Managing supply chain disruption

You will be aware of the current challenges both globally and nationally causing significant disruption to the supply chain for access to materials, products, services, and labour. 

Supply chains were already starting to face increased delays and costs due to Brexit, followed by disruption as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A reduced supply of labour with increasing demand has put inflationary pressures on wages and labour costs in a number of industries causing additional supply chain challenges.

Furthermore, the war in Ukraine and economic sanctions on Russia have put inflationary pressures on energy for both the UK and the rest of the world, pushing up the costs of production and transportation of machinery and materials in use in the UK. 

All of these factors have contributed to major shortages of materials (such as steel, cement, and plastics), increased prices and extended delivery times.

What are we doing to help our customers?

1. Planning ahead

We’re working together with contractors and our customers to help identify key materials early on in the building reinstatement process, by ensuring orders are placed as quickly as possible to source wherever feasible in advance. We’re also endeavouring to arrange delivery times ahead of time to mitigate the potential risk of delays.

2. Working flexibly

We’re exploring wider methods of accessing materials, such as by air freight if shipping options are delayed. We’ll also investigate alternative forms of materials where appropriate, or use different suppliers to source equipment in the shortest timeframes. Additionally, we’re mitigating potential delays in repair times by offering overtime working as well as a premium for the speedy replacement of stock and machinery.

3. Commitment to service

We work closely with our expert team of licensed loss adjusters who are renowned for their customer-focused attitude. Working together with the broker and policyholder, our loss adjustors share our strong service ethos and work in partnership to deliver a positive end-to-end customer experience.

4. Regular updates

We know how important it is to keep our customers regularly updated and manage expectations throughout the claims journey. It is a particularly challenging time at the moment, and we are working with our partners and our supply chain to ensure customers continue to receive a quality service experience. We’re maintaining regular updates with customers via their preferred contact methods, explaining any reason for delay and the actions we are taking to try and reduce waiting times as much as possible.

5. Repair and restore

We’ll look to repair items wherever feasible, and so long as the customer is happy to do so, partnering with contractors who promote repairs and support a greener way of working.