Evaluating Your FRC Supplier During the COVID-19 Crisis – Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most disruptive events in the past 100 years. A global quarantine has brought drastic changes to the way we live, shop, and interact with our world. Apart from those tragically impacted by the virus, retailers have been hit especially hard. Traditional purchasing methods are no longer available or have been significantly modified to accommodate a contact-free and socially distant experience, with increased awareness on personal safety.
Introducing our new blog series, Your FRC Supplier During the COVID-19 Crisis. We cover four main factors critical to evaluate your current FRC supplier during these trying times. Before COVID-19, you may have taken these factors for granted with little impact to your service. Now, as we navigate towards a post-COVID world, these topics should be front and center when assessing your supplier.
Let’s join Scott Margolin, Tyndale’s VP of Technical as he details why these factors are so important in our “new” world.
The four factors you should consider to effectively evaluate your FRC supplier are:
Ep. 1: FRC Suppliers During the COVID-19 Crisis – Safety
Not all providers prioritize “safe” COVID-19 prevention. Learn how to evaluate your supplier in terms of safety.
Ep. 2: FRC Suppliers During the COVID-19 Crisis – Is Your Supplier Financially Stable?
Scott sheds light on questions to ask your supplier to ensure they have the financial footing necessary to maintain both service levels and delivery of life-saving products.
Ep. 3: FRC Suppliers During the COVID-19 Crisis - Supply Chain
If one business in a supply chain fails, the entire supply chain can be affected, and products can be severely delayed – or never come at all. Here’s what you should know about your provider’s supply network.
Ep. 4: FRC Suppliers During the COVID-19 Crisis – Quality of Service
Are you noticing a decline in service that’s hindering the results you expected when you signed your contract? Ask your supplier these five key questions.
Below are some questions to start asking yourself about your FR clothing supplier. Follow our blog series as we expand on these four topics in greater depth.
Is your FRC provider shipping “safe” garments?
- Do the garments you receive from your supplier have the potential to have infectious particles on them? What is your FRC supplier doing to keep you safe from COVID-19 contamination?
- Is your supplier disinfecting their own facilities to keep their workers safe? If yes, are the disinfectants being used detrimental to your FRC in any way?
Does your FRC supplier have a functioning and reliable supply chain?
- Is imported inventory causing delays in properly servicing your account?
- Does your supplier use “just in time” inventory, and if so, what implications does that have for getting you what you need when you need it during the global supply crunch due to the pandemic?
What is the financial stability of your FRC supplier?
- In a sagging economy, is your supplier financially stable to continue operations? For example, the oil and gas markets have been hit hard with some suppliers finding themselves down 30-50%. Do they have the necessary cash flow to continue operating? If not, what does that mean for your business?
Are you still receiving the same level of service from your FRC supplier?
- With a down economy and issues related to staffing, is your FRC provider still providing the same expected quality of service?
- Has your FRC provider needed to lay-off or furlough any workers because of COVID-19? If yes, has that impacted the service you receive? Are your operations still running the way you’d like and expect?
This series was created to help you evaluate your FRC supplier to avoid service interruptions, reduce any declines in service, and keep your workers safe from COVID-19 related illness. Get started with a closer look at how to evaluate your supplier in terms of safety.
