Welcome to Eco Ask why, a podcast that dives into industrial manufacturing topics and spotlights the heroes that keep America running. I'm your host, chris Granger, and on this podcast we do not cover the latest features and benefits on products that come to market. Instead, we focus on advice and insight from the top minds of industry, because people and ideas will be how America remains number one in manufacturing in the world. Welcome to Eco Asks why. I'm your host, chris Grainer. I'm looking forward to hanging out with you today. Thank you so much for listening to the show. We're going to just keep digging into this idea of how you can enhance your online procurement process. Okay, so we've made a lot of investments and time, people, processes to really give you a great online experience, and we're using the podcast to explain that and kind of expose some of these items to you. So hopefully you're enjoying some of the new content, some of the new ways we're serving. You can always connect with us over on LinkedIn and, even better, just connect with us directly at Electrical Equipment Company. So just call your local branch in the southeast and we'd love to hear from you. So we're going to be talking about in this episode how we can enhance that account management online experience that you have even further. Okay, because we recognize one thing is extremely true In the world of procurement, particularly how you buy stuff now in industrial manufacturing efficiency and accuracy paramount. You cannot mess this up right. So as a business, we have learned that as we turn to online platforms, we need to be able to help you manage your purchasing needs. We need to help you understand the nuances of your account management, to give you things like pricing, visibility and ordering processes, and do all this in a meaningful way that will help you enjoy the buying experience. So we're committed to it. We really are. Help you enjoy the buying experience so we're committed to it. We really are.

The team at Electro Equipment Company are absolutely committed to serving our customers at the highest level possible and we're aiming to complement our recent updates to account management and we're going to dive deeper here in this episode on how you can maximize your online purchasing experience. So a couple areas we're going to get into as we get started today is thinking about how you navigate account pricing and then list prices. Okay, so you have account pricing that's, your pricing directly and you have list prices. So one of the benefits really it's a key benefit, if you will, for registering for an online account is the ability to view your personalized pricing. Okay, your personalized pricing? Because, as a registered user, what you do, you log in and that gives you secure access to your account. Specific pricing, so it helps you make more informed purchasing decisions based on the rates negotiated for your organization.

Okay, so this is, if you have buying power and you have leveraged that buying power as you should, you want to see the pricing that's reflective of that. This is what online account management does. In contrast to this, if you're an unauthenticated user, you're only going to see list price when that's available. That's not always available at all and this can vary significantly. So a pro tip, really, what I was thinking about when I was writing this. What can I do or encourage you to do to make the most out of your experience? And it's very simple. Pro tip log into your account before you start any browsing, even if you're not ready to purchase anything. Ok, because if you do that, it ensures that you're going to see the most relevant pricing available and you're also going to be able to see other items associated with that. That's not always available for the basic user experience, because if that pricing is not there, for instance, when you log in, you need to reach out, you need to have a conversation with an account management representative or submit a request for quote directly, and this kind of expedites that process for you.

Okay, now you may be thinking well, chris, I don't even have an account, what do I do? Don't worry. Don't worry, if you're not registered, you can view those list price you know at a glimpse and those product costs, and that's again. That's just the beginning. But I would encourage you to begin the process of registering for an account today. Ok, because there are other variables at play. That if you want to be staying informed of the products and the criteria, maybe you need drawings, things like that you need an account, and it's a very easy way to get started. We're actually going to have links in the show notes for you to start to get registered for your account so you can view your custom pricing, you can request a quote, you can manage your orders more efficiently. All that is at your fingertips, okay, so we'll have that in there for you.

Now, one thing to consider when you have an online account is the real-time product availability and the shipping estimates. Okay, so having immediate and I mean at your fingertips, immediate access, you don't have to pick up the phone or text somebody. You know it's right here on your computer of that product availability, that's an enhancement in the procurement process that we've leaned in on heavily. So if you're a registered user, you can enjoy the advantage of just viewing this real-time stock levels, not just on your current warehouse, which is important, but multiple warehouses within your region, because you may have some time a day or two that you want to get it and we could use a transfer truck and things like that to get you your items and material. So it helps you make quick decisions and plan your purchasing based on current inventory levels. And if you have a situation where stock is limited, your account representative can provide estimated shipping dates, helping you to really manage your expectations and your timelines even better. Now, if you're not a registered user, you don't have access to this availability and it makes it very difficult to plan effectively without that account access.

