NBG MD INTERVIEW
our ranks. I can come along as the numbers man with my spreadsheet and talk to them about the figures, but they need to believe that the relationships and the cultural fit will be right for their business. That’s what Ian brings us, because people know him and trust him. We have also added resource in other areas because we completely understand that, although we expect all Partners to play their part, their first priority has to be to their own business.
So all the back office work, the contracts, the tendering, the analysis is increasingly being done by NBG administration. Bob Davies, as Buyer, has done a huge amount and now we have brought in Paul Duff to work alongside him as an extra resource. He’s previously worked at Jewson’s, TP, and Screwfix as a Buyer. His philosophy is exactly what Bob's is, about finding ways of working with the suppliers. We need a good deal, yes, but we want to work together to make the deals successful. Our whole next evolution is going to be about the account management side because that will be the way that we really do maximise sales for Suppliers and Partners. Technology is another area that we have really upped our resources in. We have to, if we are to be a modern buying group helping modern independents run their modern businesses. We have the most fantastic system now. We are running with the same two people that we’ve had for the last seven years. The only reason we’ve been able to do that is because we have automated it, so the technology that sits behind NBG is as good as it gets. Systems are everything nowadays. In the modern era if you aren’t good at systems then you aren’t going to survive. Data is going to be our next big focus. Our biggest project going forward will be the Product Information Management. It’s so simple to say, but hard to do right. We need
to ensure that everyone has the right data, in the same format. If you're going to be online you have to have good data. It’s got to be more than a code, a description and an image. You have to have the knowledge of the product and that means everyone having the right information, that’s easily accessible and in a format that works for everyone. Amazon can afford armies of people to do that for them, but we are only NBG, so we have to find ways of making it happen. If we don’t get the support of suppliers then it won’t happen, so that's why we launched it at our supplier summit and asked for manufacturers’ help.
We are at the beginning of the journey so we are going to put some real resource behind it and we will have two people working on it full-time. We have third party software specialists working with us who have done similar projects with other buying groups in Europe. We will make it happen, because we have to have it. This is more than just enabling our partners to sell online. This
is also about getting good quality data into the back office, and making sure you have the most accurate pricing information so you get fewer invoice queries. We are adopting the ETIM standard and it is being spearheaded in the UK by the BMF. That whole problem of making sure that we have the right product for the right solution is avoided as long as we have the correct data in a format that is the same for everyone.
This whole issue of clean data then links into EDI ordering and stock control. As a Supplier, why would you not want to have all your products loaded with all the correct details and information onto a customer’s back office where there is a chance it might get sold and sold into the correct project? Along with all this, there is the commitment to maintaining the spirit of NBG. You can be a big merchant but that doesn’t mean to say you know what’s going on in every single area: in roofing, plumbing, bricks, civils or landscaping. Because NBG has this range of specialist businesses, there’s always someone out there who really is close to the coal face and close to suppliers. The commitment to the group means they are always happy to share that knowledge.
Being part of the NBG gives our Partners as much of a voice as they want to have. We know that Partners want to feel that if there is a problem they can air it and it can get fixed. As a Partner, if you want have your say on the direction of the group, sit on a category team or be involved with a deal that is really important to your business, you can do it. The decisions aren’t all made by one person the Board and we think that is really important. Ultimately yes, the buying team of Bob and Paul will play a big part in preparing the deal, but the Partners have to vote for it because, ultimately, we want them to support it.
6 January 2020
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