Kevin Meyers, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Blackline Safety, had a big ask cross his desk: a large hardware and services renewal, valued at over $3 million, with a major energy, utility, transportation, and infrastructure provider in Canada. The purchase order called for almost 900 G7-connected wearable gas detectors, each with a multi-gas cartridge, to be shipped within the month.
In an economic and manufacturing environment beset by a shortage of critical parts (talk to anyone who’s trying to buy a car right now), Meyers, however, was unfazed. He knew the order would be filled on time.
importance of supplier diversity
The global pandemic and subsequent supply chain challenges over the past two years
“The global pandemic and subsequent supply chain challenges over the past two years, helped us acknowledge the importance of supplier diversity in securing multiple sources for materials where possible,” said Kevin Meyers.
He adds, "Increasing our roster of vendors, paired with proactive planning, meant we’ve largely been able to avoid the manufacturing woes that have affected many of our peers.”
Technology and solutions
While supplier diversity introduced agility, creativity, and innovation into the technology and solutions Blackline Safety delivers to its global customer base, other levers have also made the company successful in the competition for components. Among them:
- Manufacturing all Blackline Safety products, including printed circuit boards, in Calgary, Canada headquarters, giving tighter control over the manufacturing process.
- Relying upon the consignment programs of large electronics suppliers.
- Extending purchase orders for long lead time items to secure supply.
- Utilizing the broker market when needed (paid a premium but secured components).
- Communicating constantly and consistently directly with suppliers.
- Evolving internal processes to become more agile and continuously improve, including benchmarking and adopting the best practices of others.
- Increasing internal inventory when needed.
Recent renewals and expansions
Kevin Meyers adds: “The quality and effort of our operations teams, specifically procurement, in securing critical items happens daily. Our track record of delivering product on time despite tight timelines increases trust and confidence as seen in our recent renewals and expansions.”
The result? Happy (and relieved) customers—and distributors—of pioneering-edge and award-winning connected technology. When over 150,000 workers across 70 countries at more than 1,000 companies depend on them for their safety, failure to deliver is not an option.
