The year 2021 has been characterized by supply bottlenecks in the raw materials industry. From metals to microchips, the components were either barely available or they were subject to strong inflation and high surcharges. For electronic device manufacturers such as STW, these are foreseeably difficult conditions, especially with very high demand for intelligent components and rapidly growth in the market for smart mobile machines. STW is proactively addressing this challenge and has been optimizing allocation management for several months.
To achieve this, a dedicated team from purchasing, product management, development, sales and component management is working to ensure maximum availability of STW's control technology and sensor products. STW have expanded their inventories on a large scale, in some cases by up to 80 percent, and acquired the necessary storage space. This will help compensate for any discontinuations or supply interruptions in the raw materials industries.
In view of increasing shortages in some raw materials, the extent to which these measures will be sufficient for the coming year is difficult to predict. However, whatever comes, the team at STW will be working intensively to ensure an optimum supply continuity for the benefit of their customers.