In an economic downturn it is common for businesses both great and small to find ways to cut back on overhead while sustaining profitability.  Unfortunately, as far as the world of manufacturing goes, the first step towards self-preservation is usually to decrease inventory levels to a number that is just enough to cover the bare minimum level of buyer demand rather than have excess stock on the shelves "just in case" . While this may seem prudent from a business standpoint, it is actually quite alarming to those who fall under the manufacturer's umbrella due to the impending trickle down effect...longer lead times = unhappy customers. Once a product is manufactured, there are several different sales channels used by manufacturers in order to deliver said product to market.  The most common sales channels used by manufacturers include distribution, sales through resellers and selling product directly to the end-user through an in-house sales staff and/or website.  No matter what channels are being used, everyone is considered someone else's customer and if they can't get products to their own customers in a timely manner then everyone suffers...hence the trickle down effect. Right now industry lead times for a few of the major industrial camera manufacturers are running anywhere from one to ten weeks depending on the product.  To combat this dilemma, distributors, resellers and end users alike are doing their best to keep product stocked to meet the demands of their customers but even a majority of those companies are being more cautious during these uncertain times. Unfortunately, since there appears to be no immediate end in sight, manufacturers are recommending to their customers, who in turn are recommending to their customers to submit a 6-12 month forecast of product needs to their suppliers to ensure the cameras are available when an immediate need arises.