Page 18 - IEC Insights Sept-Oct19

FEATURE
The Industry Has Spoken...

STEP 6

Implement supply chain management solutions

According to a national study, contractors saved at most 2 percent on costs by working with multiple, competitive
suppliers. When they partnered with a single distributor, however, that supplier was able to provide value-
added services throughout the pipeline that reduced material handling times on site by up to 40 percent. 2

Instead of shipping light fixtures in a tilting tower of cardboard boxes, Graybar works with contractors to deliver
carts of unpacked, sorted and inspected fixtures that can be moved within 30 feet or 30 seconds of key install points.
These carts can reduce the average install time for a fixture by roughly 80 percent.
Similarly, the Graybar SmartReel® can cut the time and manpower budgeted for wire installation in half, and Graybar’s
job carts offer a convenient, cardboard-free way to store material on site.

A distributor can also provide much-needed flexibility in a prefab process by supplying
parts and helping coordinate storage and delivery with existing shipments.

STEP 7 STEP 8

Deploy in Focused On Deploy on
Digitize key Measure The Cloud Electrical Premises
processes successes Contractors

Smart devices can enhance physical Measurable results make it easier to
process improvements, and today convince any hold-outs, and motivate
there’s a good chance most the whole team for the next project.
employees have one on hand. The Best Estimating Software
After step eight, it’s time to jump
Using a smartphone, a foreman back to step one and spot a new
can track shipments, schedule sign of inefficiency to tackle.
pickups at the distributor’s closest Continuous Improvement encourages For All Size Contractors
branch and contact a sales rep. ongoing review, and as you solve
problems, the process itself will
QR codes on fixture carts guide get better with practice.
installation according to the
project blueprint and embed
key product information.
• Deploy in the cloud or on premise,
Additional inventory in the supply
room can be managed by a barcode Ready to get started? McCormick meets your needs!
system, which pairs with an app that
analyzes patterns of use to plan future Contact your local Graybar sales • Increase productivity -- estimate
orders more efficiently. The extra representative or call 1-800-GRAYBAR and takeoff 100% in the cloud
organization provided by barcodes to see how we can help you improve
has lowered the amount of product on productivity on your jobsite. • Multi-user platform allows you
hand by 40 percent on some jobsites.
to collaborate from anywhere
• Efficiently review Bids and
Blueprints anytime
1 Lines, Brian and Smithwick, Jake. “Organizational Change Adoption: Best Practices for Electrical
Contractors.” ELECTRI International – The Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc., 2018.
2 Simonian, Lonny, et al. “Agile Procurement and its Role in Adding Value.” ELECTRI • Change orders from the job
International – The Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc., 2016. site are effortless
• Real-time job information
16 Insights Magazine | September/October 2019 | www.ieci.org