How Do Freight and Supply Disruptions Affect Display and Embedded Lead Times?
March 16, 2026
Freight and supply disruptions lengthen both transport times and component lead times, and the most reliable protection is to plan requirements and call-offs as early as possible. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, FORTEC has planned its logistics with additional time buffers. Under the current circumstances, delays still cannot be ruled out completely, and early planning is what keeps a delivery schedule reliable.
Why is air freight being delayed in 2026?
Because of the geopolitical situation involving Iran, as of March 2026. Global air freight does not travel only on cargo aircraft: a significant share is carried on passenger flights, often routed through major hubs such as Dubai and Qatar. As the conflict continues, flights are being rerouted and canceled while demand for air freight rises, and that combination can lead to longer transport times.
Short-notice call-offs are the most exposed, because an unexpected transport delay can only be made up to a limited extent. If your production depends on air-freighted displays or boards, place orders and schedule call-offs in good time.
What did the pandemic years show about lead times?
That delays come from several directions at once: closures, component shortages and transport bottlenecks. The pattern from 2020 and 2021, as the Group reported it at the time:
- January 2020: quarantine measures in China extended the New Year holidays nationwide to Feb 2, and in some regions to Feb 9 and beyond. Many companies closed, including some of our suppliers, which led to production and delivery delays.
- March 2020: the FORTEC Group formed a group-wide crisis team and drew up group-wide emergency plans. Because its main activities can be carried out at several locations, business continued, and employees were equipped to work entirely from home.
- Spring 2020: demand for TFT displays for medical devices rose with the need for COVID-19 treatment equipment. FORTEC Integrated, our sister company in Germany, prioritized medical orders and worked on units for ventilators, where extensive warehousing and flexible production let it deliver quickly when goods were in stock.
- November 2020: manufacturers and suppliers reported rising delivery times due to shortages of various components on the world market, while pandemic restrictions slowed transport.
- November 2021: container congestion at important transshipment points and further component shortages stretched delivery times again, with the holidays and Chinese New Year ahead and further price increases expected from the higher demand.
How can a US OEM protect its production?
By planning supply as part of the design, not after the purchase order. Four habits help:
- Share requirements early and plan call-offs well ahead, so buffers are in place before they are needed.
- Ask us for the current delivery situation of the specific products in your design, rather than relying on a quoted lead time from months ago.
- Plan for end-of-life before it arrives. Our obsolescence management monitors manufacturers’ change and EOL notices, places last-time buys in time, and holds stock of time-sensitive components across multiple warehouses. Our guide on how to plan for component obsolescence covers the rest.
- Factor tariffs into sourcing. The FORTEC Group runs a geographically diversified production network with local warehousing to guard against sudden tariff changes, and our post on how FORTEC US supports customers’ supply chain adjustments explains the options.
Tell us what your design needs and when, and we will take it from there. We recommend the right combination of display, computer and power, handle the integration and the sourcing, and keep you informed about the supply situation from first samples to series production. Contact FORTEC US.
