SUPPLIER SUMMIT


ADAPT O


ne of the things that was very apparent when the pandemic hit in March 2020, was how quickly Partners were able to react and adapt, said NBG Chairman David Szymanski. “For a while, there was a period where nobody really knew who could do what, and whether the building industry was able to continue in this country. Some merchants did shut down for a short while, some carried on. Once we understood that merchants could open as part of the essential economy, Partners had to work really hard to get to grips with new rules such as signage and sanitisation stations everywhere. By and large, they did that very successfully.” Not only that, but the pandemic brought them in a whole new sector of customers, Szymanski said. “When the DIY stores had to shut down, it pulled a lot of retail business into merchants, because we all know that during the various lockdowns people decided to work on their own homes and garden projects. So that was something that Partners had to deal with as well. Since then, of course, things have rebalanced somewhat and we’re back to more traditional customer bases.”


The Group as a whole have worked pretty well through it all, he continued. “At NBG we didn’t furlough anybody, and we had everyone working from home for a long time. We held regular Zoom meetings to maintain communication, which was vital, and the CMTs still met regularly, so NBG continued to push forward.” Problems haven’t ceased of course and the well-documented shortage of lorry drivers continues to cause issues for merchants, he said. “So, it’s been a tough time. The lack of lorry


ANDSURVIVE


NBG Chairman David Szymanski looks at how the group has managed through the peculiar Covid period


drivers means you don’t deliver the goods, and the container problems in the far-east means there’s a big shortage of materials. Plus, of course, you cannot ignore Brexit. So, managing all this has been tough and NBG has played a big part supporting the Partners and the Suppliers through it all. You get two reactions with Suppliers, either they struggle to start with but talk to customers and eventually find a system that works in the circumstances, or they get frightened of it. Some Suppliers have never had to manage product allocations before; it is a skillset that not many have because they’ve never had to before. It is getting better but there is still a long way to go and I don’t think the shortages will disappear overnight.


Moving forward into 2022, Szymanski says the group’s big project, as well as supporting CMT’s, is the revamp of the IT offer. “Our Hub is now a massive success; it underpins the whole


At NBG we didn’t furlough anybody, and we had everyone working from home for a long time. We held regular Zoom meetings to maintain communication, which was vital, and the CMTs still met regularly, so NBG continued to push forward.


January 2022


buying group. Plus, we launched our Product Information Management system, which collects data on all of the products. With that now up and running - although we still have data to collect from some Suppliers - it’s been an initial big success.” The Group has a plan for the future that has been in existence for the past five or six years, he continues, one that comes with seven strategies and eight core values. “It really sets out what we want to do and achieve, and is everything you would expect of a strategy. This isn’t an NBG Central Team-led strategy, it’s the Partners’ strategy and over time they have fed into it.


“We review it all regularly and there is more work we want to do over the next weeks and months to make sure we reflect the culture the Partners want to work within. I think we know where we want to be, and in many areas, we are there, but there is always more to do and we’re always looking to improve. At NBG we have a great Central Team that has just been refreshed, they do a good job for the Partners, and the Partners are happy with what they do.” One of the issues the Group is looking at is direct invoicing, something Szymanski says is in everybody’s interest, whether they are NBG Partners and Suppliers or not. “NMBS, with whom we work very closely, would obviously be central to that,” he said.


“This comes back to Suppliers, when you have problems, the most important thing is communication. Companies used the COVID- 19 pandemic situation to excuse their poor communication. That wasn’t just in our industry, it happened everywhere. Suppliers are now getting their salespeople out on the road and organising face-to-face meetings again, we’ve discovered that you can do so much more when you see people face-to-face in terms of dealing with issues.”


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