Single vs Multiple Suppliers: Weighing up the Options When it Comes to Your Scales

When it comes to sourcing and managing your weighing equipment, is it better to use a single supplier or multiple suppliers? Here, we look at some of the benefits of using a single supplier including cost savings, reliable service and streamlined compliance, as well as some of the pitfalls of using multiple suppliers.

1. Cost savings  

One of the primary benefits of using a single supplier for you weighing equipment and service across the entire group are the significant cost savings. With multiple suppliers, the volumes are lower which means less bargaining power. By sourcing from a single supplier, you can leverage the group’s buying power and secure a group discount structure.  

The other cost that may be less obvious is the time involved in sourcing, negotiating, and managing the process of securing your weighing equipment. There is significantly more overhead involved in these steps when you deal with multiple suppliers, not only for the quality or technical manager, but also for the accounts department.  

2. Reliable service 

Suppliers tend to be less responsive to clients the lower their stake is in their business. In times of emergency, this can present huge risks and result in unnecessary downtime. Furthermore, information sharing is typically less straightforward when you have multiple suppliers.  

By having a single point of contact, you will be able to form a trusting partnership with someone who will be familiar with your processes, challenges, and requirements. You will get to know the same engineers and learn to rely on them for their knowledge and fast resolution of issues. This is particularly important at big groups where there are multiple sites. We often find that people move around from site to site, and by having a single contact for each location, they can trust that their supplier will already be familiar with their applications.  

With multiple suppliers, not only do you have to remember who looks after which site, but you also run the risk of ending up with different scales at each site, which means you will have less consistency across the group.  

3. Streamlined compliance 

Another benefit of using a single supplier for your service and calibrations is you will be able to manage one set of accreditations for all your equipment, so you can rest assured that you are compliant and up to date with all regulations. MWS has made this process even easier, by providing an online portal to access all your important documents. We also send regular reminders about when your service is due, so you never miss a key deadline and have weighing machines out of calibration.  

4. UK-wide coverage 

There are certainly some benefits to using multiple suppliers, but when it comes to your weighing equipment, it is clear that the benefits of using a single supplier are far greater. At MWS we work with some of the largest companies across a range of industries, and are able to provide a high level of service across the entire UK (United Kingdom) from our two locations in Leicester and County Durham. You can learn more about our services here.