Interview
AWEBB: learning and developing together
Bryony Andrews, EW editor, speaks to Barry Hall, learning and development manager at AWEBB.
What is your role at AWEBB and how long have you been working for the group? As the learning and development manager, I’m here to support our members through the personal development of themselves and their teams. Whilst at our core we are a commercial organisation, the advent of a comprehensive training plan is also fundamental to what we do. Our people are our difference – whether that’s to our customers, their teams and, of course, our suppliers. Never standing still and gaining new knowledge and skills only goes to prove that we truly are different in our industry. I’ve been working for the group for over three years.
What are the advantages for wholesalers of being an AWEBB member? Well, we are the only commercial organisation that offers completely bespoke training, both online and face to face. This offers a really compelling proposal to those wholesalers who want to make this an important part of their growth. Additionally, we are the most significant buying group in the UK, consistently being relevant to our members by offering added value services. This, combined with our pragmatic negotiation approach, has seen our members receive unrivalled levels of return year on year by engaging with our approved suppliers.
Can you share a brief overview of AWEBB’s formation and how it has evolved in the years since? AWEBB was initially formed in 1976 with just four wholesalers who shared a like-minded ambition to work together with shared commercial goals. We have now evolved to nearly 90 member businesses across the UK and Ireland with more than 250 branch outlets, providing a truly national coverage linked by our unique Electracentre network of which our members are a part of.
What were some key AWEBB achievements in 2023? The highest return on investment for our members in AWEBB’s history.
ewnews.co.uk Over 300 people engaged in AWEBB
LEAD Academy - powered by Aico - Training Programmes. Highest number of EDA modules taken by
AWEBB members since their launch. Over 200 people attending our regional meetings across the UK and NI to share ideas and exchange information. Significant investment in ECD with
unmatched levels of stock with plans firmly in place for further growth. A strong and focused commercial team
at AWEBB with dedicated commercial and contracts managers driving purchasing and supply chain resulting in competitive advantage The first AWEBB Manager of the Year Award
presented at our AGM in Portugal – a fitting recognition of how we value great people.
Can you tell me about AWEBB’s LEAD Academy and its aims moving forward? We have gone from having no specific training provision to having a full suite of development programmes being delivered to many levels in various formats – face-to-face, regional and online. My plan is to build on this even further, and I’m working on some exciting plans for our Leadership Pathway Programme which will provide great opportunities for our members in the future so that the very best training can be used for generations to come. This is all part of our ambitious five-year strategy.
What about the ElectraCentre Distribution (ECD)- what advantages does it offers members? ECD makes us uniquely different from other buying groups by providing stockholding of £1.2m, forming a central service offering members additional stockholding to their own stock profiles. We can therefore bulk purchase, taking commercial advantage of better terms which are directly beneficial to each and every member. This adds to the strength of the group by providing a central hub which members can order from. A daily delivery service further enhances our members’ customer service proposition.
What are the main challenges facing AWEBB’s electrical wholesaler members in 2024? Clearly, online is a growing challenge, but one that individual members are developing at local and regional levels. From an AWEBB perspective, we are looking to support this by integrating more of our offer across the branch network, such as the Electracentre app, which will provide customers with up to date access of stock across the UK, not just where the account is held. A great example of teamwork, knowledge and strength. The other key challenge is that of recruitment
and retention, and this is where the development programmes are helping our members, with specially invited keynote speakers leading workshops that aim to address these issues. We are encouraging different ways of thinking about this challenge. Our Leadership programmes will reflect this so that we are in the best possible position to recruit and retain. This, coupled with the development of our own people, will go some way to foster a great industry culture.
What are your aims for AWEBB and the LEAD Academy - powered by Aico - moving forward? Learning and development is a journey without a finishing line. AWEBB has embarked on that journey and our members have embraced it with open arms, challenging themselves and others to think how they can unlock the potential in their people. This has had seismic results that have developed the best people in the business which, in turn, has contributed to a fantastic return on investment for the growth of our members’ businesses. The Leadership Pathway Programme and new initiatives aim to build on this as we move forward, going from strength to strength.
https://awebb.org.uk
April 2024 electrical wholesaler | 30
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