Best practice for schools purchasing Branded USBs

The exam results season is upon us again, which can only mean that it’s time for the start of a new academic year. With this comes new school budgets and the procurement process beginning all over again. As part of this, Branded USBs, which have become an intrinsic part of schools technology resources, will be high on the spending agenda.

With the current scrutiny of school budgets and horror stories in the media of poor procurement from schools / LEAs, what should you consider when purchasing Branded USB memory sticks.

• Try to obtain three quotes from established UK suppliers. Ensure these are based at business premises as there is a growing trend for individuals to set up from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong.
• Ensure that you are offered a line of credit, you should not be required to make any upfront payments.
• A free sample of the proposed USB Memory stick should be requested.
• Explore getting a local company to sponsor the production of the memory sticks and in return you can add their logo / contact details to the back.
• Parents may be willing to make a contribution to the Custom Memory Stick so they can become cost neutral.
• Finally ask for extras – perhaps free lanyards, boxes, dataloading. You will be surprised how accommodating most suppliers will be.

These few tips will certainly ensure you get a great produce and the best ‘bang for school buck’!