76 March 2021
NTT GLOBAL SOURCING INC.
Returning from Sunnyvale to Texas on a
flight last February, he awoke the next day
to find companies shutting down, airports
beginning to empty out, and individuals and
businesses standing still, not quite sure how
to react.
“Now imagine, I'm running a construction
project in Sunnyvale, I'm sitting in Texas,
and we are in the heart of COVID. But
we still have a timeline to meet, and we
are pressured, and there's a cost impact
associated with shutting down, then
reopening, and other delays.”
Here, indirect sourcing came into its own.
“We played a big role, as you can imagine.
In terms of procurement, we needed safety
gear, PPE, masks, hand sanitiser – all of
these things that were in short supply. On the
other hand, we also had to help our clients“ I truly believe there's
a larger picture that
a lot of procurement
organisations don't
realise.”
Arvind Kumar
Global VP of Indirects,
NTT Global Sourcing