It’s March, and for anyone in the physical security industry that means one thing: It’s ISC West month! Happening at the end of the month in Las Vegas, this year’s show promises to be exciting and fully back to pre-pandemic times. I for one am looking forward to connecting with friends and colleagues, seeing what new innovations the industry has to offer and soaking up the unique atmosphere that is Las Vegas around that time (hopefully with no dust storms this year).

One thing that has been very interesting to observe is how the security industry — manufacturers, dealers, integrators and distributors alike — has dealt with the supply chain shortage that has put a damper on both new products and projects. At least one manufacturer at a conference last fall speculated about the impacts on new product development as many manufacturers had to pivot for the past year to re-engineering existing product to mitigate supply chain problems, for example. What that will mean for new product development remains to be seen later this month.

But when it comes to the supply chain crisis, I’m pleased to report that, according to this month’s cover story, “Supply Chain Chaos Begins to Ease Off,” (link) supply chain issues do finally seem to be improving across the board. However, that doesn’t mean the situation is over, or that it doesn’t leave lasting and substantial changes in its wake.

Senior Editor Rodney Bosch writes, “Through all of the chaos, companies have been reconsidering their supply chains and executing changes to make them more resilient. This has resulted in major shifts in the way business is now being conducted, and could very well represent permanent modifications to the way installing security contractors, distributors and manufacturers all interrelate.”

On the manufacturing side, vendors such as Genetec report bottlenecks slowly easing in 2023: “Suppliers are seeing some improvements in raw material and electronic component availability. These improvements aren’t only being reported in the security industry but also in other major ones, such as the automotive industry,” reports Nadia Boujenoui, vice president, customer experience.

Anyone who has ever been stuck in a traffic jam (probably all of us) will understand that even as these supply chain bottlenecks clear it will take time for traffic to begin to flow normally again, so the word of the day is in fact resiliency, which Merriam-Webster defines in two ways as: 1. “The ability of something to return to its original size and shape after being compressed or deformed;” and 2. “An ability to recover from or adjust easily to adversity or change.”

This last few years — and the current one — have seen the security industry face both definitions with determination and creativity that will change the industry for years to come.

I hope to see many of you later this month, even if just in passing at this busy event. Looking for SDM’s booth? We are located off the show floor in Casanova 504 next to the press room. Stop by and say hello, or reach out to me in advance by email (Hodgsonk@bnpmedia.com) to schedule a time for a quick visit.