<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/4efdac68816b37a3d571007e07eab766.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin">The ongoing global supply issue in computer chips is posing significant challenges and shortages are expected to continue well into 2022.This chip shortage has been caused by a combination of factors, including the global Covid-19 pandemic, various manufacturing challenges, and increased demand. As a result, businesses and consumers alike have been facing extensive delays in their supply chains, which is having a knock-on effect on most commerce.What are computer chips?Chips, also known as semiconductors or microchips, are the “brain” contained in every electronic device, from mobile phones to cars. The size of chips varies, but the construction of each requires multiple complicated steps, time, and expert production. For example, <a href="https://www.techbuyer.com/uk/8170-intel-xeon-platinum-8170-processor-127061" target="_blank" title="Techbuyer Intel Xeon CPU">Intel’s Xeon CPU</a> is a highly <a href="https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/xeon-scalable-platform-brief.pdf" target="_blank" title="Intel Xeon Chip">complex chip capable</a> of running sophisticated machine learning applications and running 4.2 times more virtual machines per server than earlier generations. How did the shortage happen?There was an initial temporary delay in semiconductor supply when factories closed in the beginning stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. As production recently returned to normal however, a surge in demand driven by changing consumer habits has led to a serious shortage in chips.This perfect storm of supply and demand issues is causing significant headaches across all sectors, and the crisis is predicted to get worse. Furthermore, it can take up to two years to get the factories that produce chips running to full capacity, with each new factory that is built costing up to £7 billion.There are also environmental factors at play, as demonstrated recently when a <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/12/chip-shortage-taiwan-drought-tsmc-water-usage/" target="_blank" title="Fortune.com article">factory in Taiwan closed</a> down due to a severe drought, as manufacturing chips requires a lot of water. Furthermore, widely predicted <a href="https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/scarcity/" target="_blank" title="UN Water">global water shortages</a> could potentially cause even more chip shortages in the future. It’s clear that the pandemic has demonstrated that the global supply chain of computer chips is extremely fragile and unable to respond quickly to fluctuations in demand. Chip manufacturers, facing a huge demand for their products, are raising their prices which in turn increases the cost of electronic items for consumers.With <a href="https://www.channelweb.co.uk/news/4031154/global-chip-shortages-rage-deep-2022-gartner-predicts" target="_blank" title="The Channel Web Global Chip Shortage">component shortages predicted to carry on for months</a>, and demand for IT solutions increasing, today’s businesses have been turning to a different solution.We’ve outlined below how businesses and consumers alike can avoid getting caught out by the global chip shortage:Choose refurbished over newWhen faced with long delays for IT equipment, businesses are increasingly turning to the refurbished market. This was evidenced by our global team who reported that Techbuyer welcomed 85 per cent more customers between March and July 2020, plus welcomed back previous clients who then bought refurbished for the first time. Our team is immensely proud to have enabled businesses to keep operations efficiently running during lockdown.Refurbished IT equipment performs identically to new when refurbished to a high quality and configured correctly and upgraded machines can even outperform basic configurations of new machines. What’s more, with the right upgrades, <a href="https://www.computer.org/csdl/journal/su/5555/01/09246737/1oqGe9mvgcg" target="_blank" title="IEEE Techbuyer Peer Reviewed Paper">our latest research,</a> published as a peer-reviewed article by IEEE, uncovered that refurbished hardware can outperform new devices.When you order from a quality refurbishment specialist, you can have complete piece of mind thanks to extensive warranties and rigorous testing procedures which are equal to, or even top those of the OEMs. You might be surprised to learn that at Techbuyer, we provide a three-year warranty with every product, and all products go through our 25-point recertification process in our secure facilities.Upgrading rather than overhaulingTo maintain IT hardware and minimise budgetary spend, businesses are taking a closer look at the devices they already have and examining which devices need to be replaced, and which can simply be upgraded.For example, a business that is struggling to get hold of new desktops due to chip shortages, should consider that CPU, HDD, SSD and RAM upgrades are ideal for maintaining this equipment and boosting performance. With no end in sight for the present chip shortage crisis, businesses looking for an affordable and easy way to extend the lifecycle of their desktops or laptops should check out our <a href="https://www.techbuyer.com/uk/laptop-and-desktop-refresh-service" target="_blank" title="Techbuyer laptop refresh service">refresh service</a>.Optimise your server estatesMajor suppliers of servers, such as Intel and AMD, are warning customers of massively increased lead times for ordering new servers. This is because the components crucial in producing a CPU are all in short supply, such as resistors, capacitors, and circuit boards.There’s little confidence in when supply chain pressure might ease, as manufacturing facilities can’t exactly be expanded overnight, and the demand for compute is ever growing. Businesses that are looking to buy new servers and are suddenly unable to do so, are facing the real risk of service interruptions and reduced infrastructure.To mitigate this risk, many businesses are turning to refurbishment specialists, such as Techbuyer for cost-effective, optimised server estates. <a href="https://www.interactdc.com/" target="_blank" title="Interact energy efficiency tool">Interact</a>, Techbuyer’s sister company, offer an efficiency management software that provides a non-intrusive measurement of how well a fully configured server is performing. This in turn offers recommendations to help businesses improve server efficiency and reduce their energy consumption.Interact was developed from Techbuyer and the University of East London’s Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Project [KTP], which combined leading edge machine learning with thousands of hours of hardware benchmarking and decades of experience and in-house knowledge.Becoming a Sustainable BusinessTechbuyer is a global provider of sustainable IT solutions. It won Sustainable Organisation of the Year at the UK IT Industry Awards in 2021 and Circular Economy Organisation of the Year at the IEMA awards 2020. In Episode Two of our podcast series, created in collaboration with the Leaders Council, our Sustainability Lead and Chartered Environmentalist, Astrid Wynne, talks about what it is to be a sustainable business.   Listen to the full podcast below. Click<a href="https://landing.techbuyer.com/techbuyer-knowledge-hub" target="_blank"> here</a> to learn more about our new podcast series. 









































































































