In business, particularly in manufacturing industries, changing suppliers and vendors can be a lot of work, and it takes effort to find a new supplier. With this in mind, many companies will stay with an ineffective or unreliable supplier as long as they are doing an average job.
In the aluminum, iron, and steel or the metallurgic industries staying with a bad graphite materials supplier is a mistake. Not only will this impact your ability to keep the operation at maximum production, but it may be costing you money without any benefits in return.
There are four distinct signs that any company should use to know if it is time to start considering new graphite materials suppliers. Routine comparisons of your current supply against others in your market can be an eye-opening practice.
Price Outside of the Market
Competitive graphite materials suppliers will keep their prices within the market. Less than reputable suppliers may offer lower cost materials that are brought in from manufacturers not meeting ISO9001:2008 standards. While the prices are low, so is the quality.
Low Quality and Poor Durability or Life Cycle
As mentioned above, quality of graphite materials is important. When graphite electrodes or blocks don’t stand up or have the life cycle you have seen in the past, it is a sure sign that the supplier has switched to a lower standard manufacturer.
Poor Inventory Levels
Not all graphite material suppliers keep the same on-hand inventory. This can sometimes lead to long turnaround times from the date of the order, even with standard sizes of rods and blocks.
Late Deliveries
With Just-In-Time shipments or with standalone orders, the supplier should be able to provide delivery within the promised timeframe. Issues are sometimes out of their control, such as extreme weather conditions that shut down roads, but other than these factors late deliveries are a sure sign to start looking for a new supplier.