Answer

Challenges in Outsourcing Student Transport

School transportation has been successfully outsourced in schools where yellow bus service has not been provided. Control over student transportation is often maintained through contract stipulations. Moreover, administrators of schools who have resolved to contracted transportation can redirect resources and energy to education, which is the school’s core function. Outsourcing school transportation involves contractors who plan, route and schedule transportation in a way that they provide a more efficient service at a lower cost. Therefore, they take advantage of coordinated services, dedicated personnel, economies of scale, and shared facilities to improve the bottom line and efficiency (Bendici, 2016). As a senior supply chain manager for a school district, there are quite some challenges that you will encounter in finding vehicles for student transport.

The first challenge that I will encounter is the safety of students. The manager should ensure that they go for a contractor who employs drivers that are equally qualified and meet federal and state licensing standards to drive school buses in the state. Moreover, contracting with a private contractor should help in student safety, private contractors hire local district school bus drivers and residents. Consequently, these people usually pay taxes and have their children attend local schools. Therefore, they will ensure they drive students safely home.

The second problem is ensuring an on-time service is provided. The manager should go for a contracting service that is available in the local area or community. Going for a far-off contractor will often delay students due to distances in coming for students and traffic that is uncontrollable (Bendici, 2016). To run the service efficiently, the manager should ensure the service has setting bell times. The bell times will let the driver know when school ends and when it begins to be able to do multiple workpieces in the day without delaying students.

 The third challenge is weather conditions. Parents should be advised to dress students appropriately during cold weather conditions. Unexpected mechanical issues might occur on the bus during this time. Therefore, students should be prepared since buses also cool off very quickly. Efficiency is also an important challenge that needs to be addressed. Private contractors at least meet the broad training standards since they operate based on the highest required standards. The vehicles offered by private constructors are newer than district fleets since the private sector utilizes industry lifecycle replacement schedules (Hall, Le-Klähn, & Ram, 2017). Therefore, the vehicles will easily maneuver dry weather roads during rains. Private contractors also meet the maintenance standards that have been set by their respective states. As such, the bust will efficiently ensure students have reached home or school safely and on time. Another challenge that should be handled is the price. Private contractors make a profit through opportunity costs, operational efficiencies and economies of scale. Therefore, they will charge a lesser amount than any other service. Lastly, the manager should ensure they partner with the private contractor and cooperate to ensure schedules are adhered to with minimal interferences.

In conclusion, the senior supply chain manager should they partner with a private contractor for efficiency, reduced costs of operations and cooperation. A private contractor usually employs registered and licensed drivers who will ensure the safety of students. Local contractors understand the local route and will, therefore, be more effective. In this way, students will go to and from school on time and with minimal interferences. The school will benefit from the economies of scale being offered. Hence low costs of transportation.