Tariffs, Tech and Taking Control: How Can Government IT Leaders Navigate Supply Chain Uncertainty?

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Teri Takai, chief programs officer for the Center for Digital Government, and Todd Gustafson, head of U.S. public sector for HP, tackle the growing complexity of global supply chains and their impact on government IT procurement. They unpack how shifting tariff policies, particularly those affecting China and USMCA trade partners, are influencing decision-making for state and local government leaders. Gustafson emphasizes the importance of understanding product origins, asking the right questions of OEMs and staying flexible with platform choices to navigate ongoing volatility. The conversation encourages IT leaders to move from reactive to proactive strategies, stressing that awareness, engagement, and education are key to smart and resilient procurement.

SHOW NOTES

Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:

1. What “Interesting Times” Mean for Technology Leaders
   Gustafson reflects on the uncertainty of today’s global environment, sharing a personal anecdote and emphasizing how quickly supply chain dynamics can shift. He highlights how these changes impact government decision-making in real time.
   
2. The Tariff Landscape Explained
   Gustafson breaks down the status of tariffs, including which countries are impacted and how these policies influence product availability and cost. He explains the intricacies of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and broader global trade dynamics.
   
3. The Importance of Asking Better Questions
   IT leaders are encouraged to engage OEMs directly, asking informed questions about supply chain resilience, country of origin and product flexibility. Gustafson stresses that knowledge is power when navigating complexity.
   
4. Becoming an Informed, Empowered Buyer
   Takai and Gustafson discuss how state and local IT leaders can shift from passive procurement to strategic, empowered buying. Leaders should proactively explore their options.
   
5. Practical Procurement Scenarios
   Real-world scenarios illustrate how agencies might choose to stay with current platforms, switch to alternatives or time purchases based on projected tariff shifts. The focus is on aligning procurement with evolving global realities.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.

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