Finding a local spring supplier that you can trust with your manufacturing needs can be a difficult task for any purchasing manager. There are several factors to consider. Choosing the wrong supplier can ruin your project’s schedule and budget, and lead to low-quality products. If you’re on the pursuit for a new local spring supplier, here’s how to find one that you can trust.

Look for Quality, Not Cost

Price isn’t everything. Take the price out of the equation and you’ll be better able to focus on the actual quality of the product you’ll be receiving. When looking for quality, look at the supplier’s experience and expertise with spring manufacturing. Can the employees help you find the right material, shape, and finish for your precise needs? Not every spring will work for every project, so it’s important to find a spring supplier that can provide you with advice and recommendations to ensure the springs you buy will work perfectly for your project. Additionally, perform some research on the best materials—does the supplier use high-quality materials to manufacture springs or are they using cheap, subpar materials that will only lead to low-quality springs?

Experience and Expertise

Of course, as a purchasing manager, you’re likely not an expert in spring making—you’re not an engineer able to create theoretical designs and configure custom springs. Because of this, when you’re searching for a local spring supplier you can trust, you need to find one with employees and spring makers that have the experience and expertise needed to help you create the springs you need for your project. When you can rely on your spring supplier’s experience and expertise, you can ensure that the precise spring you need can be created to the exact specifications you’re looking for—with no errors, hassle, or compromise.

Look for Excellent Customer Service

The differentiation between poor and excellent customer service will be evident in your search. If you’re calling around to different spring manufacturers, you’ll know pretty quickly if you’re getting the answers and customer service you need. If a certain local spring supplier takes days to call you back to discuss your project or inquiry, or gives you short answers on the phone and tries to hang up quickly, you’ll know that in the long-term, this supplier won’t be able to provide you with the customer service you need to ensure your project is running smoothly.

Ask Around

The industrial manufacturing business is a small industry. It’s likely that most people in the business know each other, or at least know of each other. So, if you’ve looked for quality, technology, and customer service, and still can’t decide if you can trust the local spring supplier that you’ve found, ask around. Discuss the supplier with others in the industry. They might have insight, anecdotes, and reviews that they can share with you. They might be able to tell you if the local spring supplier you’re looking at working with has terrible delivery service, outrageous lead times, or subpar products. If you’ve come up empty handed in your search, others in the business can give you referrals. Word of mouth can be very useful in your search.

Factors to Consider

There are several factors, characteristics, and qualities to consider when you’re on the search for a local spring supplier that you can trust. Before you rush into a business relationship with a new spring manufacturer, consider its level of quality, the types of equipment and technology it uses and the level of customer service it offers. When in doubt, ask around for referrals and reviews before you commit.