3 PPE Procurement Challenges School Systems Face, Potential Solutions
Strengthening the supply chain to procure PPE and other essential materials
A surge can defeat even the
most thoughtful inventory
plan. When the COVID-19
pandemic hit, many school
district leaders suddenly
realized that they didn’t have adequate access
to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) suppliers,
forcing them to attempt to locate
essential materials and build inventory during
a huge surge in demand.
PPE and other resources have remained in
demand throughout the pandemic. They are
also a core aspect of school reopening plans,
and are foundational to CDC reopening
guidelines, which suggest that all school
reopening plans address adherence to behaviors
that prevent the spread of COVID-19.
When used consistently and correctly, for
example, cloth face coverings are among
important mitigation strategies to help slow
the spread of COVID-19.
With so many districts in need, how do we
avoid the chaos that many encountered during
the spring semester?
By considering the challenges that
COVID-19 revealed and using them as a
learning experience, we can prevent future
shocks and improve supply chain management
as a whole for school systems.
Unreliable Access
to Essential Supplies
Because of COVID-19, traditional sources
for schools, such as highly localized suppliers,
were unable to deliver the essential
materials that institutions needed to remain
operational. As we’ve seen, global and
regional surges in demand can massively
cripple the supply network.
The pandemic also gave rise to opportunists
looking to make a quick profit by promising
PPE supplies they could never actually
deliver. Many fell victim to these opportunists,
who sought to make a profit through
price gouging, unrealistic delivery promises
and even blatant fraud.
According to the Washington Post, “the
international market for desperately needed
medical masks is riddled with fraud. Up and
down the supply chain, from factories to
hospitals, opportunists are benefiting from
the chaotic market as prices have quintupled.
Rampant price gouging and fraud has provoked
dozens of lawsuits and hundreds of cease-and-desist orders, from major mask manufacturers as well as
state attorneys general.”
This article originally appeared in the November December 2020 issue of Campus Security & Life Safety.
