Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges in Protective Footwear
Protective footwear delays are expected to continue throughout 2022 and into 2023.
- By Barb Fitzgeorge
- Sep 01, 2022
Over the past year, there have been severe delivery backlogs on many brands of protective footwear. This is an industry-wide challenge, with months-long delays that are expected to continue for the foreseeable future—through 2022 and into 2023. These backlogs are the result of a variety of factors:
- Insufficient manufacturing capacity
- Global supply chain issues stemming from COVID-19
- Shipping delays
- Delays from cargo ships waiting to unload
- Low staffing levels found throughout the supply chain
We are two and half years into the pandemic, and still experiencing these supply chain delays. It’s so common that at this point, the delays seem almost unavoidable, regardless of what is being purchased. When these delays impact your workforce—to the point that workers are coming to the jobsite not prepared with the proper footwear and other safety apparel—it can wreak havoc on productivity and your ability to get the job done. The challenges faced by protective footwear wearers have been particularly challenging throughout the pandemic.
How Have Suppliers Reacted to this Challenge?
Not all suppliers are alike. We have to acknowledge that while some have struggled mightily in the past few years, others have managed to beat the odds and continue to provide the same level of service, without the extensive delays that have become so common throughout the pandemic. Businesses with a history of growth and success prior to the pandemic were better positioned and more prepared to withstand the challenges and strain that the pandemic placed on all companies.
Here are some of the ways strong businesses in the protective footwear industry have proactively handled the shortages:
- Analyzing demand across the product offering
- Identifying slow-moving styles
- Making the unusual decision to temporarily halt manufacturing products with low demand
- Focusing manufacturing on the most popular styles in their line
This ensures the boots they are making are more readily available, with more consistent and reliable delivery.
Similarly, protective footwear distributors are also taking extraordinary steps in the face of manufacturing delays and product delivery backlogs from key suppliers:
This article originally appeared in the September 1, 2022 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.