Talent and Supply Chain Disruptions

Two Shortages Are Significantly Affecting Community Associations

The shortage of goods triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, causing disruptions across every aspect of the global supply chain—from empty store shelves to clogged shipping lanes. Widespread manufacturing delays have affected consumers and industries around the world. The property management industry, which continues to experience material and labor shortages, has been significantly impacted. Let's take a look at how it all began.

How it all started

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, many people lost their jobs and restricted their activity. Businesses and stores were closed, and factories halted the production of goods as the world grappled with the first wave of the pandemic. As uncertainty about the severity and spread of the virus reached alarming levels, economic activity slowed, and consumer spending lagged. Industry experts expected this downturn would completely halt consumer spending, but consumer behavior changed instead. Instead of traveling, eating out at restaurants, and attending events, people dined in and turned to online shopping, purchasing items to make their home lives more comfortable. Consumers bought office furniture, electronics, gym equipment, and other supplies – in higher quantities than before the pandemic – entirely challenging the global supply chain. To make things even more complicated, as the economy began to reopen and vaccines became more widely available in 2021, the consumer demand for goods and services increased, coming close to pre-pandemic levels. This entire chain of events has led to an increasing disruption of the availability of goods, which continues to plague industries around the globe. It has also led to ongoing labor shortages; residential property management, an industry that has historically struggled to attract and retain high-quality workers, has been significantly impacted.

Has your community association been affected by labor shortages? Read Addressing the Labor Shortage to learn more about the reasons behind them.

As the world’s largest exporter and producer of industrial goods, China has played a pivotal role in the supply chain disruptions. With a zero-tolerance Covid policy where spikes in infections result in total lockdowns, production and transportation of goods are ongoing challenges. Transit times from Chinese ports to the United States are longer, taking around 44 days, up 175% from pre-pandemic transit times, which averaged about 16 days.

Property managers who rely on materials and quality labor feel the disruptions’ pinch. Here are two ways condominium and community associations are feeling the effects of the labor and supply chain crisis:

1.    Labor Shortages
By now, most people have heard of the labor shortages caused by the Great Resignation – the mass exodus of workers quitting their jobs to find happiness and a better work-life balance within or outside of the labor market. This shift has affected the hospitality and property management industries, as community associations find it increasingly difficult to secure and retain qualified employees. The sector remains under pressure to fill maintenance, janitorial, administrative, hospitality, reception, and front desk roles, which were already difficult in this highly competitive market. Property management companies must find creative ways to retain talent as these issues continue.

“I believe now, more than ever, job seekers are looking for much more than a paycheck,” said Rafael Cruz Estrada, senior director of talent management for FirstService Residential. “The Great Resignation has highlighted how important it is that we demonstrate what separates us from our competitors. We are continuously looking to improve our new and current associate experience by enhancing our onboarding journey, training, tools, processes and resources.”

2.    Materials Shortages
Materials shortages affect and delay the completion of on-site projects, hurting operations. For example, a property might experience an elevator breakdown requiring a new part. A manager places the order for the part, and what should typically take a few days to arrive now takes weeks or even months, resulting in the elevator being down much longer than expected. Communities also see shortages in supplies such as chlorine and paint, struggling to find enough to complete minor repairs and major property renovations. Air conditioning parts, glass, wood, and other construction materials are just a few additional products that have become more difficult to find. To add to that, the cost of products has soared due to inflation levels not seen since 1982, according to Trading Economics, an online resource providing economic indicators for 196 countries worldwide. Construction materials, machinery prices and even the cost of cleaning supplies have doubled, making association budgets more challenging to manage.

Some consumers are anticipating product shortages and buying more than they need when a product is available. This causes further disruptions to the supply chain. For example, a consumer desperate to satisfy demand purchases items in bulk to add a quantity buffer (think of the toilet paper crisis of 2021). This distortion in demand can result in an inflated demand, creating the ‘Bullwhip effect.’ In this phenomenon, demand changes at the end of a supply chain lead to inventory fluctuations along the chain, causing inventory control problems. Preventing this at the outset and minimizing actions that cause it are key, but as the supply chain issues are likely to continue well into 2022, community associations will have to utilize all of their resources to help mitigate the impact of the shortages.
“We are fortunate to have a solid vendor management team that has built and maintained strong relationships with resourceful vendors over the years,” said Danny Ellis, president, Georgia, Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle at FirstService Residential. “These high-quality vendors have access to products and programs to support our teams through this crisis.”

What to Expect in 2022

The increased demand for goods and services that led to the supply chain issues have resulted in rising inflation; rising costs affect community associations' budgets and may ultimately need to be passed on to residents.

The cost of goods, services and utilities has increased drastically over the past 12-24 months, with associations experiencing 15%-20% rate hikes for insurance, utilities, and services. Before the inflation surge, community associations may have seen unexpected increases in specific line items such as maintenance or insurance but budgets generally held steady because inflation was not a factor. Now, associations are seeing increases in everything from maintenance and repairs to electricity and equipment. The greatest challenge will be for boards who focus on keeping costs low and/or avoiding increases in maintenance dues – and accepting that this may not be feasible moving forward. 

 As the world's manufacturing superpower, China continues to impose widespread lockdowns in an attempt to keep the Omicron variant at bay, causing companies and consumers to brace for more disruptions. And while some shortages are being quickly resolved, others appear to be lingering. Associations continue to deal with rising prices for raw materials, higher shipping costs, and extended delivery times. Manufacturers are closely watching to see if more factories and ports in China are forced to close due to the virus, further affecting the supply chain.

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year, started this year on February 1. The Chinese New Year is the country’s biggest holiday, and many factories temporarily close during this time. Some analysts predict this might give warehouses, trucking companies, and ports a chance to catch up on backlogged orders, helping global supply chains return to normal.

The federal government is also taking more significant measures to help U.S. ports handle their backlog of containers, providing infrastructure funds to help alleviate bottlenecks.      

The Georgia Ports Authority has added several hundred workers and more machinery to help clear up backlogs. It has also accelerated a $150 million expansion at the Port of Savannah, one of the nation’s most crucial trading links and the fourth busiest port in the U.S. The additional funds will help boost port capacity issues by eliminating the lines of ships waiting to unload.

Still, operational constraints are likely to persist throughout 2022, and community associations will need to adapt and stay flexible to ongoing changes, especially as the pandemic wears on.