Camfil USA highlights strategic air filter procurement, emphasizing total cost of ownership, performance-based evaluations, and educational resources during Air Quality Week.
Camfil USA Provides Strategic Framework for Effective Air Filter Procurement
Riverdale, NJ, May 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Concluding Air Quality Week, Camfil USA is addressing one of the most challenging aspects of air quality management: the strategic procurement of appropriate filtration systems. Despite their critical role in maintaining healthy indoor environments, air filters remain poorly understood by many procurement professionals who struggle to identify optimal solutions for their specific needs.
“Air filters may appear straightforward, but they’re highly technical products requiring specialized knowledge to select effectively,” explains Mark Davidson, Manager of Marketing and Technical Materialsr at Camfil USA. “Too often, organizations default to simple price comparisons rather than evaluating the performance characteristics that determine a filter’s true value and total cost of ownership.”
Beyond Price: The Total Cost of Ownership Framework
Traditional procurement approaches that focus primarily on unit price fail to capture the comprehensive economic impact of air filtration choices. A more sophisticated evaluation requires considering several interconnected factors:
- Energy consumption – Air filters create resistance in HVAC systems, requiring energy to overcome. Higher-efficiency filters with properly engineered media can actually reduce overall energy usage despite potentially higher initial costs.
- Service life – Extended operational lifespans reduce changeout frequency, minimizing labor costs and disposal expenses while decreasing facility disruption.
- Indoor air quality impact – Superior filtration removes a broader spectrum of contaminants, potentially reducing healthcare utilization, absenteeism, and productivity losses associated with poor indoor air.
- HVAC system protection – Quality filtration prevents contaminant buildup on sensitive cooling coils and other components, extending equipment life and reducing maintenance requirements.
“When procurement teams apply comprehensive cost analysis rather than focusing solely on purchase price, the economics frequently favor higher-performance solutions,” notes Davidson. “What appears ‘expensive’ initially often delivers substantial savings over the operational lifecycle.”
Overcoming Common Procurement Challenges
Organizations seeking to optimize air filter procurement often encounter several obstacles that require systematic approaches to overcome:
- Knowledge gaps across departments, with facility managers, procurement specialists, and financial decision-makers operating from different information bases
- Inadequate specifications in RFQs that fail to properly define performance requirements create opportunities for substitution with inferior products
- Difficulty comparing competing claims from manufacturers using different testing methodologies or emphasizing selective performance metrics
- Limited understanding of application-specific requirements that vary significantly across different building types, HVAC configurations, and occupancy patterns
Addressing these challenges requires cross-functional collaboration between procurement teams, facility management, and air quality specialists who can provide technical expertise throughout the decision-making process.
Building an Effective Procurement Strategy
Based on extensive experience working with organizations across multiple sectors, Camfil’s air quality experts recommend a structured approach to filter procurement:
- Conduct comprehensive site evaluations to understand specific filtration needs across different areas of facilities, recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach rarely delivers optimal results
- Analyze current filtration performance through filter loading studies, particulate monitoring, and energy consumption analysis
- Calculate complete lifecycle costs incorporating purchase price, energy impact, labor requirements, disposal costs, and replacement frequency
- Develop detailed specifications that precisely define performance requirements rather than generic filter descriptions
- Implement pilot programs when transitioning to new filtration strategies to validate performance claims in real-world conditions
“The most successful procurement programs correctly treat air filters as engineered products that directly impact both operating costs and indoor environmental quality,” explains Davidson. “This perspective transforms filtration from a routine purchase into a strategic investment.”
Educational Resources Available
As part of Air Quality Week, Camfil USA has released comprehensive procurement guidance materials including:
- Framework for calculating the total cost of ownership for filtration systems
- Guidelines for developing performance-based RFQ specifications
- Case studies demonstrating successful procurement optimization
- An educational video series featuring expert insights on air filter selection
These resources aim to empower procurement professionals with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions that optimize both air quality and financial outcomes.
Air Quality Week: A Reflection on Our Clean Air Journey
As we conclude Air Quality Week 2025, we reflect on the critical themes we’ve explored: the impact of wildfire smoke on indoor environments, the relationship between air quality and respiratory health, the complex science of indoor air quality, the interconnections between air quality and broader ecosystems, and finally, the strategic procurement of effective filtration solutions. Throughout this week, we’ve emphasized that clean air is not merely a comfort but a fundamental element of public health, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. Camfil USA remains committed to advancing both the science and practical applications of air filtration to create healthier indoor environments for all.
About Camfil USA
Camfil USA Air Filters
For more than half a century, Camfil has been helping people breathe cleaner air. As a leading manufacturer of premium clean air solutions, Camfil provides commercial and industrial systems for air filtration and air pollution control that improve worker and equipment productivity, minimize energy use, and benefit human health and the environment.
The company firmly believes that the best solutions for customers are also the best solutions for the planet. Camfil’s approach considers the impact of its operations and products at every step from design to delivery. Through innovative design, precise process control, and a strong customer focus, Camfil aims to conserve more, use less, and find better ways to help everyone breathe easier.
To access Camfil’s comprehensive air quality procurement guide and other educational materials, visit www.cleanair.camfil.us/2024/01/16/air-filter-procurement-guide-how-to-properly-procure-air-filters or call 888-599-6620.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lynne Laake
Camfil USA Air Filters
T: 888.599.6620
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