Supplier Network Co-Presidents' Letter
Dear Supplier Network Members, To quote a line from the Grateful Dead, “What a long, strange trip it’s been.” And it’s only April.
Who could have imagined when this year began that we would see such significant, unprecedented changes in our lives and our businesses? The words Coronavirus, COVID- 19, pandemic and social distancing were not even a part of our vocabularies. Now they are all we talk about and they influence our days in ways beyond our wildest dreams.
Since we were first made aware of the outbreak we have been forced to react to and implement many changes in how we work. We now work from the comfort of our own homes but we doubt that many of us would describe the situation as comfortable. Trying to stay focused and on top of our daily schedules is complicated. Our children are now at home with us full-time, trying to navigate the difficulties of online classes. They are mourning the loss of friends, school and sporting activities and those milestone events in their lives that cannot be recovered. Our little ones are no longer in daycare and it’s difficult to concentrate while attending to their needs. But we have been constantly reminded and we believe that we will get through this. We are strong, resilient individuals and it’s important to view these challenging days as opportunities – to take stock of what is working and what is not – and to make changes that allow us to turn each challenge into a positive opportunity for learning and growth.
At the Supplier Network we will strive to do all that we can to help keep you informed. As we did last week, we will continue to host webinars that allow you to hear about the challenges that some of your fellow suppliers have been dealing with during these difficult days. What steps were followed once they discovered that an employee had tested positive for the virus? How have they made changes to the work environment to safely implement social distancing requirements? What is the plan to reintroduce a recovered employee to the workforce? As you would expect, our suppliers were willing to share their experiences and thoughts so the System could benefit from their learnings. Going forward, we plan to offer future webinars that will aid in your personal and professional development. As businesses navigate the landscape of home offices, what are the top tips for Virtual Negotiation? What have we learned during this crisis that will help with our Contingency and Crisis Management Plans? As we attempt to return to life before Covid, what can we do to improve our personal productivity with guaranteed results? We will also explore the art of Leading Remote Talent. Ray Kroc’s quote that “None of us is as good as all of us,” has never been truer. We are members of a unique Supply Chain System and together we will get through this. Jan Perrino and Shari Antonissen – Supplier Network Co-Presidents
Jeanne Gannon- Emerita
All members must be current suppliers to the McDonald’s system in North America. A “supplier” is defined as those suppliers who have a signed Business Relationship Agreement with McDonald’s, and who have been approved by McDonald's to offer products and/or services to the McDonald’s system or whose pricing is nationally managed by McDonald’s North American Supply Chain. Other suppliers or service providers who don’t meet the above definition but would like to participate in the SN may be granted membership at the discretion of the SN’s Board of Directors and with McDonald’s approval.
