Page 82 - OHS, September 2022

PPE: FOOT PROTECTION
Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges in Protective Footwear
Protective footwear delays are expected to continue throughout 2022 and into 2023.
BY BARBARA FITZGEORGE
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 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.
■ 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:
A Roadmap for Supplier Selection—or How to Ensure
your Workers are Protected!
What can you do as a Corporate Safety or OSH professional to ensure a steady supply of footwear to your employees?
Look for a company with the best chance of filling orders for protective footwear. Seek out suppliers with the common denominators outlined below. This will greatly improve the likelihood that you and your workers will receive footwear on time, so they are protected against on-the-job hazards:
Strong communication—and relationships with sourcing partners. Never underestimate the power of communication. Companies that meet with suppliers regularly and that have open communication with vendors are the first to find out about impending delays that might have an impact on delivery commitment. By identifying the issue early, your supplier has the ability to come up with a plan to minimize the impact.
Suppliers with a deep inventory commitment. A company that increases their inventory investment—provided they have the financial resources to do so—is betting that demand will continue and the supply chain won’t be able to keep up. They make the investment to ensure a
How Have Suppliers
ReactedtothisChallenge? ■ Contacting all protective footwear
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
suppliers to determine the impact the supply chain challenges have on each supplier’s product line
■ Making strategic inventory investments on popular products
■ Using online tools—such as a “Featured Item” to promote popular products with strong inventory position to online shoppers
■ In situations where manufacturers have discontinued styles, distributors are notifying wearers of the change and offering up alternatives product options that are available.
Combined, these steps result in the best possible overall experience for end- users under difficult circumstances being faced industry wide.
78 Occupational Health & Safety | SEPTEMBER 2022
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