Supply chain flexibility

From the challenges of materials shortages to temporary site closures and labour scarcities, the turbulent events experienced by the construction industry during the last two years have highlighted more than ever the importance of flexibility in the supply chain.

In this article Frazer Regional Sector Sales Director, Stan Webster, discusses in detail the specialist merchant’s role in the successful delivery of complex contracts.

“As a service business, the concept of flexibility is nothing new to us.  Our entire operation is built around the objective of being ‘easy to work with, harder to live without’ of which flexibility and agility are core values. Each and every customer we collaborate with operates in different ways and has individual challenges to overcome. Our role is to support them, to understand their requirements and provide products and unique solutions where and when they are needed to keep projects and contracts moving forwards. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and our successful delivery is attributable to the open communication and adaptable approach we have with each and every customer.

“Earlier this year for example, we secured a new contract with Scottish Water. Complex in its scope and nature, it sees us provide 365 day a year support to the national utility firm across the entire Scottish mainland and islands. Whilst the contract operates to a fixed schedule that we can accurately plan and service, there is also a large ‘out of schedule’ requirement for deliveries to emergency works and projects with unforeseen complications. These are numerous daily occurrences that require immediate response and span the breadth of the 30,420 square miles Scottish landscape. Without flexibility in both the sourcing and logistics divisions of our operation, responding to these sudden changes and delivering a consistent level of service excellence would be almost impossible. 

“Flexibility is central to the success of every contract we run. We focus on optimising ordering and delivery processes and on improving customer communications so that our service is responsive and adaptable. We often create dedicated stock profiles, product catalogues and bespoke ordering systems for customers to make the ordering process as quick and easy as possible. For example, we’ve recently created a new digital system for Balfour Beatty which enables buyers to place orders through their own procurement system whilst being able to view real time stock levels.

“Of course there are times when unforeseen problems arise. The impact of Covid 19 and the supply shortages that followed are something not many businesses had planned for but thanks to the flexibility of our operations and maintaining an open, honest and collaborative relationship with our customers throughout, we helped them to navigate difficulties without last minute let downs or making promises we couldn’t keep. It’s ensured our relationships have stayed strong even throughout challenging times and that we have been able to deliver a service that exceeds expectations.”