Purchasing managers have a lot to consider when buying springs. They need to be high in quality, correct for the application at hand, within their budgets, and shipped and delivered on time. Any hitch in the purchasing process can have direct repercussions on their businesses’ productivity and profitability.

To ensure that you get everything you’re looking for, as an industrial purchasing manager, you should seriously consider working with a local manufacturer. The close proximity can have a huge positive impact on your business.

Let’s take a closer look at just some of the benefits you’ll get from engaging a local spring manufacturer instead of purchasing overseas.

Better Communication

If you’ve ever dealt with an overseas manufacturer, you know the struggle. The language barrier can have a big impact on your purchase—miscommunication and misunderstandings are standard, and they can cause a lot of problems. Plus, the time difference makes it difficult for you to get answers when you need them. You don’t do business in the same time zone, so you often have to wait 12 hours or more to make contact.

Better Quality Control

To make sure the production of your springs is on the right track, you should have some level of control. When you work with an overseas manufacturer you don’t get the level of quality control that you want. Unless you’re willing to hop on a flight, you can’t visit the factory. You can’t know exactly what’s going on. You can’t pop in to look at the type of machinery that is used. You can’t inspect your product. Instead, you have to wait weeks for a sample to be delivered to you. And if it’s not what you requested, you have to wait even longer for the issues to get fixed and for new samples to be sent and approved.

It’s a lot easier to avoid problems and errors from occurring when you have direct contact with your manufacturer for quality control purposes. You can make sure that the springs you get are exactly what you wanted—the first time around.

Faster Delivery

One of the biggest advantages of working with a local manufacturer is faster delivery. You won’t have to wait for months for your springs to be delivered by boat. You don’t have to worry about customs clearings. When your manufacturer is right around the corner, your product will be shipped and delivered in no time. You won’t have to put your own production on hold.

Bigger Savings

Yes, really. You can save money when you buy locally. Sure, you might get lower initial prices on your springs overseas, but if that’s all you’re considering, you’re forgetting about all of the hidden costs that can put you over your budget. The extra duty and shipping fees. The extra taxes. The loss of productivity and increase in labour and operational costs if shipments are late or the products you receive aren’t what you wanted. The additional wasted time. All of these extra costs can really hurt your budget when you choose an overseas manufacturer. You can save on these hidden expenses when you choose to do business locally, so in the end, you save money.

The Best Route

If you’re looking to get a bigger piece of the market share in your industry, to stay ahead of your competition, to purchase springs that are high quality, to work with a manufacturer that has great customer service, then buying your springs from a local manufacturer is the right route for you.