By Ron Gilbreath, managing director of asset & property management, Westmount Realty Capital It’s no trade secret that global lockdowns during the pandemic had a significant and lasting impact on supply chains worldwide. EY’s 2023 poll revealed that 72 percent of senior-level supply chain executives experienced negative impacts on their businesses due to the pandemic, resulting in the emergence of a concentrated focus on supply chain visibility. The crucial point to acknowledge during this continued disruption is that these impacts are closely tied to the just-in-time (JIT) inventory management system. As a result of these challenges, businesses are actively reassessing their distribution network strategies, leading to a surge in demand for industrial warehouse space. With the necessity to maintain greater inventory levels, companies are re-evaluating their warehouse space requirements and distribution setups to mitigate the risk of future supply shortages. The lockdowns disrupted two essential elements of JIT strategy: steady production and supplier reliability. Suppliers forced to comply with government lockdowns incurred major disruptions across various business lines due to the challenge of maintaining consistent production. This is a key component of JIT delivery that relies on having materials physically present during the production process. When these materials are unavailable, …
