Frazer, how has supply chain evolved in your experience?
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is constantly evolving to meet the demands of the energy industry as it transforms to support consumer demand while adapting to market changes. Over the course of my career, SCM has earned a seat at the table when it comes to making strategic decisions for the business. It’s much more complex than the old school of thought where buyers simply issued a purchase order. SCM now encompasses market intelligence, warehouse management, logistics, category management, performance metrics, supplier relationship management, and inventory management. It’s about being proactive versus reactive and adding more value upfront to the organization which ultimately impacts the customer.
How does SCM impact the overall Startec experience?
Our SCM team is fully engaged in all aspects of our business to ensure that our end products are of the highest quality and are competitively priced. We spend time understanding market conditions, initiating strategic vendor discussions, leveraging volume buys, managing delivery schedules and negotiating commercial terms that not only support Startec, but also our vendor partners so that the market remains vibrant and competitive.
Our client can feel confident the vendors that support Startec are fully engaged with our team and have met all our rigorous qualifications. All materials are inspected as per our quality control procedures and stored and handled safely in our facility.
How has the introduction of COVID-19 impacted the work of SCM?
The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of how critical it is for a SCM team to be aware of the global market conditions, to mitigate or minimize risk to the business. By identifying material shortages, looking for alternative supply and suppliers (particularly domestically), and even collaborating with vendor partners and competitors, we are able to proactively resolve challenges as demand fluctuates.
SCM is up against a lot with critical businesses closing operations, geographical relocations to consolidate their facilities, cross border delays, parts simply no longer available, lack of supplier competition, and price increases – all of which can impact the business.
Thankfully, our team is made up of individuals who have experience with all the potential problems supply chain may face and do so with ease as we continue to provide the best product and service to our clients.