<div class="medium-insert-embeds">
	<figure>
		<div class="medium-insert-embed">
			<div class="video video-youtube"><iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GJBhdqbmYN4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
		</div>
	</figure>
	
</div> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jplenio?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Johannes Plenio</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/chip-board?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> </div>

The ongoing global supply issue in computer chips is posing significant challenges and shortages are expected to continue well into 2022.

Facing supply chain delays? Techbuyer on why today’s businesses are choosing refurbished IT

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/068401227fb78413ad2105afd75248ad.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin"><a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/19466154/energy-giants-tougher-windfall-tax/">According to The Sun</a>, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are to meet with energy firms to discuss how the burden of rising prices on households can be alleviated.With many households believed to be in energy debt already, there are fears that more could plunge into fuel poverty when the energy price cap increases in October and inevitably again in January.<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62483770">Data published by price comparison site USwitch</a> suggests that nearly a quarter of households owe £206 to energy companies on average, with the total debt owed by members of the public treble that of September 2021.By January, it has been predicted that the average annual energy bill could exceed £4,200.Ministers have come under fire for not doing more to help households with the rising cost-of-living beyond the package of measures announced in May, but outgoing prime minister Boris Johnson has suggested that further action will be up to his successor and <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/cost-of-living-crisis-more-help-for-households-up-to-next-pm-says-downing-street">will have to wait until after September 5 when they are appointed.</a>Meanwhile, Parliament is currently in recess and there are no plans to recall MPs prior to their scheduled return, which is also on September 5.The meeting between ministers and energy bosses also comes amid concerns around the state of the windfall tax announced in May, which is partially funding the <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/chancellor-announces-windfall-tax-on-energy-firms-to-help-households">£15 billion package of support which has already been unveiled for households.</a>The Treasury estimates that the windfall tax, known as the energy profits levy, could raise around £5 billion. However, it <a href="https://leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/bp-s-trebles-quarterly-profits-amid-rising-prices">only came into effect on May 26 and so the excessive quarterly profits already declared this year by energy firms will not be subject to it.</a>The Liberal Democrats have said that the <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/sunak-i-will-go-further-to-help-households-with-cost-of-living">tax should be raised from 25 per cent on UK energy profits to 30 per cent and backdated to October 2021.</a>Elsewhere, former chancellor Rishi Sunak and incumbent foreign secretary Liz Truss are jostling to succeed Johnson as PM in the Tory leadership contest run-off.<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62486509">Truss has talked down</a> what she called the “bizarre” idea of <a href="https://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/articles/boris-johnson-should-act-now-to-ensure-his-successor-can-manage-cost-of-living-crisis/">coming together with Johnson and her leadership rival and discussing policies to help households now</a>, labelling such a move “Gordon Brown economics”.Sunak, however, has suggested that he would be willing to engage in such a meeting to set out policy ahead of the autumn and support households more promptly.The candidates’ respective approaches for dealing with the cost-of-living crisis are diverging ones in themselves. The Truss camp continues to advocate for tax cuts including scrapping green levies on energy bills and reversing the National Insurance increase to put more money in people’s pockets, rather than “handouts”.However, Sunak has warned that the electorate would not look fondly on the Conservative party if further targeted support is not provided and inaction would cost them the next general election.Sunak’s campaign is yet to set out the further help it would provide households on top of existing support, with the former chancellor saying <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/sunak-i-will-go-further-to-help-households-with-cost-of-living">he would wait to assess how far energy bills were set to rise before acting.</a> Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@matthewhenry?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Matthew Henry</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/energy-bill?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> </div>

