If you run a manufacturing business then you will need to establish good working relationships with steel merchants. Steel merchants will provide the steel fabrications you need to create your products and casings, without them you don't have a working business. Choosing the best steel merchant for your firm is essential since a failure in your supply line has implications for the ability of your own business to meet deadlines and supply your customers.
Deciding which steel sales company is the best fit for your firm means thinking about what your business relationship will actually look like, what type of steel do you need? How much steel do you need? How much do you want to pay for the steel?
The right steel
What steel can your steel merchants provide? Is the steel they have available of the right quality, and is the steel available in the right forms? Think about the types of steel you need and whether your chosen steel merchants are able to supply all of it. If possible you should purchase your entire steel requirement from a single supplier, liaising with multiple suppliers complicates your supply lines by making everything more complicated and more expensive so buying all your steel from one source is the best option.
A reliable supply
Your first concern must be the quality of the steel being offered but once you are satisfied that your steel merchants offer a good quality product then you will need to consider whether they can supply sufficient steel for your needs. Finding steel for your products takes time so you must be assured that your chosen steel merchants are a reliable source. You can't risk being let down. Can you find out who their other customers are? Do they usually deal with customers who are larger or smaller than you? You can't afford to be their biggest customer and find out too late that they can't keep up with your demands. You also can't risk being squeezed and neglected because you are the smallest and least important customer to them. See if you can talk to their existing customers and find out if they are satisfied with the service they receive from the steel merchants.
A good price
You can't afford to make price the deciding factor in the choice of steel sales company, but it is still a consideration. If you are offered steel at a price that seems too cheap then make sure you investigate thoroughly before purchase. It may be a lower quality product than you expect, or there could be another factor you haven't considered. Don't be afraid to investigate your steel merchants before you agree to purchase.
Share2 April 2018
Gaining a good understanding of industrial supplies can really help a man to get ahead. I'm Jo and while I do not work directly in the industrial equipment or supply business, I have learnt a lot from my brother who works in a large factory in Sydney. I would often spend weekends down there watching the guys at work. Now and again, my brother would ask me to help him out so we could try and find a good deal on a new piece of kit. I did it, and I learnt a lot while I did it. I hope you like my blog.