How to Evaluate Plastic Sheeting Suppliers

Let's examine the most important things to consider when choosing poly sheeting vendors. Everyone is trying to save money by getting better prices from plastic sheeting suppliers. But is getting a better price always a better deal? Price should be only one factor in the bigger picture of your business operations.

1. Price - Yes, price is important. But if your supplier cannot make a reasonable margin on your business, then something is going to suffer. More likely than not, the quality and specifications of your sheeting will fluctuate.

2. Service - We are highly dependent upon our manufacturers because we outsource the product. Over the past year we've been measuring the effect of fill rates, late orders, time to resolve an issue, and time to import invoices, and how all of these things affect not only our expenses but also impact customer satisfaction. 

3. Quality - This applies not only to vendors' adherence to specifications, but also whether the product is packed adequately, labeled correctly, and includes agreed-upon specifications.

Most business owners know to look for these metrics but they seldom measure how well a vendor actually meets them. It's important for you to know the actual cost of a supplier's failure in any of these categories.

4. Alignment - It's this fourth category that many companies fail to consider. And it's just as important as the first three.

Do you have a supplier who will take your business, but only on his terms? It seems to me that when a supplier is not aligned with your long-term interest, then you should stop buying from him -- or at the very least, limit your buying.

Purchasing power is a strategic competitive advantage. But it's not just low prices we get. We are now building true partnerships where our suppliers have just as much concern for our customers and our long-term success as we do. 

The Packaging Group is a leading provider of packaging supplies, packaging equipment and packaging solutions. If you would like to know more about The Packaging Group and how we can help you improve the quality and reliability of your plastic sheeting supplies, view our selection of products, or contact us for additional information.