Connecting the right players in B.C.’s business community with provincial government authorities will save valuable time
The Digital Technology Supercluster has leveraged the collaborative spirit of its community in support of our local health authorities’ urgent call for supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE) by partnering with the Business Council of B.C., Traction on Demand, Salesforce, the Province of B.C. and many others to create the COVID-19 Supply Hub.
The Supply Hub provides a first-level triage for the thousands of inquiries coming in, ensuring that qualified suppliers can connect directly to the institutions and organizations that need it most. Developed by Traction on Demand, a local B.C. tech company, built on the Salesforce platform, the Supply Hub will make available the list of products and supplies needed, the specifications and the quantities required. By assessing the credentials and quality of submissions, the Supply Hub is designed to support healthcare system employees who are working around the clock to secure the much-needed supplies. Most importantly, the Supply Hub expedites the supplies needed to keep our front line healthcare workers safe and healthy while they are serving British Columbians.
The hub will also allow individual health authorities across the province to post their specific needs, allowing for a more localized, timely and effective approach. In developing this project, officials from the Province of B.C. have been in close contact with their counterparts in the Government of Canada to incorporate the learnings from the Federal buyandsell.gc.ca experience. The Supply Hub provides for a market and customer-specific approach to securing supplies from local donors and providers and it’s an approach that can be made available across the country. The initiative exemplifies the inter-government collaboration that is essential in responding to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Supply Hub came together in just under a week after David Labistour, a member of the Business Council of B.C.’s Executive Committee, led the charge in identifying key organizations and members of our community who could lend a hand. This type of accelerated collaboration is what Canada needs to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians at this time.
To see our joint release with the Province of B.C., please click here. To view the Supply Hub click here.