Don’t Waste Time: Streamline

Chris Fisher, UK operations director at ECI Spruce, explores a range of factors that Bromley Timber and Builders Merchant needed to consider in order to operate efficiently, secure repeat business and provide outstanding customer service.

aving been part of a larger H organisation that was taken over by a new operator around ten years ago, Bromley Timber and Builders Merchant found themselves struggling to excel in customer service, forced to operate under a fixed infrastructure, wasting time on pointless business initiatives and admin tasks – none of which seemed to focus on the needs of the consumer.

Following the decision to ‘go it alone’ and set up independently, Bromley now take pride in offering a personalised and professional service, with access to an extensive range of products and materials, catering for the needs of individual tradespeople as well as national housebuilders. Before committing to the implementation of a new ERP system, the team knew it needed to be right for them if they were to thrive in a competitive environment. With this in mind, they spoke to a number of industry experts, as well as fellow independent merchants, determined to fully understand the pros and cons of the different systems available.

From the outset, they knew they required a system that could help alleviate many of the day-to-day challenges draining resources and slowing down the overall operation, as well as one that could scale up as the business grew, while also remaining flexible as market trends and customer demand evolved.

It’s becoming more common for businesses to deploy ERP systems in an attempt to better manage many of the back office processes, with staff able to access point-of-sale and stock management records via the cloud, reducing the chance of over or under ordering certain products. Interestingly, poor document management is one of the main reasons preventing merchants from scaling up, as extending product ranges and increasing stock levels becomes all the more tricky. Diversifying the product range was identified as a potential way Bromley could set themselves apart from competition and alongside high quality hardwoods, softwoods and other timber supplies, Bromley stock an extensive range of building products, making efficient stock replenishment crucial to avoid customer disappointment.

With an ERP in place, much of the ordering and stock management process is now automated, as purchasing needs are reviewed on a daily basis and orders are automatically generated based on pre-determined stock levels. The buying team continue to oversee this process, but Bromley are now confident that they’re unlikely to run out of, or overorder certain stock lines – costly mistakes for an independent merchant.

Since implementing the software, Bromley have been able to extend their product lines, now offering a selection of non-core items, alongside its traditional product ranges. Via the cloud, staff can easily access the correct item price without having to source and input the details each time, confident that they’re working off the most up-to-date information and ultimately, providing a better customer service. To strengthen their reputation as industry experts, the team were keen to invest as much time possible in customer interaction, offering unparalleled advice and guidance. This meant they were keen to reduce the headache created by invoicing and record keeping, with endless paperwork and outdated processes draining time.

Under the Spruce document management system, all transactions are automatically linked, giving the team instant access to everything they might need on one single database. Customers’ quotes, purchase orders, goods received, and POs are all available via this central system, allowing those working on the shop floor to quickly pull up information while chatting to a customer.

Full customer records are also available at the touch of a button, allowing staff working on the shop floor to print or email documents, providing the information customers require, in their preferred format within a matter of minutes. In an increasingly digitised world, many customers now prefer a digital record of their transaction, with paper receipts increasingly viewed as a thing of the past.

As all timber and builders merchants will understand, the majority of customers are time-poor so it is important that measures are taken to reduce queuing time by streamlining the check-out process. Since implementing the Spruce software, check-out staff can quickly scan items, enter product codes, or look them up in the system using a range of key search terms – making the sales transaction efficient and professional and reducing the chance of customers taking their business elsewhere.

The decision to implement an end-to-end ERP system isn’t always easy, with businesses understandably concerned around the initial outlay and getting employees up to speed with a new system, however as Bromley have demonstrated, the benefits can be extensive, with many reporting significant savings on resources and far less duplication of work.

