Dealing with Supply Chain Disruptions

We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been able to keep things running fairly smoothly over the last year and a half, and consider ourselves very fortunate. We’ve had to make adjustments, scramble to do one thing or another, and (of course) check in with those we care about to make sure everyone is doing ok. Sometimes we are, sometime we aren’t. I’m sure you’ve had plenty of upheaval in your own personal lives and businesses as well. To that end, let me say what I’ve said before: do what you need to do to be safe and stay healthy.

Of course, our products are designed to make your business safer. While we’re doing everything we can to keep everything in stock, we’ve had to make adjustments. Many of our suppliers have had intermittent backorders, on everything from bulbs to the smallest of electrical connectors. For many of those items, we have multiple suppliers we can count on–but when one runs out, demand shifts to scoop up dwindling stocks at other suppliers. We don’t want to add to panic buying (like toilet paper last year), but also need to make sure we’re able to serve our customers effectively.

Most of what we’ve done to make sure we can do that sits behind-the-scenes. But one change in particular does affect our customers. Since many components we use (for example, a bulb or projector) go into numerous end products, we’ve shifted how we allocate our resources. Instead of stocking fully-assembled kits and headlights, we’re focusing on keeping sufficient quantities of all the component parts in stock and limiting the number of any one ready-to-ship set on the shelves. The downside of that is that it’s taking us a little longer to get complete lights out the door–instead of same or next-day shipping, many items are shipping in 2 to 4 days. The upside is that–so far–we’ve been able to avoid backorders and long delays.

The other upside to the (hopefully temporary) change is that we’re much better positioned with respect to supporting our existing customers. By keeping individual parts on the shelf and available, despite supply disruptions, we’ve been able to keep quick turn-around times for warranty replacements and post-warranty part sales. It’s also giving us more flexibility to make sure we’re able to provide support, with installation, troubleshooting, etc., answering your calls and e-mails as quickly as possible.

In the coming weeks, we plan to add a dashboard with a one-page list of items and expected lead times. Of course, when time is of the essence, contact us using the link at the top of the page or by calling 844-800-0330. We know you’re not always in one place for very long, and will work with you to get your order to you where and when you need it.

Stay safe, stay healthy, keep trucking, and thank you for letting us help you.

–David