Paul Clappison (Senior Buyer) of Brymec explains why now is the time to plan your procurement strategy
The global shipping industry, which carries 60% of the world’s goods, is at the centre of all these problems. From the pandemic, to bad weather, to mishaps in the Suez Canal, and blocked ports in China, worldwide logistics are having a bad year. And it’s creating waves across the global economy.
For customers, delivery delays and a shortage of containers mean that product prices are rising, and lead times growing longer. The practical implications for the construction industry are not only around getting products to site, but also about predictability of procurement and costs.
However, even in the face of these problems, there are reasons to be positive about the future of the construction industry. Good news is on the horizon – construction is showing its resilience again and bouncing back from the past two years.
A report from CITB and Experian examining the 5-year outlook for construction estimates steady growth at an average rate of 4.4% per year from 2021 to 2025. Infrastructure and home building will be two of biggest areas of growth, but commercial real estate is also expected to rally in the next couple of years.
Construction businesses who want to tap into that growth for themselves are going to have to focus on their procurement and plan ahead as much as possible. The current sourcing issues won’t disappear overnight (some estimates are that it will take at least another year for the global logistics industry to pull around). But there are ways to prepare and minimise the impacts on your business.
Here at Brymec, we have always focused on good communication with our clients. We think it’s key to ensuring successful and smooth procurement. By working closely with customers, we can help with forecasting and planning to ensure the products you need for a project are on their way to you exactly when you need them.
For example, some of our customers find it useful to bulk order products in advance and then have them delivered only when they’re needed. We offer next-day deliver and 2-hour time slots as standard, so you’ll know when your order is on its way. This doesn’t just help with logistics; it also means your team has certainty of supply and costs.
We know it’s not always possible to plan for every eventuality on a project, so we make sure we’re just a phone call away to help find the products you need. Unpredictable supply chains mean that you may find it impossible to source a specified product. In these circumstances, Brymec’s stock promise is even more relevant.
Online procurement is also a great way to check stock availability and to keep track of purchases. Brymec’s online information and ordering system also allows customers to set up purchasing accounts for on-site operatives. Your team can order what they need and have it delivered to site. It’s a process that reduces internal paperwork while also ensuring your procurement team keeps spending under control.
In today’s construction sector the only certainty is that things are changing. Relying on past ways of doing things won’t help your business take the opportunities that are out there. It’s time to rethink your approach to sourcing products and tools, which could also be a great opportunity to start working with a supplier that’s ready to step up in challenging times.