Suppliers are everything in this day and age, where the pressure is on to meet deadlines and thus reduce costs.
In the construction industry this is especially true. Deadlines are essential with projects that must run to budget. Overruns often add costs which can even result in penalties for builders and suppliers.
Securing a good supply chain means you must focus on developing long term relationships with businesses. Build up a relationship of trust. If you, for example, want to secure good granite suppliers, then you need to invest time and energy in that initiative and it should pay off in the long run. Overall, a good supplier for anything will keep a project on track and prevent it from being difficult and costly.
Many support organisations can help you as you work to set up tenders and check lists for suppliers. Your bank and other local organisations can assist. As well, the construction industry has a vested interest in helping keep the profile of its industry a positive one, and so they will be happy to help too.
In this article, we are going to explore how you can develop your own internal process for seeking out, screening and then appointing suppliers.
The first thing you need to do before you even look for something like granite suppliers is to develop a check list with tendering information. You may be interviewing for a specific project, and therefore may need a given quantity or type of product. This could be a one-off relationship. Alternatively you may be looking for on-going suppliers. The thing you must do is modify your documents to suite the purpose.
Consider some of the things you need to explore:
1. What kind of projects does the company work on? Are any of them similar in nature to the work that you are doing or propose to do?
2. How long has the supplier been in business? This may not seem relevant to many people, but it is important because it shows stability and a good, solid business. Remain aware that many businesses that do poorly go on to declare bankruptcy and then start over again, repeating this pattern dozens of times. This is not the kind of firm you want to do business with and it could cost you money, as well as your own customers.
3. Ensure that you seek out references and testimonials. Unfortunately in this day and age, these kinds of things can be easily forged on the internet. So therefore you need to speak to real people.
4. When you have conversations with individuals who provide testimonials, ask about budget timelines, suppliers and the nature of the work. Was it done and completed as agreed and to a professional standard? Were any outstanding issues resolved quickly and with courtesy?
5. Where does the supplier source its material and are their supplies secure and safe?
6. How competitive are the prices? Are costs that were not explained at the start of the project but which came as a surprise at the end?
7. What kinds of commitment to quality are provided?
8. Can the company work hard to meet your deadlines, and will they work overtime in order to cope with any unforeseen events or problems?
Now that this document has been create and put together, with sections for answers and testimonials, you can go out and seek out suppliers. You can use this process and the thinking behind it for any kind of project or supply. Maintain a spreadsheet with the responses so that yo can standardise the screening process and make the best possible selection.
In terms of searching, begin with local companies, online, the Yellow Pages, recommendations and information form networking organisations that you or your contacts may use. If cost is imperative, broaden your search. If local is important, then obviously keep the search within a smaller perimeter.
Narrow your search down to four or five finalists and begin making contact. Take note of how they respond and how quickly too, as this will give you some insight into how the working relationship will evolve in the future. Gather as much detail as you can. No information is too much and give them as much as they seek.
If you are set to work with a completely new supplier it is probably best to begin with a small project and then assess and see how it proceeds. If it goes well, move forward with larger projects and cultivate the relationship so that it becomes reliable and strong.
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