The pros and cons of going on trial with a supplier
There are a number of things that have to be considered when switching your supplier. Cost, range, service, experience – it all needs to be weighed up.
As such, it makes it extremely important that you make the right decision when you choose your supplier, otherwise you can encounter some unwanted surprises.
However, there is a way that you can gain all the information you need, without fully committing to a supplier from the jump.
By entering a trial period with a supplier, you can find out exactly what you need to know yourself, without fully committing.
But is this always a good idea? Is it maybe best to just take a plunge with someone and not get tangled up in a trial that may not go the way you want it to?
In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of trialling a new supplier and how it can benefit or hamper you.
It is worth noting that we do offer trial runs here at Multifix, but we will remain as objective as possible for this article.
Pros of going on trial with a supplier
As mentioned above, it’s so vital to get the right supplier for your business, but ultimately you won’t know which one is best until you try a few.
A trial period gives you a perfect opportunity to assess everything with a company before actually fully committing to it.
You will have the opportunity to meet their staff, find out exactly how they work and see what they can do for you.
A trial period can also be controlled well on your part. Not many suppliers would expect to take over all your business instantly, so you’ll be able to control what sites you’d be keen to test with the trial supplier.
This again gives you a chance to see with your own eyes how the supplier can integrate with your business, as opposed to taking someone’s word for it.
From this perspective, there are many positives to be had from a trial run with a supplier, as the knowledge it can grant you is huge.
It also allows you to build and grow relationships with the supplier, so if you do choose to stick with them, you’re already feeling comfortable with who you’re working with.
Cons of going on trial with a supplier
The main issue about trialling a new supplier is that if you have an existing one, it is likely to rock the boat with them a bit.
They are likely to notice a drop in revenue, which will happen if you allocate a trial site to the new supplier, so will be eager to speak to you about that.
As such, this can lead to some uncomfortable conversations. In addition to that, if you trial with an unreliable supplier, it can have a knock-on effect for you.
While you may only be giving a trial to one site, if you start to get delays or delivery issues, that will make that project very difficult to get done on time.
The flipside of that is you’ll know from the trial period not to work with that supplier, but knowing that for certain will come at the cost of possible disruption.
Is a trial run right for you?
While we cannot decide for you whether it is wise to engage in a trial period with a supplier, we are of the opinion that the pros outweigh the cons.
There is so much to be gained from a trial period with a supplier and ultimately, if you’re looking to be in business for many years, you’re going to need someone you can trust.
It’s incredibly difficult to just do that by picking a supplier, even with word of mouth recommendations, so a trial period is very helpful in that regards.
Even the cons that we have listed can be turned into positives, as if it goes wrong, you have that knowledge and that can only help you as a business owner.
As mentioned at the start of the article, we do offer trial runs at Multifix. If you would like to find out more about how to start one, please get in contact with us here.