According to The Sun, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are to meet with energy firms to discuss how the burden of rising prices on households can be alleviated.

Chancellor and business secretary to meet energy giants this week, reports say

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/780756abca8f3b4248c3bf194487aaf1.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-62471260">Dame Sharon White,</a> the chair of the John Lewis Partnership, has said that ministers must think “really hard” about getting over-50s back into work after swathes of older people left work during the Covid-19 pandemic, a phenomenon which she says has fuelled current inflationary pressures. Dame Sharon argued that the exodus of older workers across UK industry has “inevitably” driven up wages, which in turn exacerbates inflation.<a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/movementsoutofworkforthoseagedover50yearssincethestartofthecoronaviruspandemic/2022-03-14#:~:text=Economic%20inactivity%20in%20those%20aged,(Apr%20to%20June)%202020.">Figures from the Office for National Statistics show</a> that there has been an increase in the “economically inactive” number of 50-to-70-year-olds following the Covid outbreak, with retirement quoted as the most common reason for adults of this age group not being in work.Meanwhile, there are record numbers of job vacancies and low unemployment, and firms have been forced offer higher wages and bonuses to attract new staff and retain talent.&nbsp;These incentives in tandem with global forces have <a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/interest-rates-raised-to-1-75-per-cent-bank-forecasts-q4-recession">pushed inflation up, while the Bank of England has forecast a fourth quarter recession for the UK economy.</a>It is an economic prognosis that Dame Sharon said she had “never seen anything quite like” throughout her time in business, given the “combination of very difficult factors” creating a perfect storm.But somewhat removed from the current political focus on targeted help for rising energy bills, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0crxkyx?partner=uk.co.bbc&amp;origin=share-mobile">she lamented the lack of attention on the labour market in addressing the problem.</a>She said: “Regardless of what has happened coming out of Covid, if the labour market is that tight, if we continue to have far fewer people in work, looking for work - you've inevitably got more inflation and more wage inflation.“I guess I would encourage...any government to really think much more about how to we encourage more people back into work. There's not a business in the UK that's not finding it very difficult to recruit at the moment because there are so many more jobs and so far fewer people looking for work. It's a big issue.“I think the big worry that everybody has is inflation combined with low growth, low productivity. So I think the big focus for all of us is how do we avoid stagflation?&nbsp;How do we avoid the UK becoming Japan with very low, very persistently low rates of productivity and very low persistent rates of growth? To come out of that you have got to get businesses investing.“A million people out of the labour market has got profound, long-term, systemic implications and I would like there to be more of a debate, more of an open debate and certainly more of a debate between business and government.”<a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/the-leaders-council-publicises-special-report-on-post-16-skills-and-education">Highlighting current skills shortages,</a> Dame Sharon suggested that ministers could consider introducing new flexible retirement schemes and create a set of accessible skills courses to help older people upskill for different roles, which will fill vacancies in more skilled sectors.Speaking also about the trading situation for John Lewis during the ongoing crisis, Dame Sharon admitted that the current environment had proven difficult to navigate.The business has been helping its workers through a £800,000 financial assistance fund, enabling staff to apply for grants and loans if they are struggling to pay bills, as well as increasing salaries and handing out staff bonuses.Company salaries have gone up by two per cent and the staff bonus paid out this year amounts to three per cent of the recipient's annual salary.Despite this, the company's salaries are not keeping pace with the current 9.4 per cent rate of inflation, which the Bank of England projects will exceed 13 per cent before the end of 2022.Dame Sharon said that the retailer had to “ensure our partners are able to cope with the cost of living, whilst also thinking about the affordability of pay for the business” when explaining why pay had not been adjusted in line with inflation.She added: “I think the same dilemmas that the partnership faces are the same dilemmas that the whole of the economy faces.” Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@exileartisan?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Daniel Adesina</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/john-lewis?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> </div>

