Reducing lead time for a government department with cost-effective cabling solution
UK Government
UK
Cable Solutions
Company
The client is a UK government department based in the West Midlands.
Problem
The end user had a new building to roll-out; where we were trying to bring the project spec up to current standards, as the standards they were working on were not fit for the current marketplace.
They were looking specifically for an end-to-end, 25-year solution that was efficient and cost-effective. Many low-cost solutions are made in factories in East Asia, which became problematic at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The project began at the start of the pandemic so shipping was a major issue. Disruption to the supply chain was causing long lead times and ordering products overseas was not a viable option. The customer was looking for a solution that had a UK manufacturing process to help have a lead time reduction.
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Solution
We identified a manufacturer based in Scotland that could provide the products that the customer needed.
Another benefit of the manufacturer was that they were carbon-neutral and supported environmental sustainability. Partnering with green companies can reduce costs as climate change is a very relevant topic being discussed in our industry right now.
When we put the solution to our client, we found out that they had actually worked with the manufacturer on previous projects. This means they already had a solid relationship so quality assurance was basically already guaranteed. It also meant the manufacturer knew what our customer expected in terms of the supply chain needs.
Outcome
We managed to secure the project and deliver the products our client needed without any problems, human error, or delays.
Our team also set up a tracker for the client, so they could check what orders had been placed, what they’ve drawn down, and when the products were delivered. Having access to this information has been extremely valuable to the customer and we are also providing them with ongoing support. Our focus has been to create a true partnership with this client as it’s been proven that this method can help reduce lead times.
Now that we’ve built the spec, we can continue to deliver the same cabling solutions and support for our local UK government.
FAQs
The budgets for these big projects are often approved months before the work is undertaken. The projects tend to run for a long time and the total cost can be affected by various issues such as price increases.
To overcome this challenge, we offered the client vested stock. This meant we bought all the products from the manufacturer and paid for them before there were any price increases.
The products were then stored on pallets in a dedicated area of our warehouse until they were needed and we did not charge the client for the storage. This saved the client money and helped the project stay within budget.
Next Steps
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