Six essentials of a good MRO supplier

“RS is in business to help our customers to be more efficient and to take costs out of their organisations,” says Emma Botfield, Managing Director for the UK&I at RS. “Whether it’s a design engineer looking at prototyping, whether it’s somebody looking to have products that go into a finished product or whether it’s a factory that’s looking to maintain its assets and equipment, RS is able to provide a very broad range of products to service the needs of all of those customers. 

 

Botfield believes organisations should be looking for the following six key essentials when working with a supplier who can service needs for Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO):

 

We want the process of finding the product you need to getting it delivered to your workplace to be as streamlined and efficient as possible so that your purchasing, facilities and engineering teams can concentrate on their work rather than having to spend hours looking for a component or part. With more than 750,000 products available, rs-online.com provides instant access to our range, up-to-date stock levels and live pricing.

 

We know that many of our customers work away from their desks, either out on the road or in factories or plants, which is why we created a hassle free user experience for customers with mobile devices. Browse, search and order your products anytime, anywhere, giving your teams the flexibility and service they need.

 

One of the biggest challenges in MRO procurement is ensuring you manage stock levels efficiently, and RS has created a service to make inventory management easy. RS ScanStock® helps customers in managing faster moving, low value MRO items – using barcode scanning technology and a team of dedicated specialists to check, order and replenish your inventory. This makes it possible to reduce inventory carrying costs, save time receiving and putting away stock, improve reporting and streamline processes which helps productivity. In addition, by keeping better track of stock and monitoring spend it’s possible to reduce shrinkage and improve inventory availability.

 

In order to reduce inefficiency and costs from the MRO procurement process it’s essential to have a smooth purchase-to-pay process. RS has a range of eCommerce solutions, which can integrate with your existing system helping to speed up the ordering process and reduce admin (which helps lower process costs), as well as decreasing the number of purchasing errors. By introducing an eCommerce Solution, you also gain greater control and can start to streamline your operations, saving both time and ultimately cutting your costs.

 

When you urgently need a component or part that could potentially lead to downtime in your operations, instant access to these products is essential. RS has a network of 16 local branches spread across the UK, giving your business same-day access to a wide range of products that have been specifically profiled to meet local demand. In addition, our local branches give engineers on the road the option to order via mobile and to collect products at their convenience.

 

Find your closest RS Local branch

 

Many MRO orders can be highly technical or require parts that have set safety standards. To help customers find the right products for their needs and to provide technical expertise to answer your questions, RS has a comprehensive customer service centre. Our UK call centre operates 24/7, 365 days a year. We also operate a live chat service for customers who want to ask questions online. In addition, RS has a team of qualified engineers who can discuss technical issues and provide advice over the phone.