Maintaining High Service Standards
The last two years have seen profound changes across all industries. Along with the health impact and lifestyle stress placed on many people, industry supply chains have been disrupted and delivery times affected. Wiremarkers Australia has increased its in-house laser marking and cutting capabilities to meet local demand.
Supplying Solar Farms
Many industries Wiremarkers Australia serve were able to continue to grow throughout the pandemic, highlighting the value of having an Australian-based workshop. Renewable energy, particularly solar, has seen considerable growth in recent years.
Wiremarkers Australia now supplies more than 71 Solar Farms around Australia with a range of stainless steel tags, clips and plates, as well as cable ties and tools, signage and a range of fasteners, buckles and labels.
General Manager of Wiremarkers Australia, Jarryd Crampton, has seen first-hand how Australian solar farms — both those under construction and those already operating — have adapted to supply-chain pressures.
“The solar industry was well-positioned to adjust its operations to ensure supply would continue. It’s a regulated industry, and procurement managers are accustomed to planning and scheduling. Requirements for supplies are usually known well in advance, but they couldn’t have planned for the extreme delays from certain suppliers. In some cases, imports from China and Taiwan all but ground to a standstill.”
Having been producing custom tags and labels from their Brisbane workshop for more than ten years, Wiremarkers Australia could continue with the fast production and despatch times for which they are known.
“I think our customers have always appreciated buying Australian-made and the ISO9001 Quality of our products. Our new customers are also now seeing that value,” said Jarryd.
Increased Demand for Telecommunications
NBN installations and telecommunications were more industries that continued to operate when much of the country was in lockdown. As more and more people began to work from home, pressure mounted on these industries to work at full capacity.
Wiremarkers Australia supplies several essential components to these industries and has various exclusive items specified by Telstra, Vodafone and Optus.
Along with the advantage of producing in Australia, the Wiremarkers Australia team are experts in their industry and the industries they serve. They know the regulations, standards and specifications required for the products provided to their customers, and procurement managers appreciate this.
“Training our team and staying up-to-date with the requirements of our customers is a big part of the culture at Wiremarkers Australia,” said Jarryd.
“The team can make suggestions and guide customers to the most appropriate solutions for their project. This knowledge has been especially valuable for new customers who couldn’t source items previously provided by other suppliers. There are often alternatives available, and in many cases, what we supply has become the preferred option.”
Adapting and Changing
While Wiremarkers Australia was able to continue to supply their customers with what they needed throughout the pandemic, they have not been immune to its impact. The tight-knit team split between Australia’s east and west coasts were used to regular catch-ups and face-to-face meetings. Instead, like many Australians, they had to resort to Skype meetings and phone calls.
Border restrictions and trade show cancellations have also meant that many customers lose the opportunity to view, touch and see the quality of Wiremarkers Australia’s products first-hand. The team has got around this by travelling around the states they can, or posting samples to customers if needed.
“We’ve never lost our philosophy of putting the customer first and doing what it takes to provide great service. This has helped the team through any changes we’ve had to make, and I’m really proud that we’ve been able to maintain our high standards, despite the challenges,” said Jarryd.