The past few years have been challenging for global supply chains. 

As part of the bearings and power transmission industry in South Africa, B2K has not been spared from these disruptions. Since 2020, we’ve faced various supply chain issues, from raw material shortages and geopolitical issues to freight and logistics challenges. These challenges often lead to delays in stock delivery.  

Although it might seem as though the situation is improving, supply chains remain vulnerable to the slightest disruptions. South Africa’s geographical distance from international manufacturing hubs in Europe, Asia, and America only adds to these challenges.

Our reliance on a seamless flow of products from these global factories to our local warehouses is affected not only by international factors, but also by the deteriorating state of South Africa’s port, rail, and road infrastructure. Such conditions often create bottlenecks in the final leg of the supply chain, ultimately leading to delays within SA.

Our customers rely on the timely delivery of bearings and power transmission components, and these disruptions mean potential delays in receiving essential parts. Production schedules then get thrown off balance, leading to inefficiencies and, more critically, escalating the risk of production losses,  project delays, and other operational challenges. 

In response, we have increased our stock holdings and enhanced planning to meet urgent customer requirements for our critical products more effectively.

The current landscape

In 2024, incidents such as attacks on ships in the Red Sea and persistent congestion in South Africa’s ports, railways, and roads contribute to extended lead times and unexpected delays. This is exacerbated by the poor management of container locations, with many containers currently engaged in one-way trips without any planned return voyage. This practice not only worsens the congestion at ports but also complicates the storage and availability of containers, further straining the logistics and supply chain mechanisms. 

Despite these challenges, we have refined our stock planning approach to adapt and mitigate disruptions, ensuring continuity and reliability in our services.

Forging paths to resilience

Our lines of communication with our customers are always open, and we collaborate to ensure the maintenance of our stock holdings. Knowledge sharing allows us to integrate our strategies, minimise risks, and pre-empt stock shortages that could compromise critical operations.

We also advise clients to maintain increased stock levels of critical stock items in addition to the buffer stocks we carry for them. For cases where traditional procurement lead times are impractical, we offer a viable alternative through our bearing remanufacture programme for large-size bearings. This initiative reduces lead times with no compromise on bearing performance.

Vigilance against counterfeits

Amidst these disruptions, a concerning trend has emerged – an uptick in counterfeit bearings. Dishonest suppliers of counterfeit bearings significantly threaten the operational integrity and safety of businesses across South Africa. We urge you to check the authenticity of the SKF bearings you procure using the SKF Authenticate app and only purchase from authorised distributors. 

Ultimately, these supply chain disruptions have allowed us to redefine resilience. In doing so, we safeguard our operations and reinforce the trust and reliability that form the foundation of our customer relationships. 

We would like to thank our customers for their role in helping us overcome these challenges.