{"id":10273,"date":"2022-07-05T09:48:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T16:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/?p=10273"},"modified":"2022-07-05T09:49:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T16:49:46","slug":"summer-solstice-your-supply-chain-knows-winter-is-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qad.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/summer-solstice-your-supply-chain-knows-winter-is-coming","title":{"rendered":"Summer Solstice? Your Supply Chain Knows Winter is Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”10274″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]In the Northern Hemisphere, we recently celebrated the Summer Solstice, which means the start of calendar summer and the longest day of the year. I always chuckle on the day after the solstice as I think of a fond childhood memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the 22<\/span>nd<\/span> of June (typically the day after the solstice), my father would come in after work dressed like he was ready for a blizzard. He had on a hat, cap, heavy gloves, a winter parka and boots, etc. We\u2019d look at each other and say, \u201cThe poor guy has gone mad. It is 85 degrees outside and dad is dressed like an Eskimo.\u201d Then we heard the words, \u201cDays are getting shorter, winter\u2019s coming!\u201d It was a ritual he did every year, and we loved it. What was even funnier was when he\u2019d do the reverse at Winter Solstice and come in wearing shorts saying, \u201csummer is coming, days are getting longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So now you might say, great story, Steve, but, what is the point?<\/span><\/p>\n

The point is that for those now in summer, the furthest thing from most people\u2019s minds is winter, the holidays, elves and Santa Clause. However, if you manufacture or transport goods, especially those that have any seasonal value in the winter, you better start preparing now because the days are now getting shorter and the disruptions that are impacting the market today will extend into the future. Winter is coming and it might not be much fun for the supply chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Welcome to Year Round Seasonality<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many retail store shelves are empty or at least thin on product. This is happening globally. It is similar to what we saw at the beginning of the pandemic. Problems that were simply starting before Covid have festered and now exploded. The pandemic masked the issues. Some of the hardest hit product categories are the summer seasonal items due to supplier, manufacturing and supply chain problems. There is no indication of a letup for the upcoming Autumn and Winter periods. So, as we sit here in the Northern summer basking in the sun, make sure you know where those boots are, Winter is coming. With the expanding value chain, dramatic changes in consumer behavior and on-line buying, many seasonal items can now be purchased year round. The changes to all types of product sales during the two plus years of the pandemic have rendered historical forecasts useless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3 Supply Chain Seasonality Trends and Issues<\/span><\/h2>\n

So what are the trends and issues that might just give the <\/span>supply chain<\/span><\/a> (and Santa) more headaches than the usual winter problems? Here are three hot buttons of today:<\/span><\/p>\n