Dame Sharon White, the chair of the John Lewis Partnership, has said that ministers must think “really hard” about getting over-50s back into work after swathes of older people left work during the Covid-19 pandemic, a phenomenon which she says has fuelled current inflationary pressures.

John Lewis chair urges government to get over-50s back into work to help tackle inflation

<div class="editor-cover-image" data-dimensions="780:300" data-pmr-editor-image="" style="background-image: url(&quot;https://leaders-council-web.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/store/11b91b6869676b21ebf6d1cb195e6061.jpg&quot;);"></div>

 <div data-pmr-editable="" class="medium-editor-insert-plugin"><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62471778">Former chancellor and Conservative leadership hopeful, Rishi Sunak,</a> has said that he will provide more financial support for households to help with rising energy costs if he succeeds Boris Johnson as prime minister.The energy price cap is set to be increased by regulator Ofgem on August 26 and Sunak has said that he will seek to provide additional support for households, funded by government “efficiency savings across Whitehall” rather than “one-off borrowing”.Sunak said that the strength of support provided would be determined by how far energy bills rise.“As soon as we know how much bills will go up by, I will act,” he said.Sunak added that he would “go further” than current government plans – announced during his stint as chancellor – by temporarily scrapping VAT and bringing in a one-off £650 payment to eight million households on low incomes.However, Sunak has been accused of making “another big U-turn” by supporters of his leadership rival, Liz Truss.The BBC quotes a source from within the Truss campaign as saying: “Three weeks ago, he (Sunak) was saying more borrowing was irresponsible and inflationary - has he changed his mind? How can Rishi's borrowing not be inflationary, but Liz's tax cuts are?“Intellectually it's as watertight as a sieve.”Both leadership candidates have jostled over their diverging plans to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, with Truss setting out a £30 billion strategy of lowering taxes to help households, encourage spending and stimulate the economy.However, Sunak has dismissed Truss' suggestions, maintaining that they will increase the national debt and exacerbate inflation, with further borrowing having to fund the tax cuts.<a href="https://www.leaderscouncil.co.uk/news/cost-of-living-crisis-more-help-for-households-up-to-next-pm-says-downing-street">Downing Street has announced</a> that any decisions over further measures to help households with rising costs will be left to the new prime minister. The winner of the ongoing Tory leadership contest will not be announced until September 5.The government has already been announced support in the form of a £650 payment for the eight million lowest-income households, an additional £300 for pensioners, and a payment of £400 for all households to help with bills. The package is funded by a 25 per cent windfall tax imposed on the UK profits of energy companies.However, ministers are facing calls to do more and business groups and opposition parties have warned that additional support cannot wait, with the Confederation of British Industry’s Tony Danker urging Johnson and the two leadership contenders to come together and “agree on the principles” for another package of support now.<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-62467754">Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on Boris Johnson</a> to hold an emergency meeting with the leaders of the devolved administrations to discuss support, while the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-62466386">Liberal Democrats are pushing for the planned rising of the energy price cap in October to be stopped.</a>Sir Ed Davey’s party has suggested that extending the windfall tax on the profits of energy companies could be used as a means of paying for the resulting shortfall that suppliers will face.The continued raising of the energy price cap every three months is expected to see the maximum yearly energy bill in England, Scotland and Wales increase to £3,615 with the average annual bill having stood at £1,400 in October 2021. The cap currently stands at £1,971.If October’s price cap rise does not go ahead, energy suppliers will face a shortfall of some £36 billion while the Lib Dems say the average household will save £1,400 per year. However, the Lib Dems say that higher VAT revenue from broader inflation and backdating the windfall tax to October 2021 means that government could plug the shortfall to ensure household bills stay lower while suppliers are able to afford higher wholesale prices. The windfall tax as it stands is a 12-month temporary measure set to raise £5 billion, but the Lib Dems believe it could raise as much as £20 billion with the backdating and by increasing the tax to 30 per cent.Sir Ed Davey said: "This is an emergency, and the government must step in now.“Energy bills have already gone up by £700 this year, and Conservative ministers have barely lifted a finger to help.“We simply cannot afford more inaction in the face of another even bigger rise in October.” <a href="https://api20170418155059.azure-api.net/photo/IoyxMWET.jpeg?crop=MCU_3:2&amp;amp;quality=80&amp;amp;download=trueGallery">Photo </a>by <a href="https://beta.parliament.uk/media/IoyxMWET">Chris McAndrew</a>&nbsp;on <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61331418">Wikimedia Commons</a> </div>

