Is your supplier as committed as you?

David Evans, Managing Director of Anglo, explains how you should build trust with your customers, and why it is more important now than ever before.

A weak link in your supply chain will let you down eventually. The Covid pandemic was a wake-up call for many businesses, and systems companies and window fabricators learned the value of having reliable and trusted sources for product supply.

During the pandemic we saw some supplies of steel dry up, and many companies were left unable to source material. In turn, they were not able to supply their customers, subsequently losing business and market share.

Many companies learned that having secure supply chains is crucial to maintaining business in challenging times. We are talking to systems houses now that have made it clear that they are actively sourcing from multiple suppliers as a result of lessons learned in 2021. They found that during Covid, in being reliant on one supplier who struggled to supply metal, they literally had no reinforcement to deliver to their customers.

While we are currently seeing a fall back to what might be considered normal levels of demand, companies need to be prepared now for future shocks such as a sudden increase in demand or a major interruption in raw material supply. And that could come from any number of factors.

If a company needs to respond to a sudden uptick in demand, it pays to have trusted suppliers who can meet that need quickly. As a market sector, we source raw material that is made globally, coming from as far afield as Asia, so lead times can be long and demand carefully planned forward buying.

So, your business is put at risk if you are overly reliant on one supplier – if you call on your supplier to provide extra volumes very quickly, can you depend on them to step up and do that?

One way round this issue is to dual source, as some systems houses are now doing, picking one or two trusted suppliers who you can rely on for quality, mitigating the risk in the process – you can call on one or both at times of increased demand.

The second risk is that we are operating in a very mature and competitive market. The fenestration steel reinforcement space has a limited number of players in the UK, a number which has been shrinking year on year. This may reduce further because there is intense pressure on margins in the market as fabricators look for ways to save money. And some of those suppliers will ask if it is even worth remaining in fenestration sector, particularly when they are also catering to other markets.

Anglo specialises in steel reinforcement for the window fabrication market, so it is always going to be a big part of our business. We are investing in machinery, people and processes that make our business more efficient, creating savings that we pass on to our customers.

For example, we have invested more than £1 million in a new double-sided roll-forming line, which allows us to retool one side while the other is running. This means switching to make different products takes minutes instead of hours.

We also provide cut-to-size reinforcement, which offers labour efficiencies and reduced wastage, which can create savings of up to £184,000 per year for fabricators producing 1,500 frames per week.

So, while the number of suppliers of steel reinforcement to the window market may reduce, systems houses and fabricators can be assured that Anglo is in this for the long run and we continue to invest heavily in serving this sector.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that during the pandemic and afterwards, thanks to the strong relationships Anglo has with its own steel suppliers, we were one of the only companies that continued to supply metal uninterrupted. We even helped businesses who were not our usual customers when they were badly let down by their own suppliers of reinforcement. While others closed their doors, we kept going, and through careful procurement planning we are always prepared for sudden increases in demand or future shocks to global supply chains.

For more information, please email enquiries@angloeuropean.net or call 0161 231 2354.

01.

Reinforcements for windows and doors

Fully accredited, with one of the UK’s largest PVC-u window system steel reinforcement catalogues, and offering a cut-to-size service, we can help you lower your manufacturing costs.

02.

Construction

We offer a complete design and manufacture service for the construction sector including roll-formed steel reinforcements; mounting structures; HVAC systems; shelving and structural supports.  

03.

Truck and body assembly

We provide a bespoke longitudinal frame profile and lashing rail manufacturing service, including cross bearers, roofsticks, and pillars, optimising load capacity and minimising weight. 

04.

Roll formed steel profiles

We work with customers across construction, agricultural, industrial engineering and power generation to design and manufacture bespoke roll-formed steel solutions and steel shapes