The Impact of COVID-19 on our Industry

Supply chain shortages in the electrical circuit industry began at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and have progressively gotten worse since then. With the steady rise in cases over the past 2 years, many companies temporarily shut down or had to reduce their overall number of workers to mitigate the spread and save on costs. Consumers and businesses alike can see that store shelves are not being stocked.

We are still seeing price increases and supply chain issues throughout the industry, even as we slowly return to normal. This has caused a delay in the supply of raw materials across most industries. From restaurants to car shops, everyone has experienced a shortage of some kind. The electrical circuit industry has been highly impacted. It takes much longer to obtain and assemble flexible circuits and printed circuit boards than in years prior. For similar reasons, the supply of raw materials needed to make bare flexible circuits and PCBs has decreased, creating a very slow return back to normal production levels even with a steady workforce. 

Select industries have grown as a result of the pandemic and economic challenges. Demand for products has increased. More people are turning over to electric vehicles that rely heavily on PCBs due to fuel costs and inflation. With people working from home more, certain aspects of on-site positions that would normally occur in an office can be carried out digitally. This has shifted more industries and areas of the world to base their work on computer chips and electronic equipment, requiring a higher demand for anything electrical circuit related. 

The shortages in obtaining electrical circuits have hurt the electronic, boat, and automobile industries along with other tech-heavy fields. The manufacturing capacity of these industries does not meet consumer demand. While every area of the sector has been hurt to some extent, select ones have been impacted more than others. The demand for electronic circuits has always been high as our world becomes more reliant on digital products. Current market shortages have shown us how much the world relies on these parts, on an everyday basis.

Here at Tramonto Circuits, we have worked diligently to ensure solutions for our customers and their needs. No matter the situation, we can find workarounds to meet supply and demand. While we have also been hit by supply chain shortages, we are still ahead of the game. Our team has shown its creative strengths when it comes to engineering and client satisfaction. New business practices are being implemented in all parts of the world and we are on top of it too.

Here’s how we make it happen:  

• We can redesign existing circuits to make the best use of the parts we have, finding workarounds to most designs 
• We have been able to redesign circuits using alternative parts to complete the same functions that our client needs, to save on those hard-to-find parts that would take too long to order or exceed your desired budget 
• Our close relationship with distributors means that we are first in line for these rare parts, so when we cannot find a workaround, there’s a solution right around the corner

We acknowledge that the lead times are longer and costs have increased in some areas. This is largely due to the extra time and engineering that it takes to assemble PCBs with alternative parts. Despite these challenges, our results remain the same. High quality, product durability, and reliable customer support are values we don’t compromise on. 

Although we cannot control what happens at the end of our suppliers, we have overcome these issues internally by maintaining good communication with our clients, ensuring that they are informed whenever a change of plan is required. Engineering results that suit consumer demand is what we do best. Having a reliable backup plan is a part of our business practices

We expect the supply shortages to be long-term, lasting anywhere from 2-5 years more. This also means we will continue to experience longer wait times and sometimes price increases. In our experience, there are improvements in certain fields and this makes us optimistic that we can expect to see the shortages lighten up within the next 2 years. Fixes to the global supply chain will take a long time to address but we can expect to see certain industries get a handle on it soon.

We understand the fear that our customers have about the supply chain disruptions. Some of the companies we work with have had to reduce production despite an increase in demand. Even if your business has gotten lucky, recent shortages have exposed issues in the United States supply chain… which leads to an overall feeling of uncertainty about the future. At best, unknown or missed delivery dates are an inconvenience that everyone is experiencing. 

We have seen how business has been negatively impacted by the pandemic. We have experience assisting businesses in this area and want to be a helpful resource, providing value to our clients is what we prioritize. 

By choosing us as your premier circuit assembler, you can assure that you will have more time to run your business as we take over the rest. By finding important components, moving goods, and ordering parts, we are leaving you more room to grow your company! The pandemic has proved to us how capable our team is with accommodating our clients, now or in the future, no matter what the economy brings.

Because we have also been impacted by the supply shortages, we understand how crucial it is to meet consumer demand and keep everything running normally. as much as possible given the market that is. Luckily, we can still facilitate the manufacturing process. While many of our competitors are waiting for every part to arrive, we can assemble electrical circuits without relying on the arrival of every specific part. This will end up saving weeks on time when it comes to ordering parts and having them delivered.

By choosing us as your premier circuit assembler, you can assure that you will have more time to run your business as we take over the rest. By finding important components, moving goods, and ordering parts, we are leaving you more room to grow your company! The pandemic has proved to us how capable our team is with accommodating our clients, now or in the future, no matter what the economy brings. Get in contact with us today to find out how we can meet your premier circuit and PCB needs.