The right MRO supplier can help food and beverage manufacturers to address key challenges, says Craig Stasik, an Industry Sector Manager at RS
While the acronym VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) has its origins in the Cold War context of the late 1980s, it’s a concept that resonates with many businesses today. The latest Indirect Procurement Report, for example, highlights the array of challenges facing procurement professionals responsible for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO). According to the report, produced by RS and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), there is no single standout issue. Instead, there are a range of different problems.
Respondents to the survey that forms that forms the basis of the report list five significant business pressures. Improve asset performance and the need to ensure sustainable and ethical procurement come top, both at 32%, followed by cope with reduced operational budgets (30%), pressure to reduce inventory costs (28%) and the increased cost of indirect materials (27%). As for the biggest procurement challenges in the next 12 months, 37% of respondents said inflation and higher costs, 31% managing risk in the supply chain and 30% supply chain disruption. Attracting and retaining talent came in just below, at 29%.
These responses came as no surprise to Craig Stasik, Industry Sector Manager for the food and beverage industry at RS. On the contrary, these pressures and challenges reflect the issues that his customers face day in, day out. Here Stasik shares his insights into how food and beverage manufacturers can alleviate these problems without creating new ones – and the role that the right MRO suppliers can play in supporting them.
1. Minimise the risk of supply chain disruption
This has been a real challenge since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and related supply chain issues. However, throughout the last few years, at RS, we have supported our customer base to ensure supply – which also ensures that they have seamless control of their business and production. In the process world, manufacturers need that certainty.
2. Mitigate the impact of inflation
I don’t think it’ll be a surprise to anyone, but inflation is one of the biggest challenges for process customers right now, as it is for pretty much all businesses.
As a result, we’re looking at how we can mitigate costs. Whenever you talk to a customer, if they can get a product that does the same job for a lower price point, they are interested – but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, as the saying goes, so the product needs to stand up to the claim.
It certainly does with the RS Pro range. RS Pro products are tried and tested and will do exactly what they’re supposed to for as long as an equivalent branded product but at a lower price. Customers who use RS Pro products have seen this for themselves and we like to be able to deliver real tangible savings for them.