There are technically only two ways of picking up RSJs and steel beams of any kind these days – you can either go direct to the supplier or buy from something of a third-party reseller. Now, on the surface it may appear as though there’s really no difference as just as long as they have the steel beam sizes and quantities you’re looking for, it shouldn’t really matter who ships them to you, right?
Well, in an ideal world this would indeed be the case…sadly, there’s really nothing ideal about the way things tend to work in an industrial setting. Generally speaking, it’s extremely rare for those at the top-end of the construction industry to go anywhere near third-party resellers and these tend to be the guys who know what they’re doing. It’s not to say that you cannot or will not get a good deal from a third party, but when it comes to maximising value for money, quality and convenience in general, there’s no substitute for the direct approach.
Here’s a closer look at why giving the middleman a miss is more often than not a very good idea:
1 – The Lowest Prices
So, right off the bat comes the most important and obvious consideration of all – the price you can expect to pay. When a supplier sells the steel beams and RSJs they themselves make, they sell them for a certain price regardless of who it is that’s buying them. They may offer very slight reductions for bulk orders, but generally bulk orders are all they sell. As such, if you buy from them direct, you get the best price. By contrast, buy via a third-party reseller and you pay not only for the beams, but also for the added commission the seller adds onto the overall price to make it profitable for them. After all, if this is their job and indeed their livelihood, they’re not likely to do it for free out of the goodness of their own hearts.
For the best prices, going direct to the source makes sense every time.
2 – The Best Customer Service
Technically speaking, anyone with a computer and the ability to set up a 100% free WordPress website could establish themselves as a reseller for steel beams and RSJs. All well and good, but when and where they’re faced with something that’s not quite as simple as a basic order to be filled, it’s not like they’re really in the best position to offer professional advice and general customer care. From technical questions to complaint resolution to bespoke orders and really anything else along similar lines, it’s only by dealing with the professionals directly that you’re able to reach out and communicate with the pros when and where you need help or guidance.
Third-party middlemen simply are not qualified to offer the same level of care – another reason why it pays to go direct.
3 – Faster Fulfilment
When you order something directly from the manufacturer, the whole thing is a simple two-step process that gets the job done fast. You order, they provide – it’s as simple as that. However, when you order via a thirdmparty it’s a case of you ordering from them, your order then being passed on to a supplier and (eventually) the order being filled and shipped. So really, you’re adding a wholly unnecessary extra link into the chain which makes things more long-winded than they need to be…and with no benefit to speak of. And of course, the longer the supply chain you rely on to get what you need, the higher the chance of some kind of delay creeping into the equation and further putting back your project’s completion date.
If you have any regard for things like deadlines and schedules, direct buying really is the only way to go.
4 – Product Consistency
Last but not least, to buy directly from a manufacturer means to take home shipments of beams and RSJs that are identical by way of quality, integrity and general compatibility. By contrast, if you order from a third-party seller you technically have no way of knowing how many different suppliers they are ordering your goods from. They may order them all from the same place, split the order 50/50 between two wholly different manufacturers or even involve dozens of suppliers to keep things cheap for their own good.
Consistency of quality and performance could not matter more when it comes to building projects and construction in general, which is why buying direct really is the only way to go.
