The North American Supply Chain Advantage
The “buy local” movement has gained steady support over the past decade. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, consumers are increasingly aware of the origin of their products. Electronic products are more challenging to apply the “local” buying lens to, but there are still ways to incorporate this mindset into both manufacturer and consumer behaviours. As a North American-based company, we prioritize the talents and resources of our Canadian and American employees and facilities to bring products closer to home.
In any industry, the greater the distance required to move components through a supply chain, the greater the risk for delays. Perishable food suppliers are keenly aware of this risk as the window of freshness for items like dairy or produce starts to close rapidly once those items leave the farm. The major ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California are in the midst of a huge congestion problem, with shipping containers often waiting weeks simply to be unloaded. Batteries have longer shelf lives than fresh fruit, but delays in the supply chain can still have dire consequences for tech suppliers. Production lines can sit idle as key component pieces remain boxed up on ocean freighters circling an overcrowded port. This situation is increasingly common for manufacturers with a heavy reliance on overseas suppliers. By partnering with primarily North American suppliers, we are less susceptible to the problems attached to long-distance transit. Taking our cues from our clients, we have focused our manufacturing production on North American hubs. With Canadian facilities in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto and our American production centered in Houston, Texas, we have strategically built our plants to best serve North American entities.
On top of the shipping nightmares, tech companies are facing an extreme talent shortage for engineers. A shortage that began building pre-pandemic has only intensified as demand for tech output skyrocketed alongside COVID-19. The pool of experienced engineers is simply not big enough to sustain the overwhelming consumer demand. This situation again forces many companies to look overseas for solutions. Too often, the result of this approach is an engineering team scattered globally with members contracted by a fee but not committed to a company’s mission. With a close-knit North American engineering team, we are able to oversee the entire design process with a speed and efficiency unaffected by offshore complications. Even small hurdles like managing workflow amongst different time zones are eased or eliminated when a core team is centralized.
Apart from a team’s geography, the most successful engineering departments often employ individuals with strong investments in the company culture. High skill level, combined with the emotional investment in their clients’ successes, make for teams highly motivated to design superior products and provide exceptional client service. The unique alliance between engineering expertise and a sincere attachment to our company goals has allowed Excell Battery to maintain successful stability for clients throughout the pandemic.
With a holistic approach to the electronic supply chain, manufacturers are better able to focus their energy on the geographic and experiential needs of their end customers. From the engineers employed to the location of warehouses, every juncture of the supply chain is thoughtfully mapped with our client in mind.
