Leveraging your supplier relationships for added value can help your business prosper. Our Managing Director, Rob Brearley, shares what to look for in a fabricator partner.
The UK economy is in for a tough year and the recession will impact us all. If business is slowing however, it shouldn't have to mean putting the brakes on promoting or futureproofing your business.
If anything, it's the perfect opportunity to take stock and look for ways to take your company to the next level. Trimming waste, increasing your marketing for brand visibility, and improving efficiencies can make all the difference. One major area you can really leverage is to look at your own suppliers and determine what else they can offer you in support of your business. As an installer, here are the four key areas you should be getting from your fabricator.
Products
Does the product range you have access to meet the needs and expectations of your customers? Many installers tell us that being able to offer a range of systems really opens doors to new business, particularly with the growth of heritage styles and colour. You should never be in a position where you cannot offer a customer their required specification, be that aesthetics, profile, or style.
Quality is also key; find a fabricator who gives you the highest quality products so you can complete your installations, reduce call-backs - and get paid.
Investment
A fabricator with growth ambitions will continually invest in and improve its operations, its capabilites and its people for the benefit of its installers. How is your fabricator responding to market trends with product or application innovation? Are their investment plans ultimately going to benefit you? Do they invest in their fleet?
How do they work with their own suppliers? A fabricator with its house in order, rock-solid relationships with its own suppliers and clear growth ambitions of its own will help protect your supply and business stability.
Service
Do you get what you want as and when you need it? A good fabricator will go the extra mile to help where they can, even if that means flexing their schedule of deliveries to suit you.
Service is more than delivery too; do you feel you are getting a responsive service from your account team? Do you have access to technical guidance and advicce on the latest legislation? If your fabricator is starting to cost you time, money and your reputation, find one who tailors their service to meet your needs, rather than the other way around.
"A good fabricator will go the extra mile to help where they can, even if that means flexing their schedule or deliveries to suit you."
Value
Will your fabricator support you with your marketing and most importantly adjust that support in the right way for your business? Sourcing new customers is expensive, and many installers don't have the budget or resource to carry our effective marketing themselves. Fabricators that add value through marketing support really help to take the pressure off.
They'll get to know your business, understand your audience, and deliver a tailored marketing strategy designed to attract new prospects whether that's that providing you with your branded brochures or by helping to launch or finetune a fully-fledged digital marketing presence.
What you need now and in the future, may be different to what you needed when you first joined forces with your current fabricator. By taking the time to review what's important to your business now and in the longer team, you'll be able to weigh up what you need from them and how they can add value.
Determining how you can leverage your partnership - or source a new fabricator that is a better fit - can really make the difference for your business, whatever the economic outlook.