There are many ways in which you can find the right supplier for your company. Here are four ways to work with the best supplier for your business:
1. Do Your Research
It’s no surprise that in order to do anything right, it’s important to do your research. By doing research, you’re going to better your chances and opportunities of finding the right suppliers for the job. With that being said, spend some time looking for what you need when it comes to your suppliers, whether it’s some metrology parts, or your packaging supplier. There are lots of different suppliers out there both physical and digitally-led, so it’s worth doing your research and whittling it down to a few before you start meeting them.
By doing all of this, you’re going to find only the very best that are right for your company from what you’ve looked at when it comes to their website and personal recommendations online, etc.
2. Organize A Meeting
A meeting is the next step in building a supplier relationship and it’s often where the terms of agreement are discussed. It’s good to have a face-to-face meeting because it gives you and the supplier the opportunity to build a relationship. It might be that you’re doing it in a local cafe or in your office, perhaps even over dinner. Whatever you feel is the right fit, make sure a meeting is organized and that it’s not all handled over the phone or email. That won’t build the right connection and you’ll end up with a working relationship that isn’t a good one.
3. Can They Deal With The Workload?
Can the supplier meet the demands and workload of your business? That’s an important question to ask and one that can’t go unanswered or have a no at the end of it. It’s essential that the company you work with can meet every expectation you have and will be able to manage those expectations from the beginning and as the business develops.
There will be times where the supplier can adapt and grow with the workload your business has and develops into. However, there will be some that are limited and as such might need changing at certain points. So with that said, it’s assessing that work commitment on your side and whether it’s best to find someone who can handle it all from the very beginning. It all depends on your budget and various other factors though.
4. Communicate Constantly
Communication is key in this day and age and it’s not something that should be lacking. There’s really no excuse to either seeing as we have every available platform to communicate on. From email to phone, zoom to in-person meetings, you should be communicating consistently and constantly. You should ideally have an account manager who deals with all your queries and concerns personally. Make sure this is all set in place and remember that conversations are a two-way street, so you need to pick up the phone as much as they are.
With these tips, you’ll be able to find the best suppliers for your company.