Our platform's actually been expanding product options, which is really cool. We've been leaning into it. So we're continuously evolving to meet the diverse needs of all the different users we have out there. So we have a huge assortment of products and those authenticated users can view a tailored selection that aligns to their specific shipping addresses. So all the products displayed are available for delivery to your location. This streamlines everything, and this diversity of products means you can find everything you need in one place, really saving you time which is so critical in the competitive landscape that we have these days and simplifying the procurement process and as our product catalog expands. Guess what? This is a feature that comes directly to you. There's nothing else you have to do, and this is going to become increasingly valuable for those looking to consolidate suppliers. So if you're thinking about I sure wish ECO had this start checking the catalog regularly, because we're constantly adding these items and that could be right there for you as you move forward. Wait a minute, I can single source this stuff right here. With ECO, all about expanding your product options. Now we also recognize as end users out there in industrial manufacturing. Managing product lifecycle and replacement options is huge, huge.

Someone who dealt with engineering in the past with PLC systems and different types of drives and automated controls and things like that, I know there is a life cycle for this equipment and you need to know it. You should understand what it is, because this technology is changing so doggone fast. So our platform actually gives you clear visibility into the life lifecycle status of products. This is when this information is available, but it's not going to be for a conduit fitting, but for an industrial IIoT device. It will be there and this is going to be based off the information provided directly from the manufacturer, and this is readily available on the product detail page. So when you log in, you'll have it right there. It's going to help you avoid purchasing items that may be soon obsolete. This may be an opportunity for you. Okay, instead of this product X, I need to look at product Y, based off the product lifecycle, and then, if you need help understanding, okay, product X, what is product Y? Hey, we provide that information as well. We give you replacement options.

Now, these could be direct replacement options or something that's closely associated or related product, and it's going to ensure that you continue your operations with the minimal disruptions possible, and that's all. It's not always plug and play, but we want to give you the considerations, the things to think about, and usually this is directly from the manufacturers themselves. So this is a proactive approach to managing product for you as an end user that helps you stay ahead of the curve, because it's all about helping you reduce that downtime. When those unavailable parts or materials are just, you can't get your hands on them Okay. When those unavailable parts or materials are just, you can't get your hands on them okay.

Now, another thing that we wanted to really just talk about and just share with you here is that we streamlined the checkout process, and this has to do with the different roles within the system, and this checkout process has been tailored to the roles, because we know that's important. So if you're an administrator and an authorized purchasing agent user, you have privileges to make purchases directly and the checkout process is extremely direct and straightforward. You can move directly to checkout without even needing further approvals. It's like bing, bing, boom, let's rock and roll. If you're a general user, you have to follow a different process, and this is in place to protect you as well as your company. So your carts are basically there, submitted for approval by your account administrator, and then this system ensures that all your purchases are vetted. They maintain control over expenditures and it's not. You don't accidentally oh, I didn't mean to buy that. You won't have that moment with this in place.

Ok, so if you're waiting for the order, you can still continue to add products or build lists for future orders, optimizing your time. So when you're on Eco Online, you can maybe have three or four projects going. You can have multiple lists going for each one. Submit what product you need for those different projects and then you've done your job. So again, we have detailed, step-by-step guides for every role, making the checkout process very intuitive and user-friendly. So, regardless of where you sit in an organization, we want to help you manage that process.

