We covered in our last update how Venture Solutions continues to plan well in advance for upcoming material needs. This remains true as our sourcing teams plan months ahead of schedule to cover our expected paper stock demands. Since our last update, we have seen continued constraint on certain cut sheet stock, but we are monitoring the situation closely and remain on top of it.
Although envelopes are currently a pinch point in the supply chain, our team members are putting in their orders for available stock as early as possible to ensure clients have sufficient supply throughout the rest of the year. If clients are at all concerned about their envelope stock, the best way to avoid any unexpected shortages later is to communicate any changes in forecasted demand to Venture Solutions as early as possible. If there are any signs of major growth or changes that would affect volume—particularly for custom stock—let your account management team know. Staying at least six months ahead on restocks has been keeping operations moving smoothly and is how we plan to keep our clients meeting their required mailing deadlines.
A new development that has driven up costs for many across the industry is the effects of high fuel prices and labor shortages. Freight companies have been experiencing a shortage of both trucks and drivers, cutting down on their regularly scheduled routes and having to push back delivery times for materials. For those shipments that can be delivered, the same fuel price surges that have affected regular consumers are also making freight shipment fees more expensive than usual. These changes in shipping costs are expected to continue until fuel prices go back down and freight companies can return to a more consistent level of truck availability. In the meantime, we will continue to keep aware of the state of the industry and communicate any further changes we see.
If you have any questions about any of these industry developments, please feel free to contact us or reach out to your Account Manager.
