Why Lead Times Still Matter

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Post-pandemic, I’ve noticed a shift in the way that many fabricators frame their revised lead times, writes Euroglaze’s Martin Nettleton, with the inference that trade customers are now more comfortable than they used to be with deliveries in 10 days rather than five.

That’s certainly true to a degree, as installers continue to work their way through busy order books. Yet despite what some big players in the market would have us – lead times really do still matter. Certainly, there’s very much a place for the kind of 3.5 day lead time that Euroglaze has restored for standard white frames in Rehau PVC-U.

Ordering from us before 3:00pm on Monday for delivery on Thursday means installers can squeeze in extra jobs at short notice and eliminate the costly downtime which so often happens at the end of the week on three or four day installs – I would recommend that other fabricators follow our lead (no pun intended).

Productivity

We supply stockists and trade installers right across the UK. The feedback they give us is that our reliable 3.5 day turnaround gives them the flexibility they need to maximise output on all five or even six days of the week - therefore boosting their productivity and profitability.

With signs of a slowdown coming in the market, competition will obviously start to increase and I think it’s inevitable that we will see much less tolerance in the trade and amongst homeowners for extended lead times and anything less than top notch customer service.

The whole market has been operating in a bubble for almost two years and there could be a rude awakening coming for companies who have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to efficiency or become a little too complacent in responding to customer demands.

Picture: Martin Nettleton, MD at Euroglaze.

Article written by Cathryn Ellis
06th September 2022

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