06/23/2026
If you're a hardware OEM right now, this question isn't theoretical anymore.
Memory prices up more than 50% in a single quarter. Suppliers confirming allocation, and pricing, only after your purchase order is placed.
Analysts saying meaningful relief won't come until late 2027 at the earliest.
In that environment, being lean has a different risk profile than it did two years ago.
A just-in-time strategy that worked perfectly in a stable market can become a production stoppage in this one.
We're seeing more OEMs make the uncomfortable decision to carry more inventory than they'd like, lock in longer-term commitments earlier than feels comfortable, and pay a premium now to protect continuity later.
It's not elegant. But it's practical.
The companies that will be most exposed in the next 18 months aren't the ones that chose resilience over cost.
They're the ones that didn't make a conscious choice at all and got caught flat-footed when allocation dried up.
So, the real question isn't resilience vs. cost optimization. It's whether you've made a deliberate decision about where you stand.
Where is your organization leaning right now — and what's driving that call?
