CenterPoint Group is your trusted procurement advisor that provides high touch service at no cost. We are here to ensure you have the communication and service levels you expect and require from your supplier partners.

Book time with your assigned Customer Success Manager to see how this works.

What you Get with a CenterPoint Program

1-Access to exclusive pricing and discounts:

Inadequate insurance coverage can lead to major financial loss if your business operations are interrupted or your facility is damaged or destroyed. Insurance policies vary, so check with your agent about coverage for property damage, flood coverage and business interruption. Understand what your policy covers and what it does not. Ask about any deductibles, if applicable. You should also plan how you will pay vendors and employees as well as provide for your own income. Finally, find out what records your insurer requires you to provide following an emergency, and store them in a safe place.

2. Managing Utility Disruptions

Organizations are dependent on electricity, gas, telecommunications, sewage and other utilities. Plan ahead for extended disruptions during and after a disaster. Carefully examine which utilities are vital to your business’s day-to-day operations. Speak with service providers about potential alternatives and identify back-up options. Learn how and when to turn off utilities in a safe and timely manner. Consider purchasing portable generators or standby power systems to provide power to the vital needs of your organization in an emergency. Never use a generator indoors as it may produce carbon monoxide gas. Read operating instructions carefully. Periodically test the backup system’s operability. Decide how you will communicate with employees, suppliers and others. Use cell phones, walkie-talkies or other devices that do not rely on electricity as a back-up to your telecommunication system.

3. Secure Facilities, Buildings and Plants

While there is no way to predict what will happen or what the circumstances will be, there are things you can do in advance to help protect your business:

• Install fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in appropriate places.
• Locate and make available building and site maps with critical utility and emergency routes clearly marked. Plan to provide a copy to fire fighters or other first responders in the event of a disaster. Keep copies of these documents with your emergency plan and other important documents in an emergency supply kit.
• Secure ingress and egress. Consider all the ways in which people, products, supplies and other things get into and leave your building or facility.
• Plan for mail safety. A properly informed and well-trained staff can help identify potential threats. Teach employees to be able to quickly identify suspect packages and letters. Warning signs include misspelled words, no return address, excessive use of tape, and strange discoloration or odor.
• Identify what production equipment, computers, custom parts or other essential equipment is needed to keep the organization open for business.
• Store extra supplies, materials and equipment for use in an emergency.
• Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not usable.
• Identify and comply with all local, state and federal codes and other safety regulations that apply to your organization.

4. Secure Your Equipment

The force of some disasters can damage or destroy important equipment.

• Conduct room-by-room walk-throughs to determine what needs to be secured.
• Attach equipment and cabinets to walls or other stable equipment, especially in earthquake-prone areas.
• Place heavy or breakable objects on low shelves.
• Move workstations away from large windows.
• Elevate equipment off the floor to avoid electrical hazards in the event of flooding.

We have spoke to several of our customers over the past few months and the one thing that we are all certain about is that there is still a lot of uncertainty with the return to office plans. Many of our members have established phases with their return to work efforts that were set to take place on specific dates but were not able to follow through because of the Delta Variant. With the inability to accurately predict when everyone will actually be able to head back to the office permanently, it makes it very difficult to forecast PPE purchases and maintain a proper supply chain.

CenterPoint understands that it is hard to plan for uncertainty but they can help their members stay prepared for anything that the remainder of 2021 and 2022 throws at them. We have worked closely with our suppliers to ensure that we will we able to support our members with whatever they need to succeed. If you're not sure about what you may need in the next several months or you are not sure about what items are best to keep stocked, reach out to CenterPoint today so we can help you with your planning.

We function as an extension of your procurement team, supporting you with helpful insights from your data through our complimentary analyses and reporting. Find out what our data analytics team can do for you! Book time with your assigned Customer Success Manager today!

CenterPoint Group provides discounts to key suppliers such as Office Depot, Enterprise and National Car Rental, Travel Leaders Corporate, W.W. Grainger, Verizon Wireless and more