Former chancellor and Conservative leadership hopeful, Rishi Sunak, has said that he will provide more financial support for households to help with rising energy costs if he succeeds Boris Johnson as prime minister.

Sunak: I will “go further” to help households with cost-of-living

This interactive session will show you where you need to focus your energies, where you may be stuck and what 'healthy' looks like.This interactive session will show you where you need to focus your energies, and where you may be stuck, what 'healthy' looks like and how to reduce procrastination and overwhelm. This workshop will also give you the sign language to communicate more effectively with your team, stakeholders and family so that you can grow in your relational intelligence and increase your influence that offers a competitive advantage in our task-driven world.- Learn the five different gears, or mindsets, that carry you through various facets of your day.- Explore why some people stay disconnected from the people and events around them, and why others always seem to have a deep connection to their friends, family, and surroundings- Learn how to set triggers and markers that help you shift into the right gears at the right time, which will increase your relational dynamics and make you more productive- Create positive change in the dynamics of your relationships- Improve your respect and influence—and learn a sign language that, when used, can change your perspective and your world.---The interactive workshop will be led by Kate Davis, Leadership Consultant and NED at Kate Davis &amp; Associates. Kate is an ICF and GiANT Accredited Leadership Coach, Consultant and specialist in communications and behavioural change.

Leadership Training - Improve Productivity Without Increasing Stress

Meet fellow members of The Leaders Council of GBNI, share best practice and enjoy a bit of time amongst your fellow business leaders.The purpose of the event is to help you to build connections and develop working relationships with fellow Leaders Council members, all of whom are running a business or organisation.Register for the session by going to: https://bit.ly/3ojfxN8

The Leaders Council - Networking morning

Paul Morrow is the Master of The Worshipful Company of Bakers, a livery company which can trace its origins back to 1155 and is the City of London's second oldest recorded guild.

In Conversation: Paul Morrow

Nigel Matthews is the CEO at GamesQuest, a company which stocks 30,000 of the world’s favourite board games, toys and role-playing books. Matthews has been at the helm of GamesQuest since 2014.

In Conversation: Nigel Matthews

Wade Newmark is director of The Dales Nursing Home, a Devon based nursing home, catering to the needs of those over 65.

In Conversation: Wade Newmark

Jayne Davies is the company secretary at Lower Swell Chemicals, a manufacturer based in Bourton on the Water which serves the hospitality and automotive sector.Jayne has held her role within Lower Swell Chemicals since 1979. She has helped lead the business through its activities over many years, with much of its work involving the manufacture of detergents and soap products for the sectors that it serves.

The Leaders Council of Great Britain & Northern Ireland

Latest news

Facing supply chain delays? Techbuyer on why today’s businesses are choosing refurbished IT

Recent articles

Chancellor and business secretary to meet energy giants this week, reports say

John Lewis chair urges government to get over-50s back into work to help tackle inflation

Sunak: I will “go further” to help households with cost-of-living

Upcoming Events

Leadership Training - Improve Productivity Without Increasing Stress

The Leaders Council - Networking morning

Latest Podcasts

What is the Leaders Council?

Key benefits of joining the Leaders Council

Networking

SEO

Profile

Podcasts

Become a member