Company Profile

A Charter School in the Bronx region of New York City. With enrollment high and the school pushing off a large number of students to college, the city awarded the Charter school money for enhancements and growth.

Challenge

The school faced several significant challenges:

• • The existing building could not support their growth, requiring a new facility
• • A tight timeline to find, alter, and furnish a new building before the start of the school year in August
• • Need for strategic sourcing and thorough record-keeping across multiple moving pieces
• • Desire to create a distinctive environment with colorful cafeteria, innovative boards, and vibrant wall art
• • Requirements for ergonomic furniture to support staff health and productivity
• • Maintaining relationships with preferred existing vendors while transitioning to a new facility

Solution

ISA delivered a comprehensive solution:

• • Introduced a dedicated project management team that coordinated with all stakeholders, including real estate partners
• • Established clear communication channels to manage timelines and expectations
• • Conducted thorough analysis of previous buying habits and vendor programs to understand preferences
• • Gathered data, conducted bids, and outlined optimal approaches for the upcoming school year
• • Reached out to the school's network for feedback and proven success strategies
• • Provided multiple purchasing options with detailed comparisons

Results

• • Partnered with designers and architects to create visualizations of furniture and equipment options
• • Prioritized long-lead items to ensure timely delivery before the school year began
• • Coordinated procurement of essential building systems: dispensers, coffee & water machines, air filtration, storage solutions, and more
• • Successfully outfitted the new facility within the tight timeline
• • Created the vibrant, distinctive learning environment the school desired

Unique Insight

The phased approach to procurement - prioritizing long-lead items while coordinating construction and installation - proved critical to meeting the tight timeline. By having a single project management team oversee all aspects of the transition, the school was able to focus on their core educational mission while ISA handled the complex logistics of creating their new home.