Given that pallet sizes and designs have become largely standardized, you might not think there would be much difference between one pallet supplier and the next. On the contrary, there are a lot of things that are worth considering when you are trying to decide which pallet supplier (also called pallets manufacturers) to use.
Choosing a pallets supplier might seem like a trivial decision for your business in the grand scheme of things. However, in the eyes of customers, the businesses that you associate with say a lot about the kind of business that you run. For example, if you care about environmentalism, choose a pallets supplier like us.
Our GreenBlock pallet is an environmentally-friendly alternative to usual, wooden pallets, the ultimate source of which you often have no idea. In addition, the GreenBlock pallet can handle over 3,000lbs in weight and is easy to stack and load.
Can They Reach All of Your Locations?
Your business’s individual pallet needs will depend a great deal on how many physical locations your business has, and how far apart they are. You want to be certain that your pallet supplier is able to easily reach all your businesses or locations when they need them. Delays in receiving your pallet orders can end up slowing things down in your warehouse. If you don’t have any pallets left due to delivery issues or breakage, then a shortage of pallets means that you can’t ship your pallets out.
Many businesses have a variety of pallet needs throughout their trade, with different specifications of pallets being required in different regions. This can complicate the choice between pallet suppliers somewhat, but you should be able to find a pallets supplier who can cater to your needs. Don’t settle for anything less than complete and reliable coverage and make sure that all of your locations are in reach of your suppliers.
What are Their Eco Efforts?
Environmental issues have been in the news a lot recently, especially with the Extinction Rebellion protests heating up and a renewed focus on the environment. There is now a growing green dollar for businesses to chase and using eco-friendly suppliers at every opportunity will enable you to trade on your green credentials.
Ask your suppliers where they source their materials. If they supply wooden crates, ask them where they source their wood. If you are able to buy from a supplier who sources their wood from renewable sources, this will give you something to use in your marketing in order to broaden the appeal of your business. Going eco can be easy when any additional money you spend on environmentally-friendly materials will be compensated by additional sales revenue.
Our GreenBlock pallet isn’t just ecologically-friendly, it also offers a number of other advantages over traditional, wooden pallets. In addition to its eco credentials, the GreenBlock is stronger and lighter than the wooden pallets used by most businesses. In fact, by using the GreenBlock pallet, some businesses could be able to ship twice as many pallets for the same cost.
If you want to contribute to a more sustainable future for us all, while also reducing your costs and improving the security of your cargo, the GreenBlock pallet has a lot to offer you.
What Are Their Billing Arrangements?
Different businesses will require different things from their pallets suppliers in terms of payment. Some businesses will place regular and predictable orders for their pallets, while others will operate a more unpredictable schedule, ordering their pallets as and when they need them.
With all the other administrative burdens that a business faces, you don’t want to end up tied to a pallets supplier with a Byzantine billing structure that leaves you confused about how much you should be paying. You also want your supplier to be responsive and to react to any requests within a reasonably timeframe. If every action is delayed to arrange billing, it makes your whole business less responsive.
Ideally, you want to choose a supplier that will deliver pallets according to your needs and then invoice you accordingly at the end of each billing period. This kind of arrangement means that you don’t have to worry about unexpectedly running short on pallets and will be able to request more whenever you need them.
Can They Handle Emergency Requests?
It isn’t just the billing that you need to ensure is responsive, you also need to know that your suppliers will be there for you when you need to order some extra pallets in an emergency. Don’t wait until it’s too late to verify that your pallet supplier will be able to help you in a pinch – make sure that you find out before you decide to give them your business.
If you are in any doubt about the ability of a supplier to always meet demands, you should consider whether there might be a more suitable provider out there for you. Whether you are waiting for the delivery of an order or the pickup of used pallets, you want a supplier who is going to respond to you promptly and take care of the issue.
An unreliable supplier can end up being a bottleneck for your whole business, slowing you down when you can least afford it. Be selective about the businesses that you rely on the most. Don’t trust another business with any of your critical infrastructure if you don’t have complete faith in them. This is a mistake that many businesses make and they always come to regret it in the worst possible way.
Do You Know Who Your Point of Contact is?
For any business that you work with, you should always have a clearly defined point of contact. This is the person that you will turn to if you run into any issues with your pallet order, or if you need to amend your order, such as the number, type or size of pallets you need.
It doesn’t matter how big your business or your supplier is, you should still insist upon being given the contact details of an actual person that you can contact if you need to speak to someone. This won’t always be someone on the warehouse floor with the pallets, but it should be someone reasonably close to your orders.
Choosing the right supplier for your pallets is an important consideration for a number of reasons. Businesses today need to be dynamic and to be able to respond to any situation that arises. This means that they must rely upon their suppliers to provide them with what they need in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable cost. A business that cannot trust its suppliers is a business that is operating without a vital part of its infrastructure.
No matter the size of your business, it is essential to ensure that you are selective about the other businesses that you decide to partner with. Choosing the wrong partners will leave you high and dry at the worst times. Your pallet supplier is much more important and could have a far larger impact, both to your reputation and your functionality as a business, than you might think.