Global Uncertainty. Local Workplaces.

Geopolitical events rarely feel connected to day-to-day workplace design. But when global tensions escalate, the ripple effects quickly extend. Pressure on energy markets, shipping routes and manufacturing supply chains can expose just how fragile the systems we rely on really are. 

For many businesses, this would prompt a complete rethink of their business model, but for me and the Ergo Monkey team, it has simply brought us back to our first principles.  

When Karen and I started our business in 1996, we didn’t have a grand strategy around “supply chain resilience" - in fact, I don’t really remember that being a phrase people used back then. What we did have though was a clear instinct about how we wanted to operate.   

We chose to work with a relatively small number of manufacturing partners; predominantly based in the UK, Europe and the United States. We didn’t do this because it was the cheapest or quickest route to market, but because it felt like the right way to build something that would stand the test of time.  

We know where and how products are made. We understand how they get to us, and we can have honest conversations when something isn’t quite right.  

Over the years, that approach has been validated through the strength of the relationships we’ve built. Those values are what make the difference when times are difficult.  

More recently, it feels like the wider world is moving in a similar direction. Supply chains are shortening, with more regional arrangements becoming the norm. Clients are asking more questions about provenance – where things come from and how they’re made. There’s a growing appreciation that reliability, clarity and honesty matter just as much as price. To me, that feels like a healthy shift.  

For our clients – whether in facilities management, manufacturing, distribution or construction – our focus hasn’t really changed. We continue to provide well-made, thoughtfully designed and carefully curated products backed by a service that is reliable and straightforward to deal with.  

At the same time, we’re mindful that we’re not immune to global pressures. Events such as the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19, or periods of heightened geopolitical tensions can still affect lead times, costs and material availability. 

What we’re seeing right now isn’t a breakdown of supply, but a kind of creeping friction. Lead times are stretching, costs are fluctuating and materials we once took for granted are becoming less predictable. Individually, these shifts aren’t catastrophic – but together they create a more challenging environment.   

What we can do, however, is build a business that’s better able to absorb those shocks. Looking back, that’s what we’ve tried to do from the outset – even if we didn’t describe it that way at the time.  

We’ve kept things simple. We’ve worked with people we trust. And we’ve avoided overcomplicating the supply chain just to save a small amount in the short term.  For over nearly 30 years that approach has meant fewer surprises. And when challenges do arise, we’ve been able to respond in a calm, structured and predictable way.  

If there’s one thing the current situation reinforces, it’s this: the world has always been uncertain – we're just more aware of its vulnerabilities now.  

And perhaps that’s why so many of our client relationships have endured for decades – and why we believe they’ll continue to do so.