The resurgence of COVID-19 in the United States has renewed the scramble for personal protection equipment (PPE) among healthcare providers and industry. Supply chain issues and distrust of domestic and Chinese players purporting to manufacture and distribute respirators, masks and other equipment have exacerbated global supply chain demands. And Unfortunately, it also has set the stage for fraudsters to take advantage of companies desperate to secure sources for MRO PPE procurement.
Fraudulent PPE Schemes are a Very Real Risk
Falling victim to an MRO PPE procurement scam not only can potentially cost your company thousands of dollars, it also may force you to limit production or shut down completely due to the inability to keep workers safe. That would make it impossible to recoup the losses incurred by the fraud. The FBI outlines the types of scams villains are using to target unwary manufacturing, construction, and other industrial customers. They include taking payment for equipment they have no intention of delivering. Bad actors perpetrate phishing schemes, building fake websites or email addresses that mimic legitimate suppliers. They use these false credentials to solicit orders and payments for PPE they don’t own.
Defending themselves from these fraudulent exploits, companies should not only perform their due diligence when vetting new contractors, they also need to ensure the vendors they deal with are who they purport to be. This may include requiring them to complete complex questionnaires, conducting background checks, and checking third-party references.
Setting Realistic Expectations for In-House PPE Procurement
Of course, this rigor may prove too difficult and beyond a firm’s internal capabilities, especially in an active resurgence when time is of the essence. They may be better served by trusting their MRO PPE procurement to supply chain professionals. SDI has built a trusted stable of MRO PPE procurement partners. By partnering with SDI, you can put our dedicated industrial PPE procurement service to work for you:
- Buying power – SDI performs MRO PPE procurement for hundreds of clients. This makes us a preferred customer among our network of limitless suppliers. The volume we create empowers us to negotiate the best prices and contract terms, including guaranteed supply. Additionally, this helps diversify the spend, rather than putting all of your trust into a single source of supply, which ultimately helps mitigate your risk.
- Continual Innovation – SDI has boots on the ground in key manufacturing facilities throughout North America. We are constantly developing trusted sources for PPE and looking for new ways to solve problems. We ensure our clients can receive PPE provisions from redundant vendors, in the quantities they need, when they need them.
- Troubleshooting – Because we have representatives in place and end-to-end supply chain visibility, SDI can anticipate manufacturing and shipping difficulties and other contingencies that could sidetrack MRO PPE procurement. Our personnel solve problems, investigate suppliers, validate their manufacturing capacity, demand, and lead time to assess their reliability and quality.
The Advantage of Using SDI for MRO PPE Procurement
With SDI working for you, there’s no need to chase dubious offers to complete your MRO PPE procurement. We manage the critical supplies you need to keep your workers safe and your doors open. With SDI’s end-to-end management of the MRO PPE procurement process, you can rest assured you’re your inventory management, receiving, issuing, and replenishment tasks will be safely completed. We can equip your team with a self-service kit so you can take a hands-on approach to controlling these essential items. Or, SDI can assign a team of experience professionals to implement our best practices and mobilize our standalone PPE solution based on our proprietary ZEUS platform.
Protect your employees and your business from fraud, MRO PPE procurement disruption, inferior equipment and price gouging. Contact SDI or take the PPE risk assessment today to take advantage of our trusted supplier network and quality-assurance personnel.
