COVID-19 has disrupted just about every aspect of education, including the supplies schools need to operate safely and effectively. Because of the pandemic, sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a priority for education leaders, including those at New York City’s Department of Education (NYCDOE).
Here’s how SDI is helping NYCDOE obtain PPE for schools.
Rapid, tactical response.
When the pandemic first began impacting school districts in spring 2020, NYC recognized the demand for PPE was quickly exceeding the supply. To ensure SDI could get PPE and other materials to school sites efficiently, we suggested NYCDOE adapt their supply chain from small shipment distribution to large direct shipments directly from manufacturers.
This key change was instrumental in getting large truckloads of supplies to each school rapidly, saving precious time in a volatile market.
A team effort.
By collaborating alongside NYCDOE, SDI was able to find reliable PPE sources, vet suppliers, evaluate their pricing and quickly get them onboarded. In “normal” times, procurement and supplier onboarding can take up to a week. But, since time is of the essence, we’ve been able to lock in pricing and inventory to ensure each school site has what they need, and when they need it.
Supplying the demand of PPE for schools.
In a typical year, NYCDOE averages about 35 cases of sanitizing wipes. In 2020, they purchased over 3,000 cases in the first five months alone.
Between March 1 and May 1, SDI procured the following for NYC DOE:
As the pandemic has progressed, SDI has continued to meet the needs of NYCDOE by ensuring a constant supply of materials, and identifying new opportunities.
New opportunities in supplying PPE for schools.
Most recently, SDI and NYCDOE expanded upon our partnership to extend clearing, maintenance and PPE materials to non-public schools – a crucial move to ensure every site can access the same materials and pricing.
Through this expanded partnership, district and school leaders can leverage a digital catalog to order materials as needed from a growing list of options.
“This expansion is about protecting people, and creating a sustainable solution that serves the needs of all students, faculty and staff,” said Kelly Kleinfelder, Chief Information Officer & SVP, Information Technology at SDI. “SDI is eager to extend the supply chain we’ve built over 20 years with NYCDOE, ensuring every institution is able to access the materials they need, when they need them.”
Regardless of your district’s size or needs, SDI is here to support you. Learn more about how SDI coordinates PPE for schools.
