Sourcing Industrial Supplies Online
A summary of things to consider when moving from your existing supplier to one that you deal with over the Internet.
Traditional ways of doing business have led many construction and manufacturing firms to rely on local suppliers when purchasing new equipment for their employees to use. However, as with so many other areas of business, the Internet is beginning to change the way that companies procure new clothing, tools and consumables and many purchasing managers are looking at their options afresh. Most managers agree that the Internet has had a positive effect as it has led to increased competition among those firms that specialise in supplying power tools and other industrial equipment. Falling prices are always welcome, as long as standards do not fall as well.
However, not having the opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with the people that they are going to be dealing with on a regular basis is something that some businessmen find rather off-putting. Older people may place particular importance on building personal relationships with their suppliers but whatever one’s age, it is not difficult to learn how to interact with business partners via email and telephone rather than face to face. The savings on industrial supplies that can be made by dealing with online organisations definitely provide enough incentive for managers to adapt their techniques to the 21st century.
Lead times for new tools and equipment need to be considered when moving to a new supplier as they can have a big impact on how profitable your business is in the long run. These should be roughly the same whether you are dealing with somebody face to face or via email but companies that are located hundreds of miles away may take a little longer to fill your orders. Something else to bear in mind is that chasing up people on the telephone is not always as effective as visiting them in person so you may find it difficult at first to expedite the orders that you place with an online supplier. Nevertheless, as mentioned above, you will learn new ways to deal with such situations if you persevere.
As long as your new supplier does not demand payment in advance, any financial risk when dealing with a new firm should be very limited. On the other hand, if you have to pay upfront you should ensure that the people you are dealing with are completely trustworthy and well funded.
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