We speak to Thiago Braga, Director of Supply Chain Management at the City of Edmonton, Canada who discusses how improved operations are keeping the City healthy amid a range of challenges.

Thiago Braga

Thiago Braga is Director of Supply Chain Management at the City of Edmonton and has been with the City for three and a half years, following a successful career constructed within the private sector; so almost 20 years of supply chain/procurement experience, covering all areas of the profession from procurement, strategic sourcing (capital and operational), category management, inventory planning, warehousing operations, logistics and transportation,  import/export, customer service, business development, and other areas.  

Edmonton is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and home to one million people with a metropolitan area population of over 1.4 million. In 2017, the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board’s Growth Plan predicted the region will grow to between 1.96 million and 2.24 million by 2044. Edmonton is also considered a Winter City, which is a concept for communities in northern latitudes that encourages planning of transportation systems, building, and recreation projects with the idea of using the infrastructure during all four seasons. And keeping the infrastructure of such a rapidly growing city running smoothly, while protecting its citizens is a challenging task; it requires a smart, strategic approach to the City’s procurement while managing its vital supply chains, particularly when emerging from a global pandemic in an age of economic uncertainty. 

When Braga accepted his current role with the City of Edmonton in January 2019, a supply chain transformation program was envisioned that would evolve, and streamline, operations, while bringing in leading practices, standard practices, and best practices.  

Speaking from his Edmonton office, Braga tells us: “As the Director, I have five different sub-areas I’m responsible for. Those sub-areas are number one: Category Management, which merges procurement and contract management into more of a portfolio-based management. Warehousing Operations, Logistics, and Transportation is the second one. The third one is Purchasing & Inventory Management and the fourth one involves Asset Recovery and Surplus Disposal. The fifth and final one is Safety and Customs, dealing with operational safety and customs regarding imports and exports.” 

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