Many school staff wear several hats and struggle to find the time to ensure their school district is set up with all of the necessary resources. Maintaining all of the supplies and the right amounts of it can be tough - that is where the OMNIA Partners and Quill Public Sector contract can help to relieve some of that stress. Read the blog below to learn how this north Chicago school district delivered on the many school essentials their students needed to succeed through partnering with Quill and OMNIA Partners.

This piece originally appeared on the Quill Blog: Why School District 187 Has Relied on Quill for Over 40 Years

Why School District 187 Has Relied on Quill for Over 40 Years

April Rushford holds the titles business specialist, accounts payable, and purchasing specialist for North Chicago School District 187. She is the person responsible for making sure all the schools in the district get the office supplies and other essentials they need – within the district’s budget. 

This is a big job that comes with challenges. It was one of those challenges that first bonded April and Quill Account Manager Danielle Martinez. 

Bulk Paper Buying and Best Pricing

April had been ordering paper by the pallet for several years to ensure the lowest pricing. She would store them and ship them out to schools as they needed them. However, she realized the paper was becoming damaged in the process of shipping it from their facilities.

April turned to Danielle, and Danielle quickly found a solution. She switched April’s orders to cartons, which allows April to order the exact amount of paper each school needs as they need it, directly from Quill. No more storage concerns or damaged paper. 

April was so pleased. It’s one of the many things she told us she appreciates about Danielle and Quill.

📘 Ease the burden on administrative staff
📘 Encourage students by providing all the resources they need
📘 Exact amount of products needed, eliminating clutter
📘 Efficient next day delivery

From Customer to Advocate 

April also told us she prefers Quill over big-box, online retailers and gave us a few reasons why, including a smoother ordering and invoicing process and the ability to pay later rather than upfront. 

Another reason School District 187 likes to order from Quill is because they are a partner of OMNIA Partners, a cooperative that helps procurement professionals in education, public sector, and nonprofits lower their costs and streamline their purchasing process.

Coincidentally, the day we spoke with her, a Quill order had arrived at her desk in less than 24 hours. 

“I promise I didn’t plan that,” she said with a chuckle.  

To say the least, she loves working with Quill.

“Having a vendor like Quill makes me advocate for other schools to use them,” April told us.  

Because of her positive experiences, she encouraged her colleague Edgar Vargas to connect with Quill for a special furniture order.

Cabinets Delivered with Remarkable Customer Service  

Edgar Vargas works within the curriculum department of School District 187. The district recently adopted a new K-12 curriculum, and they were in need of a way to store copies of the curriculum in their classrooms. 

A Quill furniture specialist helped Edgar find the right solution for his needs. The order included 26 cabinets in total, consisting of four different types. Ultimately, it was delivered to three different schools to classrooms on different floors. 

“The attention that I received was phenomenal. Then when the cabinets came, they had to go to different floors, but they completely understood and there was no complaining,” Edgar said. “What I really like about Quill is the level of customer service. It’s always super easy to work with Quill, not only because we can send purchase orders and get quotes, but they have also integrated really well with our Tyler’s procurement ordering system.”

About OMNIA Partners & Quill

Quill delivers the essential supplies organizations need with fast shipping, allowing you to focus on what’s most important. Nonprofit and public sector organizations can count on Quill for paper, ink & toner, cleaning and breakroom supplies, educational supplies, furniture, technology, and custom print options. Quill’s partnership with OMNIA allows them to support organizations like yours with special pricing and exclusive benefits. The customers that are OMNIA Partners members, value the program and your goals.

Read the Original Blog by Quill Here