As business and industry recover from the lockdown, the way consumers and suppliers manage their relationship will be more important than ever.
Access to comprehensive stockholding is a key factor for industry. Fast turnaround for production is also crucial due to the cost of downtime.
“The range of stockholding has to offer a one-stop shop for both general and specialized, customer- specific products,” says Heinrich Vollgraaff, Sales Manager of NDE Stainless Steel in Montague Gardens.
Hygienic
In the Western Cape, NDE supplies many food-quality producers in the large food, beverage and agricultural sectors with hygienic pipe and fittings available off-the-shelf.
For the uncompromised purity required by pharmaceutical laboratories, NDE offers Dockweiler’s highly specialised pipe and fittings for the critical applications requiring the utmost quality and precision.
Engineering
The general engineering industry uses a wide range of stainless steel products including sections, sheet, plate, tubing, pipe and fittings. The stainless steel must be of good quality from reputable mills and must be available in the two most commonly-used grades, 304 and 316. Quick turnaround time is also important in this sector.
Automotive
The automotive industry’s factories are mostly ‘pull’ factories that keep little to no stock. They rely heavily on their stainless steel suppliers to keep stock for them and deliver just as they need the material for the production line. This requires a relationship of real efficiency and trust, to ensure that the line is not delayed.
Certain automotive applications call for different tempered material which hardens with time, making the management of stock even more critical to prevent downtime for these factories.
Aluminium is also used in automotive production and NDE has become critical supplier to this industry.
“Understanding customers’ needs and guiding them through challenges with good quality material and the right products is a responsibility of the supplier,” says Vollgraaff.
“The focus should be on win-win with both parties benefitting from the relationship. Accountability is also important to make sure the agreed outcome is reached.”
NDE’s has the most comprehensive stockholding of stainless steel in the Western Cape – Flat Products, Sections, Tubing, Pipe & Fittings, Hygienic Pipe & Fittings as well as some Aluminum products.
- For more information visit: www.nde.co.za
