HP says supply no longer the issue as it flags 'unprecedented short-term demand'

Customers may have to be flexible on configurations as COVID-19 sparks short-term demand hike, Neil Sawyer says

HP's UK channel boss has urged its resellers to think creatively on configurations, telling CRN that the COVID-19 crisis has sparked "unprecedented short-term demand" for its products.

Neil Sawyer (pictured) said HP's supply chain has returned to "optimal levels" following the reopening of Chinese factories earlier this month.

But he said that the scramble to support frontline services and the remote working boom meant that customers may have to be more flexible when it comes to configurations.

"Every day I look at our supply chain performance, and it's at a very good level. There's no material change in what we're supplying on a week-by-week basis," he said.

"Supply is not the issue. The issue as a channel overall and for our partners is actually the unprecedented demand that's been out there in a very short space of time."

Sawyer emphasised that it is "important to respect the fact that that demand is coming out of needing to keep continuity for some very important services that will keep us alive and the country economically stable".

Partners should be asking customers to think about where they can compromise on a specification, Sawyer counselled.

"That opens up a great deal more options that we can apply to the available inventory," he said.

"If I'm going to be working from home for the next three months and sat in the same position at the same desk, if a laptop isn't available, then there's no reason why you can't supply a desktop with a monitor.

"We can see what's coming through distribution and can help shape according to the questions partners are asking their customers. I know that sounds very simple, but I think I do it personally about 10 or 15 times a day. I know it makes a difference as I've received emails from NHS trusts and private sector customers in the past few days that really appreciate that extra help those channel partners are offering."

COVID-19 has changed the way partners interface with their customers, a shift Sawyer sees as "one of the positives to come out of this period of isolation".

"Perhaps this is a moment for the UK channel to rethink how we digitally work with customers," he said.

"I'm not just talking about e-commerce and online sales, but the total way we interact as a sales community with end customers - embracing digital and embracing the omni-channel world we have seen develop very rapidly in the consumer retail space."

HP announced last week that it is mobilising its 3D printing team to help deliver critical parts to hospitals. This includes face masks, face shields, mask adjusters, nasal swabs, hands-free door openers and respirator parts.

"Those designs are shared out across many different 3D producers," Sawyer explained.

"HP's 3D centre of excellence is in Barcelona, and that's very fortunate as Spain is going through a particularly difficult period. It's about sharing those designs and the output of what can be produced on a global level - that includes the UK and Spain and every other country around the world that's suffering this."

Finally, Sawyer urged partners to think about the mental health of their staff over the coming weeks.

"We have to be considerate about the fact that this is a sales community. We have to keep 100,000 channel sales representatives across all of our channel partners motivated. We should all think about the innovative ways we can keep people connected, motivated and healthy over the coming weeks," he said.