eZine: an email newsletter from OGCbuying.solutions

Return to front cover

Unique Selling Points of Manufacturers and Resellers

By OGCbuying.solutions

These guidance notes are intended for the use of customers who want to be able to ensure that they are including the correct suppliers in their tender process. The following information advises customers of the strengths of both manufacturers and resellers, thus assisting the customer in identifying the “capable suppliers” who can meet their needs. If a customer has a specific requirement that can only be met by the manufacturers or only by the reseller, they can then justify the inclusion / exclusion of suppliers in their tender.

Definition

For the purpose of this guidance it should be noted that our definition of manufacturers and resellers is as follows:

Manufacturers
A manufacturer is a supplier who manufactures their own products and then sells them direct to customers. The manufacturers may also sell their products via resellers and other outlets. If a manufacturer (e.g. of software) supplies complementary products (e.g. hardware and / or reporting software) to its own customers from other manufacturers, they are considered to be a manufacturer for the purposes of this document.
Resellers
A reseller is a supplier who sells products from a varying range of manufacturers. While there is a reseller category within the Buying Solutions Goods and Services contract, you will also find Resellers within the individual categories of the framework. If a manufacturer of their own products also sells similar products from other manufacturers, we have considered them to be a reseller for the purpose of this document.
The breakdown of manufacturers and resellers within the Goods and Services lots are as follows:
Supplier Reseller? In the Reseller Category?
Banner Business Supplies Limited Yes No
BT Yes No
Bytes Technology Group Ltd Yes No
CCS Media Limited Yes No
Centerprise International Limited Yes No
Computacenter (UK) Ltd Yes Yes
dabs.com Yes No
Dell Corporation Ltd No No
DSGi Business Yes Yes
European Electronique Yes No
Evesham Technology Ltd Yes No
Fujitsu Services Yes Yes
Hewlett Packard Ltd No No
IBM United Kingdom Ltd No No
Insight Direct (UK) Ltd Yes Yes
MapInfo Ltd No No
Misco UK (Systemax Europe Ltd) Yes No
NEC Computers Ltd No No
Northgate Information Solutions UK Limited No No
Probrand Ltd (The IT Index) Yes Yes
Siemens Plc No No
Specialist Computer Centres (SCC) plc Yes Yes
Supplies Team Yes No
Toshiba No No
Trustmarque Solutions Yes No
UNISYS Limited Yes No
Viglen Ltd No No
WStore UK Ltd Yes No
XMA Limited Yes No

Unique Selling Points of Manufacturers

  • Manufacturers have specialist knowledge in the products that they supply.
  • Manufacturers have specialists available for you to speak to prior to placing an order.
  • The information sent to customers by manufacturers is specific technical information relating to their products.
  • After sales support is usually provided through specialist support teams who have deep technical knowledge in the product. For example, they may be able to trace specific hardware components and establish the problem quickly without the need for an on-site visit.
  • There is no reseller markup applied to the prices quoted.
  • Manufacturers are able to provide complete integrated solutions to meet specific requirements through the use of sub-contractors.
  • Manufacturers are often able to provide bespoke solutions to meet specific customer needs. In terms of hardware, this means that they may be able to offer customers the opportunity to order specifications built to their individual requirements in the manufacturer's factory.
  • Manufacturers who are based in the UK have the potential to deliver from stock very quickly.
  • Manufacturers have the ability to deliver their products at the lowest purchase price.
  • Manufacturers are often able to directly provide product roadmaps to enable planning and technology updates ahead of resellers.

Unique Selling Points of Resellers

  • Resellers have knowledge of a large range of products across a number of manufacturers.
  • Resellers are able to supply customers with a generic range of information in terms of products and services offered.
  • Resellers have the ability to look after the entire customer requirement where products from more than one manufacturer are required.
  • Resellers are able to provide ongoing license advice, ensuring that updates are not missed.
  • Resellers are able to offer change advice. For example, if a customer is intending to change software or hardware manufacturers, the resellers can advise what impact these changes will have on their current infrastructure.
  • Resellers have additional leverage on buying power across the entire requirement.
  • Resellers are able to offer independent product advice.
  • Resellers promote competition amongst their supply chain. This keeps the market healthy and prices down.
  • Resellers have the capability to manage and integrate multi-manufacturer products.
  • When using a Reseller (particularly for larger projects) there is only one financial and administrative relationship for the customer to manage, thus reducing administration.
  • Economies of scale (lower costs) are achieved by resellers by amalgamating IT requirements through fewer suppliers.
  • Resellers are able to reduce the number of deliveries received by the customer for multi-manufacturer projects.
  • Resellers have the potential to deliver goods to the customer site quicker as they hold a large amount of stock in the UK.
  • Resellers are better equipped to allow for changes in scheduling (e.g. due to a change of customer requirements) as they have a large range of stock.
  • Resellers can often acquire stock faster, as they have a number of sources to obtain it from.
  • Manufacturers often give Resellers greater discounts than customers direct, which the reseller can then pass on to the customer.
  • A reseller is able to switch easily to another product, with the customer's consent, if there is a problem with the manufacturer after the order has been placed.

If you require further information regarding the above, please contact the Buying Solutions Customer Service Desk on 0845 410 2222, or email custcare@ogcbs.gsi.gov.uk.

Please email us at itfw@ogcbs.gsi.gov.uk if you have feedback regarding this article.

Back to top

© OGCbuying.solutions 2007

Printable version

Rate this article

This article has been rated by 3 users, with an average of 2.7.

In this edition