A lot of factors in the global economy including Covid-19 have caused a mismatch between supply and demand for electronic devices. In combination with diverse supply chain challenges and price increases for freight and raw materials, chip shortage contributes to long manufacturing lead times.
The inability to provide customers with fixed lead times has left IT managers and business owners in a difficult situation.
A situation that honestly can’t be fixed. Because from the moment your business signed that purchase order for brand new IT equipment, the only thing you can do is to sit back and wait. For up to 280 business days and counting.
It is too risky to keep waiting
However, long lead times don’t fit within your plans. Your business already has a strategy for capacity planning in place. The migration from end-of-life to brand new equipment has been planned well. Meanwhile, the demand for better digital services, more data storage, and accommodating hybrid workplaces keep increasing. Your business cannot afford to wait.
So, what can be done while waiting?
Take back control of the situation- choose to upgrade your current IT infrastructure
It is time for you to take control back into your own hands and upgrade the current systems. Therefore, we suggest you choose refurbished IT hardware as a temporary or perhaps as a permanent solution.
Because while you wait for your brand-new equipment with an unknown delivery date, you can extend the current IT infrastructure’s lifespan. By updating today, you can ensure IT operations will run as expected until the new equipment reaches your data center.
Upgrading IT infrastructure could, in practice, translate into:
- Upgrading dedicated server,
- Expanding the whole server park,
- Expanding the storage systems,
- Adding more expansion shelves with more disks, so you have more room for data,
- Adding more servers, so you have more server power,
- Upgrading the networking equipment to be able to accommodate this.
Businesses are already upgrading their current systems
However, you have to decide soon. Because GlobeCom has already been putting out fires for businesses, which have no other choice but to carry out upgrades. We are getting daily calls from customers needing a trustable partner that can help with the emergency due to the lead times.
The challenge is that most of the equipment we are selling out these days consists of generations 3-4 and sometimes five years new. So if you reach out to GlobeCom we need to ensure we still have the hardware in stock. Check our products here.
Planning and getting spare parts or upgrade packages
To ensure IT operations run as they should, you could also let GlobeCom know about your needs and your IT infrastructure right now. Then we can help you to build a spare parts package to put into the inventory. That way, you can swap if anything breaks after the 3-year manufacturer contract expires. Additionally, GlobeCom provides Upgrade Packages. Depending on your needs, the upgrade package could include extra memory for servers or more disks for your storage system.
But what about the refurbished IT quality? - Refurbished IT renaissance
We at GlobeCom believe refurbished IT has begun its shift from the dark ages into the renaissance.
Yes, refurbished does have a reputation of having bad quality. And although we at GlobeCom can only refer to ourselves, generally speaking, refurbished IT resellers prioritize quality and customer satisfaction above everything else.
And when in doubt, here’s a checklist of what to look out for when choosing a reseller that can provide you with quality products and services.
Trustable reseller checklist
- Has in house IT technicians,
- Carries out numerous quality checks before shipping,
- Can provide you with test reports where applicable.
GlobeCom IT technicians carry out a 5-step refurbishment process on all the hardware that enters our warehouse. Additionally, before shipping, we also run tests to ensure the equipment will be compatible with the customer’s IT infrastructure. That is why all our products have a minimum of a 1-year warranty because we trust our quality.
GlobeCom lead times- maximum 3 business days
Yes, you read that correctly. If you are located within Europe GlobeCom can deliver IT equipment in the next business day, whereas rest of the world takes maximum 2-3 business days.
What is the lead time? And why is the IT industry experiencing prolonged lead times
Lead time is from when a business makes an order for the manufacturer to when it is delivered. It is a broad term used to include production and transit times.
As mentioned at the beginning, Covid-19 has been one of the many events causing the prolonged lead times:
The mismatch between demand and supply
People all around the world have been purchasing electronics like never before. Meanwhile, companies have been trying to ensure they can handle the requirements for having hybrid workplaces and have the technology to ensure working from home is possible. Starting from laptops and equipment needed to host zoom meetings to providing an IT infrastructure that can accommodate and handle all of that.
The chip shortage
Most electronics need chips/ semiconductors. However, the demand is so high that manufacturers cannot keep up. Moreover, the raw materials needed to manufacture semiconductors also have difficulties satisfying everyone’s needs.
Supply chain challenges
Sea and air freight costs keep increasing. There are not enough distributors. And because of the increased demand, the prices are getting higher and higher.
Need help? Get in touch
No business is the same. And no solution fits all. Therefore, GlobeCom offers flexible ITAD services that align with your business goals and respect your needs. You are always welcome to contact us for more information.
