Dealing with multiple equipment suppliers comes with challenges.
And like small leaks in a dam, it doesn’t take long for little problems with a few vendors to escalate and threaten the operational and financial stability of your production line.
The longer your list of vendors, the greater the risk that important things will eventually fall through the cracks and cost you serious money. Some of the telltale signs include inconsistent performance, slow customer service and inadequate operator training.
- Inconsistent Performance: Relying on multiple equipment vendors means your processes and controls are not standardized. This presents challenges for maintaining continuity and reliability across your material handling and processing systems. Using a single supplier with in-depth knowledge of your material handling needs and process requirements – both upstream and downstream – can help to prevent the kinds of issues likely to impact production efficiency, product quality and, ultimately, customer satisfaction.
- Slow Response Times: Having to go through a long list of contacts for maintenance and support can be cumbersome and time consuming. Each vendor may have its own support procedures, warranty terms and service agreements, making it difficult to coordinate troubleshooting and repairs. This fragmented approach can result in longer downtime, increased maintenance costs and reduced system reliability. In addition to monetary expenses, companies lose about 6500 hours a year filling out paperwork, correcting invoice errors, addressing discrepancies and communicating with suppliers over inquiries.
- Inadequate Operator Training: Working with multiple bulk handling and material processing equipment vendors can increase the chances for poor operator training. Each vendor may have different training materials and protocols, each with their own terminology. That means your operators might be getting inconsistent and inefficient training. They may spend precious hours learning how to use different interfaces, control panels and operational features, which can be confusing in high-pressure or emergency situations. If there are compatibility issues, operators may struggle to use systems effectively, leading to errors or accidents.
Other sources of inefficiency and indirect costs when working with multiple suppliers include equipment integration complexity, compatibility issues and spare part management. Other sources of inefficiency and indirect costs when working with multiple suppliers include equipment integration complexity, compatibility issues and spare part management. You can learn how to avoid these pitfalls and maximize your revenue here.
At Spiroflow, we’re more than a manufacturer of screw conveyors and bulk bag unloaders and fillers – we’re a single source for all your production line needs.
With sister manufacturing brands in automated handling and material processing, we can act fast to get the equipment, service and expertise you need for any stage of your process:
- Moving fragile material with Cablevey
- Mixing, blending, breaking or heating material with Marion
- Screening, sifting, drying, cooling or moisturizing with Kason
With one supplier, you can prevent costly miscommunication, compatibility issues and fragmented maintenance support. Consolidating your vendor list can save you valuable time and money. You’ll also benefit by:
- Saving up to 30% by avoiding integrator markups
- One-stop-shopping for parts and maintenance
- Leveraging our deep industry expertise in every processing discipline
If you would like to learn more about our sister companies, visit our group website – https://amp-ahs.com/ or contact our experts.
