Companies are eager to bring their employees back to the office, but a delay in office equipment could postpone those returns even more. Delays for commercial desktop computers and other equipment are reportedly surging.

“We are looking at up to 120 days’ wait for some large enterprises if they have specific components required, and right now they are planning to receive devices in January and February,” Mikako Kitagawa, a research director at Gartner Inc., told The Wall Street Journal.

Despite the high demand, shipments of personal computers in the U.S. dropped 8.8% in reviewing preliminary third-quarter data compared to the same period in 2020, according to Gartner. Tech giants like HP Inc. report a growing backlog of unfilled orders.

Semiconductors, plastic, resin, copper, and steel are in short supply. Desktops, laptops, keyboards, and monitors are all being affected. Manufacturers expect the supply of semiconductor chips to remain constrained through at least mid-2022.

Factory closures in Southeast Asia, power-supply issues in China, and slower production are also limiting shipments.

Source: “Return to Office Meets Supply-Chain Snarls,” The Wall Street Journal (Oct. 26, 2021) [Log-in required.]