by Natalie Edwards

CECO Engineering, Auckland – Success Story

 

‘We don’t have time to be running up the road to get abrasives. We just need to get the stuff out the door.’

 

Scott Evans, Operations Manager at Consolidated Engineering explains how QUICKSTOCK fits into their operations, helping get more product out the door…

Tell us a bit about CECO…

 

‘Here at Consolidated Engineering, we have 20 employees with a wide range of skills. We have been running for 25 years now. We cover mostly stainless steel; we do a wide variety of architectural applications for the main construction companies in New Zealand and abroad. We can fabricate in aluminium, brass, copper, and carbon steel.

One day we could be working on a chemical b-train road tanker and the next we could be working on a sculpture for a well-known artist.'

Scott Evans, Operations Manager

How did you manage consumable inventory before QUICKSTOCK?

 

‘Before QUICKSTOCK, we had a storeman who would do regular stocktakes, see what was low in levels of abrasives and welding wires and ring up and order it by phone. What we found with the old system is we were restocking too late, and we were having to wait on product coming in.

Initially we were ordering by phone and then Shane from Euromarc went through the process of the QUICKSTOCK ordering system. I could see straight away that there would be benefits in it.'

Why did you decide to use QUICKSTOCK?

 

'It is a very fast business. We don’t have time to be running up the road to get abrasives. We just need to get the stuff out the door. I was getting told too late that we were short on stock. Through ordering and receiving the goods could have been up to a week.

Shane from Euromarc came to see me one day and explained what the QUICKSTOCK system was all about. I said that it looked really really good and that we’d give it a try and we haven’t looked back.

Now with the QUICKSTOCK cabinets, it is all there, pull it out and they’re ready to go. Theres no wait times.'

HOW DOES THE QUICKSTOCK SYSTEM WORK WITH YOUR OPERATIONS?

 

'So, how QUICKSTOCK works for us is our fabricators will come up to the storeman, hand in a requisition form that they have filled out for the items that they are needing. In this case, Jeremy is after 5x 5” cutting discs, so we’ll go to the QUICKSTOCK cabinets to get what he needs.

So here we have the cabinets at the back of the store, the storeman would then go into the QUICKSTOCK cabinets, get the items he’s needing, lock it up and back to Jeremy.'

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE COSTS INVOLVED IN ORDERING BEFORE QUICKSTOCK?

 

'Before QUICKSTOCK, some of the costs involved would’ve been mainly downtime and guys waiting for product to come in. Then they’re going around searching for half used cutting discs.

Having to use inferior products to get the job done while they’re waiting. I definitely think Euromarc products are a high standard. As soon as it goes out to the guys on the floor, they would be the first ones through my door telling me they’re no good.'

WOULD YOU SAY QUICKSTOCK HAS IMPROVED YOUR BUSINESS?

 

'QUICKSTOCK has helped our company immensely. There is no wait time, no down times. When the guys need abrasives, its’ there. It gets replenished every week or so, so they’re not running up the road to carry on with their job.'

WERE THERE ANY HURDLES GETTING USED TO THE QUICKSTOCK SYSTEM?

 

'It was just basically what we wanted to put into the cabinets we had to work through for the first few months.

But then, we might be polishing something that we don’t use a hell of a lot, but we can go online, click into the QUICKORDER on the website, click on the items that you need, hit order and it is there the next morning.'

 

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE QUICKSTOCK SOLUTION TO OTHER ENGINEERING COMPANIES?

 

'I would definitely recommend QUICKSTOCK to other companies and have already. We have had nothing but good results from it. Our guys are all happy and for me personally it’s the best thing that has happened.’