Working Better Together as a Team Won Standard Chartered the CIPS Best Collaborative Teamwork Award

In March 2021, the second wave of the pandemic swept across India.

As one of the world’s largest and most geographically complex countries, the second wave of COVID-19 gripped India with dire consequences, large number of cases and increased death rates.

The healthcare system grappled to keep up with another outbreak that affected multiple regions – some of which with extreme intensity and rapidly increasing infection rates that placed the infrastructure under great strain.

The Supply Chain Management (SCM) department of Standard Chartered in Mumbai faced the challenge of ensuring the safety of their people across this vast geography, having to act rapidly and with extreme fortitude in their response. Having operated in India for over 160 years, Standard Chartered has a network of 100 branches across 42 cities - their teams rose to the challenge and worked on several life-saving initiatives:

  • Sourced Oxygen Concentrators from across Asia and worked with suppliers to import these to India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka
  • Jointly developed a pan-India corporate vaccination programme in conjunction with HR and Property colleagues
  • Negotiated with a large range of suppliers to provide Testing and Quarantine facilities to employees and their dependents
  • Improved internal Process Efficiency: Suppliers were onboarded in record times

The team onboarded vendors in record time and leveraged the global internal and external network to ensure the safety of employees, their families, dependants, co-habitants and friends as well as vendors.

The judges awarded SCM the ‘Best Collaborative Teamwork Award’ for their outstanding performance during the second wave. Here are the steps they took in implementing this ground-breaking approach.

The Strategy…

Their strategy took a multi-pronged approach:

1. Leveraged Supplier Capabilities

  • Suppliers were struggling to meet requirements, SCM worked with suppliers and shared best practices on contracts, local government approvals and logistics
  • Suppliers could scale up rapidly to meet the demands of Standard Chartered Bank and other clients
  • Suppliers joined forces with Standard Chartered Bank to go the extra mile

2. Leveraged Standard Chartered Bank’s Global footprint

  • SCM scouted multiple markets through on-ground teams and external networks
  • SCM China identified OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) Health & Safety Team (H&S) determined standards, qualified and certified products
  • SCM booked production slots to secure volumes and delivery lead times
  • India Finance Team helped with early payments
  • Property Teams from China and India helped in shipment, clearing and distribution across India

3. Connected The Dots

  • Opened a direct line of communication straight to the top of the organisation
  • SCM assumed central leadership and invoked the active participation of our HR, Legal and Property Teams for swift execution

Watch: ProcureCon CIPS Asia Awards 2022: Standard Chartered - Best Collaborative Teamwork Award

“Standard Chartered Bank’s response during COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 has been exemplary, despite the significant challenges and numerous unknowns. Vaccination was identified as a top priority and SCM team got into overdrive to firm up tie-ups. Working Groups led by SCM and comprising of Property, HR and Legal ensured we were always ahead of the issues. Amidst shortage of Oxygen Concentrators that extended much beyond India, SCM leveraged its global team. Potentially life-saving actions ensured safety of employees, and their families."

Am truly proud of the SCM India Team! - Zarin Daruwala, Cluster CEO, India and South Asia markets, Standard Chartered Bank

Having pooled resources, SCM demonstrated their synergistic efforts in response to COVID-19’s second wave. Their strategy was robust, flexible and integrated key learnings from the earlier outbreak. What impressed the judges the most was the significant outcomes they achieved, which are defined by the following three main criteria:

Successful Vaccination Programme

  • On-premises, off-site dedicated camps, mass vaccination camps, off-site hospital premises
  • 134 vaccination drives
  • 38,000+ vaccinations for employees, their families, dependents and friends across India
  • 40+ cities covered

Availability of Oxygen Concentrators

  • Assurance of oxygen supply to at least 30,000+ families across India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh
  • 350 Oxygen Concentrators donated to NGOs and Hospitals in India
  • Availability across 40+ cities, 100+ Offices, Branches

Quarantine Facilities

  • Covering Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru, Standard Chartered’s largest presence cities in India

What is truly remarkable about the success of SCM’s response was the way in which the team came together, pooled resources across the network, and collaborated for the higher good and welfare of others which led to the winning of the Best Collaborative Teamwork Award. Well done team!

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