Stock Is King During A Supply Shortage (But At Bowman Its Always Has Been!)
It’s no secret that globally, the post-COVID economic recovery has been slowed by rising raw material costs and the ongoing shipping crisis. During periods like these, bearing stock availability becomes one of the most important factors in maintaining production and minimising disruption.
When the bearing industry was assessed a few months ago, Bearing News reported that prices for more than 60 different types of raw material had increased, with reported rises ranging from 1,480 USD per ton to 21,500 USD per ton. This, combined with the sharp upward trajectory of fuel prices and other variables such as Suez Canal transit price inflation, has seen many eastern production facilities either actively or passively reduce production.
For those still in operation, rising material costs are only the first hurdle. A shortage of workers, missing truck drivers, staffing shortages on container ships and related logistical challenges at ports, together with an imbalance in global trade flows, have made transportation slower, more difficult and considerably more expensive.
What Does This Mean for Our Supply Chain?
Demand is up while supply is down, meaning companies are placing greater demands on their supplier base and extending bearing lead times well beyond what would normally be considered acceptable.
This naturally makes planning more challenging and customer fulfilment a real concern, leaving many manufacturers and distributors facing the difficult decision of investing in much higher stock levels despite not having the immediate demand to justify the investment.
Balancing inventory with working capital requires business stability and confidence that many organisations simply cannot justify in such a fragile economic environment.
Those that can make the investment are doing so, further increasing pressure on an already strained supply chain. For those unable to commit to larger inventories, the wait for products continues to grow as the bearing supply shortage persists.
Stock Is King and Always Has Been
Right now, stock is king – but for Bowman it always has been.
Reinvesting profits into strategic bearing stockholding and maintaining substantial inventories across multiple global locations has long been part of our philosophy. Whether dealing with economic uncertainty, political unrest, or global pandemics, this approach enables us to weather disruption better than many suppliers.
We continue to build inventory across multiple locations and work closely with strategic partners to support global demand. For split roller bearings in particular, Bowman maintains some of the highest in-stock bearings inventory in the industry, allowing us to continue meeting our standard lead times across much of our Enhanced product range, as well as our higher-capacity Advanced products.
As a result, our customers experience greater bearing availability and are significantly less affected by today’s global supply challenges.
What Action Should Customers Take?
When it comes to changing bearing suppliers, many customers are naturally risking averse and prefer to remain with their existing manufacturer. However, the current bearing supply shortage is far from over, and Bowman may be able to fulfil your requirements more quickly with products that can even outperform your existing solutions.
When evaluating new suppliers, communication is key. An initial conversation, technical meeting or product demonstration is often all that’s needed to build confidence and explore available alternatives.
As a first step, why not contact us to find out whether we have the bearings you need in stock? There’s a strong chance we will have.
Call: +44 (0) 1902 898 560
Email: sales@bowman.co.uk
US Customers: +1 484 800 5362
Email: Alistair@bowman.co.uk