More at  www.ecisolutions.com/en-gb/builders-merchants-

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New cladding handbook provides welcome knowledge resource

Judging by the increased number of enquiries and reports of good sales growth from TDCA members, there is a healthy interest in using timber to create a natural and attractive cladding finish to beautifully designed, low carbon buildings. Janet Sycamore, Director of The Timber Decking & Cladding Association (TDCA) says that many of its members have been working round the clock to meet demand with some selling out as soon as a delivery arrives. “If 2020 is anything to go by, then the popularity of timber cladding has never been greater.”

New cladding choices

Despite the obvious challenges in 2020, TDCA members continued to innovate and successfully bring new products to market with colour, texture and durability being top of the list of attributes required. Products such as the award winning IRO timber cladding with a striking grain appearance – durable and finished with a protective cream, it comes in a range of 15 colours. Finish Line cladding from James Latham is another example. Combining modified wood (Accoya), timber engineering and surface protection, this specialist process can even create a distinctive two-tone effect with some of the 12 colour options available. Ecochoice is also offering a pre-weathered range where the cladding is supplied with a natural looking silvery grey finish to provide colour consistency throughout the weathering process.

A new ‘must have’ cladding resource

Correctly designed, specified and installed, timber cladding will have a long and low maintenance life. But do you know your roof batten from your cladding batten or how to calculate the ideal length for your fixings or what type they should be? This and many other topics are addressed in the new Cladding Handbook produced in partnership with the Timber Trade Federation and supported by the Wood Protection Association and Wood Campus. Developed to support the growing cladding market, this go-to 48-page resource provides clear, relevant and up to date information for specifiers, buyers and installers. The Handbook references a new version of the TRADA External Cladding manual which is due for release in April. The two documents go hand in hand – The Handbook acting as a forerunner with summarised and illustrative guidance with the TRADA one being more detailed and of particular interest to the architect. Janet concludes, “Given the number and type of cladding enquiries we have been receiving, we expect our new collaborative booklets to literally fly off their virtual shelves whilst recognising that some people will still want a copy they can physically pick up and flick through’’.

The Cladding Handbook is free to download or available in hard copy (£12 inc p&p) from www.tdca.org.uk

5C Flemming Court, Castleford, WF10 5HW  01977 558147  info@tdca.org.uk  www. tdca.org.uk

The TDCA is an independent, technical and advisory body for the timber decking and timber cladding industry. It was established to promote the materials, design and installation practices required to create good quality decks, associated landscape structures and cladding on buildings.

Timbermark helps Swiss Krono develop export sales with high quality marking on OSB panels

Timbermark, the printing and marking systems specialist, has added Swiss Krono Group to its international customer base. Swiss Krono, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of OSB panels, approached Timbermark at the start of 2020 regarding a marking project at its production site in Hungary. A large export order had been rejected by their customer for illegible marking. The company had been using a large character printer to add traceability information to their OSB panels, but with the production line operating at speeds of 120m/minute, the LCP was not able to produce a consistently legible mark. Timbermark, whose international customers already include BSW in Latvia, Sotrinbois in France and MyWood in Slovakia, proposed using a handheld inkjet printer in the first instance to recover the rejected panels, and Swiss Krono was able to save approximately 3000m2 of stock by re-applying the mark. They used the Sojet D1 ‘Dragon’ handheld printer, which is low cost, low maintenance and uses Hewlett Packard print technology to provide a high quality, high resolution print. Impressed by the print quality and user-friendly interface offered by the Sojet product, Swiss Krono wanted to install a printer onto the production line in Hungary to mark all panels as they are produced. Following a site visit in mid-March, Timbermark designed and installed a printer system on the main OSB production line. The system has 3 print heads with floating skids on a moving cross beam, controlled from a PLC to change height automatically according to the panel thickness. The finished system is fast and accurate, producing a high-quality print at 120m/minute. Swiss Krono can include their logo as well as the traceability information their customers need. The enhanced quality of the mark has enabled Swiss Krono to consolidate their export sales volumes, ensuring all production is legibly and attractively marked.

For further information visit www.timbermark.co.uk or call 0870 803 1877

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