There are several reasons why you might wish to purchase material handling equipment in bulk. Perhaps you have started up a brand new company, and as part of your operation you will need a large amount of material handling equipment. Maybe you’ve built up a small fleet of material handling equipment over time, but several pieces of equipment have fallen into disrepair, or are just not as effective as they used to be.
The suppliers of material handling equipment will often give you large discounts if you buy in bulk. Such companies are always looking for ways of maximizing sales, and if you have a budget, then you should be able to negotiate a mutually-beneficial deal with your chosen supplier. Companies love regular orders, and on the off-chance that your company grows (as you hope it will), your original supplier will be hoping that you return to them in your hour of material handling equipment need.
How to Select the Right supplier for Your Material Handling Equipment Bulk Order
Companies that supply material handling equipment offer a wide range of capabilities and experience. You will have already identified a particular challenge – the need to buy material handling equipment in bulk within your company’s budget. When you are canvassing for suppliers make sure that you stick to that particular need, and not be swayed into purchasing too many items, or going over budget.
Identifying your ideal supplier means looking for someone who will take the time to listen to you, and who understands what you are seeking to achieve. They should also be looking to secure a business-to-business relationship with you, rather than just be looking to fulfill this one order.
Things That a Decent Supplier Will Offer:
- They will completely evaluate your needs in detail, and will also assess how best to serve you now and in the future. If a company simply writes down what you think you need then quotes a standard price, you might want to look elsewhere. Good companies will supply a complete logistical solution for you – supplying what you want, and where you want it.
- A good supplier will also want to know about your business. Part of this will be for ‘selfish’ reasons – i.e. they want to know that you have the capabilities to pay your invoices, and they will want to know what’s in it for them when it comes to establishing a business relationship. However, they will also want to know how they will be able to best serve you, and to give you a completely satisfactory experience with them. That way, they know there’s the best chance of establishing a long-term relationship with you.
- Good suppliers will also never encourage you to go over-budget. They will also be honest about what you hope to acquire – if they think that what you want and your budget are incompatible, then they will be upfront and tell you. They should never offer you sub-standard equipment because that’s all you can afford.
That last bullet point is also generally good advice. You should never trade off quality in order to pay less. Like most things in retail, attempting to save dollars by settling for sub-standard equipment is one of the worst things you can do. A folding hand-truck, for example, that is going to last six months before it bends or breaks is never a better option than a more expensive version that’s going to give you many years of excellent service.
Some Other Things to Consider:
- You cannot beat quality and reliability. Sub-standard items that prove to be repeatedly unreliable renders a poor return-on-investment. You may save money in the short term, but you’ll end up spending a lot more in the future.
- Efficiency is key. ‘Improving efficiency’ is something of a business ‘catch all’ term, but that’s precisely what you should be striving for. If you increase the efficiency in the way that your production floor, logistical needs and employees work, then you’ll find most other aspects of your business will improve as well.
- Look for items that will make improvements in other areas beside getting items from point A to point B. Storage space is often at a premium, so look for pieces of equipment that have a small footprint.
- Increasing automation and reducing manual labor is important, as that will cut down on labor costs – particular extras such as overtime and seasonal work.
Building up a fleet of material handling equipment can seem like quite a daunting task, but it’s far better to maximize the discounts available to you if you can place a bulk order. Building up your fleet piece by piece as needed will cost you money both in the short-term and in the long run. You need to get it right, though–the best suppliers are the ones who are prepared to help you to achieve just that.
When you begin your search for the best, most reliable and most helpful supplier, we humbly suggest that you start and end your search here at Douglas Equipment. We have thousands of items for you stored in our warehouse, and we’re willing to work with you to fulfill bulk orders of all types of material handling equipment. We’ll work with you to provide the ideal solution for your company’s material handling needs.
Please contact a member of our customer service team by phone toll free at 800-451-0030, or if you are in the Miami area, call 305-888-3700. You can also use our online contact form to contact us via email and we’ll respond as soon as we are able. We look forward to doing business with you very soon.
