Challenges
Skyrocketing global demand for COVID-19 mitigation products quickly obliterated available supply. A major manufacturer found itself competing against government, healthcare, residential, and commercial entities for personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation supplies. The mission was personal — the health of its employees was threatened by COVID-19, and an inability to secure state-ordered face masks and hand sanitizers put its operational continuity in jeopardy.
The popular Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) producer, with plants across the U.S. and one in Canada, rapidly discovered its normal supply channels were unable to deliver all the essential products in the short time frame required. The volume was the biggest challenge: 2,000 gallons of hand sanitizer and 50,000 KN95 masks were urgently needed to protect its employees across nearly two dozen plants, in addition to 300 service technicians in the field — some working on the front line in hospital settings.
Time was of the essence. In early March, before the U.S. locked down, the company began looking outside its usual distribution channels for assistance sourcing critical PPE and sanitation supplies.
Solution
The CPG manufacturer’s MRO and facilities sourcing team promptly learned that help was close at hand. Advanced Technology Services (ATS), a new partner providing repairable parts management at two of the company’s plants, asked what else it could do to help get them through this challenging time.
Immediately upon learning of the struggle to acquire protective supplies, ATS offered its support. ATS has an extensive supply chain and distribution sector within their company that complements its industrial maintenance and MRO asset management services.
The manufacturer understood that in times like these, it is who you know that matters. It issued a large blanket purchase order to ATS right away, enough to cover 2,000 gallons of hand sanitizer. A separate purchase order was issued for the 50,000 KN95 face masks. ATS scoured its extensive supply network and partnerships to locate the urgently needed products. Ultimately, more than 3,000 gallons of the sanitizer were ordered, which were delivered in multiple shipments within a five to six-week timeframe. The first batch of face masks was unexpectedly intercepted by the U.S. Government and redirected to hospitals and other priorities. A second order was placed, and all 50,000 masks arrived at the manufacturer within three to four weeks.
Results
Thanks to successful sourcing by ATS, all the necessary KN95 masks and sanitizers were received by April, allowing the CPG producer to keep its doors open and its personnel protected and employed.
“ATS definitely got us through the initial phases when it was really critical to keep production running. They were the most accommodating, the most agile at tracking these supplies down, and by far the quickest and most creative. We could sleep soundly at night knowing that ATS was managing the sourcing and delivery process.”– aSSOCIATE SOURCING MANAGER
The ATS Account Executive also noted that being a reliable resource for our customers helps to cultivate strong partnerships that can be extended to support additional sites and services. “We are not just a procurement company, or just a repairable parts company, or just a maintenance company. We are a well-rounded industrial services company with a vast amount of capabilities our customers find great value in,” he said.
