How to Choose a Chemical Supplier in South Africa
Buying the best chemicals for your business can be a daunting and bewildering experience. How do you know you are sourcing what you need from a reputable, credible company?
The South African chemicals industry accounts for about 25% of the country’s manufacturing sales and is the most developed in Africa. In addition, the industry grew at an annual rate of 3,7% from 2001 to 2014, indicating an ever-increasing choice of suppliers in a specialised and technology-driven market.
There are several factors to consider when selecting the best chemical supplier for your business in South Africa.
What you need to know when choosing a Chemical Supplier
Know your own business needs
What exactly are the chemicals you need for your company’s manufacturing processes? How often and what quantities of the chemicals are required and how will its pricing, presentation, and packaging fit in with your needs? You might also have special requirements like minimum and maximum orders, preferred methods to pay, how to handle returns, guarantees, and agreed times to fix errors and problems.
When a chemical supplier understands the production and capacity demands of your company and the chemical industry itself, it can source the best products and innovative new options that will suit your business utmost.
The first thing you need to do in order to identify the best provider is to figure out the chemical requirements of your company. To this goal, it is preferable to pick a supplier that offers a diverse range of products, has a broad geographical presence for the purpose of ensuring efficient delivery, and has low costs that are in line with your financial plan.
You can’t afford for your supplier to be unable to adapt to the ever-evolving demands that growth puts on your company’s dynamic environment.
By incorporating sustainability into product development and procurement, dependable chemical suppliers in South Africa will be able to evolve with you as your business expands, providing you with chemical goods that are better suited to the needs of a growing market.
To ensure long-term product quality, a steady supply of chemical components is essential. If your supplier is unstable and doesn’t keep enough stock or delivers late, it can severely damage your company’s reputation.
Identifying a reliable provider who can meet your demands now, and adapt to them as they evolve, requires consistent, in-depth study of suppliers in the industry.
The quality of the chemical product
Since chemical compounds may have a number of hidden imperfections that render them undesirable for human usage, quality checks are essential. Checking for the correct make-up in supplied chemicals is crucial since many chemicals are dangerous and can have a major impact on the production process, the final product, and even the environment. It’s also crucial to only buy from chemical suppliers in South Africa who follow strict norms when it comes to product sourcing and storage.
Accountable supplier
An accountable supplier takes responsibility for its products, service delivery and addresses queries and problems with speed, professionalism, and efficiency. They can only do this if they know and have confidence in their products, supply-chain set-up, service delivery systems, staff, and management.
The next step after finding a chemical supplier that meets your business’s needs in terms of products and pricing is to verify the supplier’s reliability. Maintaining a reliable and trustworthy relationship with your supplier over time depends in large part on the supplier’s business credibility. Consider a chemical supplier’s market presence, reviews from previous clients, and standing in the industry as a whole before making your decision. The length of time a company has been in business is an additional indicator of its viability and growth as a provider, thus it is important to verify this information.
Credibility
A reputable chemical supplier will be at pains to be credible, dependable, and trustworthy, in all of its performances and functions and do this over and over again. It may be worthwhile to check the extent of their market presence, the strength of their industry reputation, as well as customer and stakeholder testimonials. In addition, you may want to look at the history of the company and how long it has been in existence.
Delivery policy, statistics, and lead times
You may want to ask the chemical supplier for its lead time projections and compare that to their on-time delivery rates. This will give an indication of its tracking and record-keeping capacity and processes.
Find out if the company you’re looking at has a history of cooperating with authorities and complying to regulations. Ask about the most recent audits they’ve had done and if the reports may be made available to you. Think about whether or not they already have the necessary certifications for their products in place, or if they are still trying to get that permission from the appropriate agencies.
A responsible supplying company is one that adheres to the standards established by the government for operations and quality control, as well as the norms that apply to you as a consumer and are intended to protect you. It is still your obligation to check the product’s quality before making a purchase, especially if you are planning to buy in bulk.
Cost and pricing
The product’s price is one of the most important considerations when approving a business contract. Compare supplier’ prices, determine the product’s average market price and how different vendors establish their prices.
Because suppliers have to spend money to get their hands on the best resources, products that are priced too low may be of lower quality. However, if a product is priced too high, it may be because the seller has a higher-than-usual profit margin.
It’s also important to think about whether or not the supplier offers volume discounts, which can help both parties save money in the long term.
Strategically positioned
When accessibility of the product and skill support is key to your needs, you would want to consider how reachable and available your chemical supplier is to your location. A company like the family-owned Chemi set up shop in Johannesburg to service a variety of customers that conduct business locally and in the bigger Southern African region.
One of the most effective ways to determine whether a provider is suitable for your business is to consult with providers on your shortlist. Consultations are quite necessary if you want to get a feel for the company, its culture and its people.
Adequate supply capacity
Once you know the quantities of all the chemicals required for your production process, it is essential to choose a supplier that will be reliable and consistent. You need to have these reassurances to ensure your own customer demands are met and when and how you can increase your own production capacity as you grow.
Knowledge par excellence
A reputable chemical supplier will be meticulous and absolutely accurate and conscientious with its knowledge management. Knowledge of source, supply chain options, product performance and application, industry developments, technological advancements, safety standards, regulations, and development is key to ensuring excellent service delivery and ongoing quality assurances.
You should be able to rely on your preferred supplier to offer solutions that are both in line with your needs and anchored in their experience when problems arise during production and formulation.
Experienced chemical suppliers in South Africa can assist you source the materials you require for your particular manufacturing process.
Suppliers who have a thorough understanding of the product’s raw components will likely spot areas where improvements might be made.
Skilled staff
Staff serving customers in the chemical industry need to know the products and specifications that underpin the industry and its operations. They also need to communicate their knowledge effectively and can grasp their customer queries, questions, and concerns.
Information management
A credible supplier will keep painstaking records that are always up to date and are easily accessed to underline swift communication and feedback. A trustworthy chemical supplier will pride itself on thorough and precise access to information like insurance certificates, health and safety protocols, environmental policy, financial performance, research and development history, and training programmes.
Complex and often demanding regulatory environment
Reputable chemical suppliers make sure they know the laws, regulations, and standards that apply in the countries and industries they operate in. This is not an easy framework to master but is foundational for the reputation and trustworthiness of any reputable chemical supply company.
Flexible and driven by a need for synergy and cooperation
When your chemical supplier takes the time and energy to understand the needs and demands of your business you can invest in a win-win partnership that will stand the test of time.
Adapting to global trends and innovative development
Is your chemical supplier aware and adequately informed of the latest trends, developments, and innovations that can impact your business? Can it provide context with regard to demand projections, sustainability, environmental changes, and a fast-paced, dynamic, and sometimes uncertain global economic playing field?
Choosing a reputable chemical supplier in South Africa requires due diligence and careful consideration to find the partner that matches your unique needs and interests.
Chemi is a well-established bulk chemicals supplier in South Africa. Get in touch with our team today.
