This is part II in our series of common coating mistakes. You can get the full list by downloading the guide, “Keep Coating Customers Growing” where we share some of the common mistakes and opportunities we have observed so you can have rewarding experiences with your future coatings projects.
MISTAKE 2: Not having enough product on time.
The paint production supervisor gets the call: “There’s no paint.” Manufacturing lines are shut down. More than 100 people stop working. This scenario is painful and all too common. Inventory is a big deal for all of our clients. Not having what you need to do a job is a problem we hear about often.
Potential risks
The consequences of making this mistake are pretty clear: loss of productivity, missed deadlines, upset customers and loss of money.
How to prevent this mistake
Understand and stay on top of the lead time for coating manufacturing and shipping. If a special coating is coming in from overseas, for example, account for any extended travel time.
Be sure someone is managing inventory and being proactive so there are no surprises. Vendors should be doing cycle counts to see what they need to order. When an order is placed with Accessa, the product is going to ship from one to five business days from the order date. If you are ordering directly from a manufacturer, you’re probably looking at a two- to three-week lead time.
Set up a plan with your vendor. For example, develop an agreement in which you have at least two weeks’ worth of product on the floor and your coating vendor promises to have one month’s worth ready to ship in its warehouse.
We set up safety nets so that our customers don’t run out of product. We have the ability to pull inventory from our different branch locations, so we can move fast when there is an urgent need. We are also hands on. Part of our job is to know how much product our customers need and how much they have. Accessa’s Coating Consultants are in our customer’s warehouses and shops, looking at their inventory so they can avoid the 911.
Customers who understand the importance of inventory but also understand that it shouldn’t be their top priority often work with a distributor such as Accessa, opposed to a manufacturer, for these reasons.
Contact me at 317-879-2055 to make sure you always have the product you need when you need it.