by Natalie Edwards

Bluff Engineering, Bluff – Success Story

 

‘What I like about QUICKSTOCK is pretty much anything I need is all in one cupboard.’

 

Toree and Kurt from Bluff Engineering & Welding Co tell us how QUICKSTOCK has simplified their ordering process and made jobs quicker.

Tell us about Bluff Engineering

Bluff Engineering has been running for about 70 years, we have 12 full time staff and about six casuals that come in and help with odd jobs.

 

The variety of work that we do is massive, we do a lot of work on the port, working on fishing boats. And the casuals usually come in and help us do our tanker bunkering and discharging tankers. 

 

We go work out at the quarry, and we work at Balance at their fertiliser plant, and just a bit of everything really. There's a lot of dedication and a lot of love, we're always out to help everyone and never really say no to a job. We're always happy to help and do what we can to assist people with what they need, even if it's not engineering.

Toree Whitehead, Foreman

HOW DID YOU MANAGE CONSUMABLE INVENTORY BEFORE QUICKSTOCK?

Before QUICKSTOCK, it was either out on the courier or someone takes a 20 minute drive into town to pick up what we need. With QUICKSTOCK, you walk up the stairs and you’ve got what you want, two minute job.

Kurt Penson, Machinist

Toree - Before QUICKSTOCK our workshop was pretty unorganised. A lot of staff wouldn't let you know that you didn't have stuff, so you'd go to grab something and it was never there. It was just frustrating and very time consuming.

 

Being in Bluff, we rely on the courier quite a bit so getting stuff back and forward, you had to think ahead and it was quite hard, to say the least. It's definitely a lot easier now.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO USE QUICKSTOCK?

Toree - We chose QUICKSTOCK because they were easy to deal with and a friendly good group of people. You get other companies that come in and they're very pushy, they try and push all their products on you, but Euromarc is not like that. Yes, whereas they see another product, they're not worried.

 

Kurt - I think what I like about QUICKSTOCK is pretty much anything I need is all in one cupboard, why walk around the workshop looking for it. Yeah it's easy. QUICKSTOCK has definitely helped speed up the processes with work, with manufacturing and all that. Everything's there, ready to go. 

 

We do a lot of weekend call outs, you could get called out on a Friday night or a Saturday morning and places in town aren't really open, so it's good having it on site ready to go. If the boys need stuff, everything's there to grab. Just go up and into the cabinets and get what they need.

We get one invoice a month rather than ten different invoices from ten different companies sending out bills every month. It's all just pretty much based on one bill and it keeps the office lady happy.

HOW DOES THE QUICKSTOCK SYSTEM WORK FOR YOU?

Toree - So how QUICKSTOCK works is, we've got two cabinets up in the back of the office. You go up and grab the key, go into the store and unlock the cabinets.

 

If you need gear or consumables, grinding wheels, cutting wheels, any of your welding consumables, gloves, safety glasses, tape measures. Grab what you need, book your material out, back down and you're working within five minutes. It’s as easy as that.

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE QUICKSTOCK SOLUTION TO OTHER ENGINEERING COMPANIES?

Kurt - I'd recommend it to others just for the simple fact that everything's in one drawer. You just put it where you want it, grab what you want and you’re done. Done deal, you don't have to think about it.

 

Toree - I would recommend it to anyone that's looking at speeding up their process in their workshops. Definitely just makes everything a lot easier for everyone. Takes the pressure off having everything in stock ready to go.