FEAT RE FEA ATURE
ELECTRON C
ONICI S
THE EVOLUTION OF THE IRISH DISTRIBUTION MARKET
THE EVOLUTION O F THE I RIS H DIST RIBUTION MA RKE T
Gary Bradley, country manager for RS Ireland looks across the electronics component distribution market in Ireland andeland and explores how this is moving forward, supporting industry growth
ry B adley, country m ger for RS Ireland looks across the
electroni s com onent distributionm rket i this ism
forw su rtin in stry here in Ireland. Buyers within
th expertise in this area. Maintenance i n manufacturing is a major factor, and this space has been revolutionised thanks to an array of smart maintenance products. These help manufacturers save costs by negating product and parts wastage caused in scheduled preventative maintenance, whilst at the same time, managing risk of downtime arising from product failure by facilitating predictive maintenance.
manufacturing now have a range of considerations when looking to access the latest smart products and technical
he MRO market has changed beyond all recognition in recent years. The arrival of the digital environment and eCommerce has spurred a behavioural change in how customers research and buy product, whilst advances in
T
automation and smart factories means staying at the forefront of innovation is key. The awareness of MRO procurement is also emerging as a key factor and organisations are now focussing on driving cost efficiencies when using specific distribution channels. These, combined with an engineering skills shortage, are set to pres ent challenge s for both distributors and manufacturer s now and in the future .
RECORD GROWT RECORD GROWTH LEVEL EVELS
In December 2017, the manufacturing sector in Ireland showed record growth - driven by new order growth and the fastest rise in employment in the sector in recent times - and is the second largest employer in the country. This is great news for the industry, but competition in the marketplace like anywhere, is strong. This can often lead to buyers focusing on or prioritising price. However, in addition to price, other factors should be considered when buying products and buyers needs to factor in service, availability and the total procurement cost. These are key
, 26 26 APRI MA 201 APRIL/MAY 2018 | IRISH MAN RISH MANUFAC ACTURI RING
differentiators across their vendor base. When suppliers and distributors are battling in a price war, the end user can make poor buying decisions based on price rather than value, and value can materialise in so many different ways. An engineer will be focused on getting hold of the latest product or technology, a buyer will be focused on price and an Asset Manager or maintenance professional may prioritise stock
availability and speed of delivery. There is a balance to be struck to ensure all stakeholders are happy, and value is qualified. Value points could include ease of purchasing journey, availability of stock, procurement efficiencies gained by using a one-stop-shop supplier, such as consolidation of distributor with
a high technical product vendors, or access to a
knowledge. Striving for value over price savings should always be front of mind for buyers and a differentiator for suppliers and distributors .
GROWT AND
GROWTH AND INNOVINNOVATION As manufacturing grows in Ireland, another development that has
ATION
significantly affected the industry is the arrival of smart factories and
automation, which has driven innovation. Just like in other markets, the arrival of IIOT and the efficiencies that can be generated are being realised in factories
Figure 1: Figure 1: The arrival of smart he arrival of smar
factories and automationfactories and automation is driving innovation, inis driving innovation in the manufacturingturing
,
the manufac industrindustry
Increasingly important as well is cybe r security – with IIOT comes that risk of threat, so working with distributors that stock the latest products becomes even more important. This needs to be backed up with strong technical expertise, which develops as a result of the strategic relationship between the distributor and supplier and this affords the right level of product support to customers and simplifies their buying process .
CON NUED GROWT CONTIINUED GROWT H
To ensure the manufacturing momentum continues to grow, industry players must work collaboratively to ensure the skills shortage doesn’t halt future growth. Investing in the engineers of tomorrow is the responsibility of distributors,
suppliers and manufacturers alike – the future of all our businesses is dependent on this. Whether that means partnering with other organisations, getting involved in initiatives that support the promotion of engineering as a career, or creating initiatives, everyone needs to get involved on some level.
As a distributor RS has built a customer base around a strong heritage through its commitment to keeping up with innovation and stocking the latest technology and products, coupled with strong superior service and a fully- stocked trade counter with enhanced customer support. That has stood the distributor in good stead in increasingl y competitive times here in Ireland, but the key in an ever-changing market is to never stand still.
RS Ireland
https://ie.rs-online.com/web/
https://ie.rs-online (01) 415 3100
.com/web/
/ HSIRI IRISHMANUF
MANUFACTURING FACTURING
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
