In our Coping with COVID-19 series, AVNetwork is interviewing manufacturers to discover how they’re handling the COVID-19 crisis and how the pandemic has impacted their businesses.
Sandi Stambaugh, vice president of product management at Synnex Corp., discusses the company’s response to COVID-19.
AVN: Have you pivoted your business strategy in response to COVID-19? If so, how?
SANDI STAMBAUGH: Our business strategy has always been to bring velocity, visibility, and value through the way we serve our customers and our vendors so that they can better solve business problems for their customers. During COVID-19, our focus and priorities are aligned with that strategy.
We have worked closely with customers to understand their needs and have responded with programs to support product, financial, and services needs. Aligning with our vendor partners has been key in anticipation of and in quick reaction to supply chain challenges, operational limitations, and carrier disruptions at the regional level.
AVN: How have your day-to-day operations changed during this time?
SS: We are working almost exclusively from home, as are many of our customers. The health and safety of our associates, customers, and vendor partners is Synnex’ top priority. All of our distribution facilities remain open and continue to operate at close to normal SLA’s. This is a testament to the extraordinary effort of our vendor partners and our associates.
We continue to assess our mitigation efforts and make adjustments as CDC guidelines evolve.
AVN: Has COVID-19 had an impact on your supply chain? If so, how are you handling any delays?
SS: By aligning closely with our vendors and customers, and working to anticipate demand surges and product shortages, Synnex has been able to support most product requirements during this time. orecasting is key and definitely helps this process!
AVN: Have you implemented any virtual training/education resources for integrators?
SS: Synnex is placing an increased emphasis on training, and we are rolling out additional resources on a regular basis. During this time, professional development and enhanced customer engagement is even more important.
The Synnex Enablement Portal is a learning platform that provides education on everything from products, solutions, and operations to Synnex services and support. These online courses are a convenient way for professionals in a variety of roles—including sales, marketing, finance, and technical support—to grow their knowledge and ultimately drive more business.
While we have canceled all Synnex-sponsored live events through June, we understand how important these events are to our customers and vendor partners. We are converting many of these to virtual tradeshows and conference events and we are rescheduling others for later in the year.
AVN: What has been your largest leadership success during this time?
SS: Leading during this time of uncertainty and increased pressure has been both challenging and rewarding as we have worked to maintain the strong family culture and “can do” attitude of our team while migrating from a physical to a virtual team environment.
In addition to the physical change in our work environment, the day-to-day business needs are ever-changing and require a new level of focus, intensity, and engagement. We have had such fantastic feedback from our customers and vendors. I am truly so proud of our team!
AVN: How do you think business will change post-COVID-19?
SS: This period of uncertainty has placed a premium on the ability to forecast and to be fluid. Now more than ever, it’s critically important that our customers look ahead in their planning, budgeting, and project management.
It is unlikely things will return to normal any time soon, and, even when we are past this pandemic, our businesses will need to operate differently. Liquidity is vital to our customers and to their end customers. EaaS offers significant advantages to businesses, including flexibility and preserving capital. In uncertain and challenging times like these, the businesses that have built deep relationships of trust with their customers will not just survive, but will excel.
AVN: Anything else you'd like to add?
SS: We wish all of our customers, vendors, and industry friends the best during this time. We are all in this together—let us know how we can help!
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