Sourcing and Purchasing Chemicals
Our chemicals team are well placed to understand the challenges that come with sourcing, purchasing and using a wide range of bulk and industrial chemicals.
For more information on procuring Laboratory chemicals, or chemicals for a medical / clinical environment please take a look at our Laboratory and Medical pages.
A little more information
It’s worth clarifying what we mean here first, this area can mean different things to different people. Our ‘Chemicals’ offer centres around the procurement of bulk/industrial chemicals. These chemicals, typically acids, alkalis and specialist powdered chemicals typically range in size from drums via pallets to vats and bulk storage tanks. For most commodity chemicals, such as alcohols the margins are typically small.
Organisations tend to do a good job of shopping around and without much margin in that market, we tend not to be able to make huge gains. Where we do excel however, in is our market, and up-to-date pricing knowledge, our relationships with the key suppliers as well as niche operators.
Our global sourcing expertise in the area of bulk chemicals allows our experts to find hard-to-find supplies. Their backgrounds also allow them to understand the issues from a stakeholder / end-user perspective, guaranteeing a sensitive and mature approach.
Cost areas include:
• Bulk Chemicals
• Industrial Chemicals
Chemical Services
It’s the analytical process we adopt and the detailed knowledge we have that makes our offer so compelling. Our experience and expertise in the area of sourcing bulk and industrial chemicals makes ERA an essential resource when looking for help with purchasing chemicals.
We are former end users and buyers who through our experience with ERA have visibility of the broader market place. We use our knowledge to leverage better prices and service levels from existing suppliers and test the market to suggest alternatives.
We understand that sometimes, complex testing and approval processes can cause inertia within organisations that often work on the “if it ain’t broke” principle. Change in this area can be a challenge, but our experts are experienced in being able to engage with stakeholders and thoroughly assess requirements. They use their technical knowledge to mitigate risk and provide solutions that empathise, rather than conflict with the end users.
The market in chemicals is large and complicated, but our experts thorough process means they will understand your requirements and can guide you through market place to the best supplier arrangements for your particular needs.
Recent project
We recently worked for one client in this area who had been using the same supplier, of a particularly hard-to-source chemical, for a number of years. The supplier gave the organisation notice that they were ceasing production of this product and the client bought up all the remaining stick from the supplier, giving them two years’ supply. After approaching ERA, our specialist found a new supplier able to supply the same product – satisfactorily tested – from a new supplier in South Africa within 4 months and at a 31% saving.