b'Supply ChainThe State of the Supply ChainWill it return to the pre-COVID norm? By Warren HeeleyThisarticleoriginallyap- worldwide population decline andsorted out. This includes the war in Wind Uplift Testedpeared in the Quarter 3 2022 issuethe differing priorities between gov- Ukraine, the shortage of labour and ofBuilders Digestand is reprintedernmental/environmentalpoliciescontinuingCOVID-19challenges Modular VegetatedwithpermissionfromtheTorontowhile optimizing supply chains. that could cause future disruptions.Roofing Systems Construction Association. Theglobalsupplychainhas T he conventional wisdomimprovedconsiderablysinceitsKey Challenges chainbe-at this time is that mostdarkestdaysin2021,whenall- There are three key challenges for of the world has movedtime high freight rates and unusu- theinternationalsupply on from the pandemic (except forally long shipping times prevailed.fore it returns to its new normal: China); therefore, supply chains willTheeasingofthesnarlsplaguinglabour shortages, peaceful trade and return to normal. Unfortunately,theshippingindustryduringthesupply chain technology.this is not the case. The world haspandemichaveindustryexpertsLabour:Fordecades,product permanentlychangedandsupplyagreeing that a significant improve- manufacturinghasbeenrelocated chains are going to face continuingment has occurred over the last sixto countries where cheap labour and challenges for decades to come. months. However, they also warnmaterialswerereadilyavailableto This quote appeared in the Maythat this improvement may be fol- reducecosts.Lower-costproducts 18, 2022 issue of Freightwaves news- lowed by a drop in consumer de-letter, which calls itself the nervemand, and they raise the ominousincreased availability, which in turn centre of the global supply chain. possibility of a recession. kept pricing and inflation in check.The article also stated that sup- BeliefthatthesupplychainisThe pandemic changed this situ-plychainswillbeunderconstantmoving back or will ever get backation radically. An aging population, threatofdisruptionforthenexttoapre-pandemicnormalseemscoupled with COVID-19, caused a liveroof.ca decade.Todayssupplychainsunrealistic. There are still many on- large number of workers globally to havetocontendwithwars,thegoing challenges that will need to betake early retirement. Post-COVID 12ONTARIO ROOFING NEWSISSUE 4 2022/23 THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN'