Page 81 - Security Today, April 2022

“We’ve realized that many K–12 school districts and higher ed institutions have outdated models for supply chain management and procurement, and they lack the technological platforms and processes that other industries have put into place.”
stock, and overall pricing trends. Procurement teams need to use data and digital tools not only to understand their key suppliers in each cat- egory, but also to identify the backup and tertiary supply sources and where they’re sourcing their materials from. Having these digital tools enables organizations to take what used to be tribal knowledge, unlock the power of data, and democratize it across the organization for a more connected supply chain. Review historical purchases. Identify frequent- ly used items, essential cleaning supplies, machine spares, and critical items like air filters, sanitizers and PPE. Identify who your suppliers are for each of these items. And then go one step further to identify the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and the part or item number.
Manage an inventory. Relying on just-in-time inventory is risky, but stockpiling unneeded supplies is equally dangerous. The data analysis will help you identify backups and approve functional equiv- alents for purchasing in the future. It also helps you establish safety stock on premise or at a central location for the district.
Forge stronger relationships with your primary suppliers and other partners. Contract with backup suppliers—secondary and tertiary— to make dynamic marketplaces a part of your supplier community. Building a stronger ecosystem helps mitigate the risk of not being able to get supplies that are critical.
Evaluate and invest in purpose-built technology (or a partner that can provide this) to manage the supply chain strategically. While eCommerce has made considerable strides, up until the pandemic, technology in the procurement space was largely antiquated and not easily integrated into existing enterprise resource platforms. Organiza- tions are now working across the digital supply chain ecosystem and easily integrating systems through APIs to take advantage of technolo-
gies that are already commonplace in financial analysis, customer man- agement, and human resources. Digital supply chain integration strate- gies harness the power of innovations such as Big Data, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality to streamline operations and lower acquisition costs.
• APIs – to seamlessly connect supply chain tech with other systems • Sourcing & Procurement
• Ecommerce & Mobile Solutions for Technicians on-site at the
schools
• Inventory management, storage and control (how inventory is dis-
tributed and tracked)
• Data management and analytics
The Next Normal
COVID-19 has forced leaders in every industry to rethink the way they approach the daily routine. Education is no different. District leaders and administrators must be honest about the challenges they are facing and willing to look outside their industry and geographical location for solutions. Being collaborative, sharing best practices, and researching new ways to approach the issues presented by the pan- demic should be a top priority.
The pandemic is affecting all of us in different ways, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will meet the needs of every district. Administrators, teachers, and other staff members should collaborate with one another to identify strategies that make sense for their school communities.
Added flexibility and the ability to pivot quickly are necessary for overcoming challenges related to the pandemic. Defining a supply chain strategy that considers the current environment is more critical than ever before. Having a trusted partner to lean on makes all the difference in a crisis. At SDI, we’ve built our foundation on being able to provide expertise to our partners, helping them streamline pro- cesses and maximize efficiency.
Ron Fijalkowski is the Senior Vice President of Digital Supply Chain Solutions at SDI, a digital supply chain management firm with over 50 years of helping multi-site facilities—like American Airlines, New York City Department of Education, and University of Chicago—manage their maintenance, repair and operations supplies.
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