Update: FF&E Manufacturing and Supply Chain
As the hospitality industry begins to recover from the global pause COVID-19 enacted, hoteliers, suppliers, and manufacturers are returning to a new playing field – one that requires innovation and adaptation in order to be better than they were before. The FF&E manufacturing and supply chain has been in a state of flux, facing several new and abrupt challenges.
Where We Were
During the early weeks of the COVID pandemic, many hospitality manufacturers and their small parts suppliers were required to shut down temporarily. To adapt and assist in the fight against COVID-19, some suppliers began operating as essential manufacturers. Instead of hospitality fabrics, many manufacturers began supplying non-medical PPE such as masks and clothing. This pivot created a few problems that manufacturers are still resolving today.
Firstly, it created a need for workforce replenishment and quick training. Many factories laid off a portion of their workforce during their shutdown, and after transitioning temporarily, needed new employees to help production. This need led to streamlined hiring and optimized training that would help manufacturers return to normal operation at a stronger capacity.
The second issue was the backlog of hospitality orders produced by transitioning to manufacturing essential goods. Some small parts suppliers are still operating at a lower capacity or are closed altogether, making it difficult for manufacturers to transition back to hospitality. They have had to find new ways of fulfilling orders.
Temporarily transitioning to the manufacturing of essential goods has helped support these factories through the pandemic and has resulted in innovations that will carry into the reopening of these organizations.
Where We Are
As the country slowly reopens, the status of various supply chains is constantly changing. Manufacturing for the hospitality industry, for the most part, has returned to full operating capacity. Overcoming a lot over the past few months, these factories have returned to their market better than before. With a stronger need for employees, optimized training, new certifications, and altogether cleaner factories and protocols, manufacturers are stopping at nothing to fulfill the orders backlogged by the pandemic along with new orders. The rise in demand has led to a higher output capacity and a continued need for resources and workers.
The uptick in production has given way to a storage issue. Many hotels previously under renovation or in new construction are behind schedule, making it difficult to maintain and store any delivered FF&E properly. Manufacturers can only hold on to these orders for a few days, making it necessary to store these orders in offsite warehouses. Out of this problem has sprung a new surge of storage and trucking companies to help aid these factories. FF&E manufacturers are continually optimizing production to fulfill new and backlogged orders as quickly as possible. It all comes down to who was in line first and which customers can take delivery first.
Innvision is committed to helping and supporting the hospitality industry return to the global market better than before. We have been continually working with manufacturers and suppliers to ensure their sustainability and ability to bounce back from this pandemic. It is Innvision’s top priority to ascertain the well being of all of our partners, clients, and customers. For any questions regarding FF&E manufacturing, supply, and storage, please contact our dedicated team of logistics and operations managers.
