Vendor Managed Inventory Frees up Time and Money

You set the levels, and our drivers do all the rest

When our trucks hit the road, we are prepared for all of our customers re-stocking needs. Just watch as our Edmonton Valve truck driver Fred gets prepared for his next road-trip. If you are interested in learning more about our Vendor Managed Inventory Services, send us a quick note below and we will follow-up with more information. 

We aren't exaggerating when we say that our customers trust Edmonton Valve & Fitting for all their fluid system needs. There's no better example than with our Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) service. We drive to the VMI customer's site, count the stock, make a list of parts that need to be replenished, place the order, and put the new parts on the shelves.

For a good portion of our VMI customers, the level of trust is so high that they provide our driver with a key so that the driver can enter the building any time to top off the inventory. That can mean filling a $15,000 order with no customer supervision.

They never have to worry about order inaccuracies, because they receive the parts at the time the order is placed.

Verified savings

If VMI interests you, we can send someone out to get the basic information on minimums or maximums you prefer for your stock, and how often you'd like us to come by. We visit our current customers anywhere from weekly to once every six weeks.

Every year we'll make a complete review of your parts levels to see if we should make adjustments. You can always make special requests, too.

At the start of each year we offer the Value Impact Program to quantify your savings. Consider what it would cost to have someone spend an hour on your stock every other week, even at minimum wage. Then consider the cost of shipping. Many of our customers end up saving roughly $150 every time our driver shows up.

Our VMI customers also have the option of using our RoboCrib industrial vending machine. RoboCrib comes in several sizes, none with a footprint larger than six feet by six feet, and can store up to 2,000 parts. With RoboCrib, the person requesting a part must first sign in and specify which job the part is for. No more losing track of parts or wondering where they were used.

Tales of the road

We currently have five drivers covering territory out of Edmonton, Drayton Valley and Fort McMurray. They'll travel up to four hours from their various home bases, racking up about 190,000 km a year.

Our trucks are fitted with studded tires, chains and programmable engine-heating systems, so even Alberta winters can't prevent our drivers from heading out on their routes in the morning. We know that cold weather can be tough on our customers' fluid systems, and they can't afford delays from our end.

While they're out there, our drivers get to see some amazing sites. There are plenty of deer, elk and moose, of course, plus brown bears and black bears. There are some manmade spectacles too, such as the Maple Flag aerial combat training exercise hosted each year at CFB Cold Lake. Top fighter pilots from around the world fill the skies with jets and helicopters in mock dogfights. Our drivers aren't allowed to stop and watch, but for sure they slow down to catch a few glimpses.

Because they have the flexibility to manage their own time as they run their routes, it's almost like being an owner-operator. No wonder we see so little turnover among our drivers.

So for reliable inventory management that frees you up to concentrate on other priorities, consider VMI.

Contact Edmonton Valve & Fitting for more details by calling 780-437-0640 or messaging us below, and we can get you started.