Being a solutions-business is at the heart of Jewson Civils Frazer

November 2022

In this article, Steve O’Brien, Operations and Supply Chain Director shares his unique insights into what truly defines the business and what will underpin the firm’s continued success.

“The phrase ‘being a solutions-business’ is not uncommon, often we’re asked ‘what is a solutions business?’ Or ‘how can you define yourself as a solutions business?’ and it’s a simple one to answer – we are a solutions business because our entire focus is on adding value to our customer’s business.  We measure success not only by our own performance but that of our customers, embracing every opportunity to build on value to the partnership.

“How we do it, is what sets us apart. As an operations and supply chain guy, I could give you a million different variants of what this looks like across our network of branches and throughout our complex structure of supply chain partners. But in truth, being solutions-driven is a cultural thing, a set of behaviours that influence the way we go about business, reliant on our commercial and operations team working seamlessly together for the good of the customer, not only to deal with the challenge of the day, but for the weeks and months ahead.

“Delivering solid solutions to our customers, whatever form that takes, isn’t only about the strength of the customer relationship, but we must also harness relationships throughout the supply chain. It’s essential we understand what manufacturers are facing, enabling us to support our customer with alternative supply if needed or hold stock at peak times. Operationally that requires a team of experts to map out the material requirements well ahead of time, ensuring the smooth flow of product onto the site to meet project demands. But by truly understanding the customer’s project and getting into the real nitty gritty we can support their own operational performance improvements. That might look like leaving a trailer loaded with material as an early drop, enabling the customer to unload at their own speed or altering our drop-off times to maximise loads and minimise downtime. 

“Adding value to our customer partnerships is all about the strength of the team and their motivation to find better, more efficient ways to improve the customer experience. It’s, for this reason, we have a large team of sector experts and we invest heavily in the training and development of our entire workforce. By sharing knowledge, we empower our teams to make decisions quickly and proactively for the good of the customer, values that are embedded within our Grow and Impact strategy.

“At the end of the day, as a distributor, we are in a unique position to influence and improve the flow of materials throughout the construction industry and as we confront the challenges of 2023, we are in a strong position to support our customers with the solutions that will guide us through the stormy waters to come.”