Now, let's say you have I'm pretty excited about this next one. Let's say you have a long list of items that are just absolutely critical for your project and you don't want to sit there and have to search every item. Well, we actually have an efficient way for you to do this and we call it a quick order forms. This is a powerful tool for users who, if you need to add multiple lines to your cart very quickly so if you're inputting them directly, or if you're uploading an order file or copying and pasting, like we had multiple ways these forms simplify that process. They're really useful for large orders where you need to reorder frequently purchased items, like if you're rinsing and repeating orders a lot over and over and over. The quick order form is what you want to use, definitely. This was put in place to help you save time and reduce potential for errors, okay, so it's a really indispensable part of your procurement toolkit and it's something that we would love to see users utilize more, because it's just going to streamline things so much more for you, okay. So, again, that quick order form is absolutely crucial.

Now the seamless quote management and approval process has been optimized as well. So, let's say, you're requesting and you're managing quotes. We want to put a process in place so this fits seamlessly into your workflow. So, whether you're using a shopping cart or a quick order form or even a product list, requesting a quote is really simple and efficient. So this online platform not only speeds up the process, but ensures you have all the information you need to make the right decision. So, once a quote is prepared, whether requested online or through your account representative, it appears directly in your account's quotes dashboard and from there, you can review the approved quotes. With just a few clicks, you can streamline the approval process. You're like yep, yep, yep. Oh, I don't want that. Oh, I do want these things Yep, yep, yep and you can keep that procurement cycle moving. You see how critical just small steps like that.

These are things we're having to engineer, to think ahead, to make sure that the process works extremely well for you, because it's more than just about placing orders. We recognize that to be true as a distributor. We've been in business for almost 100 years now. It's not just about placing orders. It's about having the right tools, the right information at your fingertips and recognizing that the landscape has changed so much for the industrial manufacturing, the way procurement is done. We needed to adjust and we need to understand the things that you have going inside your business as well. And if we understand how you navigate pricing, how you manage product availability, how we can streamline the checkout process to save you time, all these things add up to enhancing your efficiency and reducing costs. We know that's absolutely critical because you're in a competitive landscape, you're in industrial manufacturing, you're out there doing all the front lines. We, as EECO, need to be a competitive advantage for you. That is what we're aiming for and our platform is designed to support these goals directly. And our platform is designed to support these goals directly.

It's going to offer you a robust set of features that cater to the needs of both the big and the small across the board. If you're doing business with ECO, we want to help you. So I'm telling you if you need more detailed guidance or if you want to explore the full list and range of capabilities. I mean we have tons of features and availabilities and functions that you need to know about. We have more information on our updated account management page. We even have things inside what's called our knowledge base at Electrical Equipment Company, so you can go to Eco Online and find those links directly. Or, to save you time, just go to the show notes here and we'll have those links there for you. You're going to find the resources and the support you need to help make the most of your online procurement experience. So this is what we're really big on. We've been leaning into this pretty hard. This is why we're taking the time each and every month to just expand on these ideas, to give you some insight and some wisdom, some discernment, to help you make better decisions moving forward, and we'd love to hear from you.

Okay, so you can head over to ECO online. You can actually click on ECO, ask why, if you want to listen to any of the older episodes. We always have an article. We have actually have lots of articles related to procurement where we're trying to walk you through the process. And if you go to the knowledge base page, we actually created some videos. I had a lot of fun making those where you can work through these videos to understand what this looks like for you, the benefits of it and how you get started. You know we want this thing to be a very seamless type of process for you getting started doing business with ECO.

Recognizing that you need that this online experience is so important. We so, recognizing that you need that this online experience is so important, we want to do our part to make it as seamless as possible. Ok, so you want to get started with your account? Again, head over to the show notes. You'll see a link right there to get your account set up. Even if you're not set up as a quote unquote administrator, you just want to be a general user. Maybe you want to get access to drawings and specifications and replacement options, things like that. It's all within the platform and it's super easy to get started. So, again, head on over there and get your account going today.

So I'd love to hear from you on what do you think about the new format of Eco-ASK-Y. We definitely can appreciate the listeners who are still hanging with us, who pivoted from the traditional interviews that we had, and we're hoping that you're finding a lot of value out of this new format because it's again it's all about serving you at the absolute highest level, because we still firmly believe that people and ideas over products is what it's all about. So if you would give us a rating and review, maybe send this to a friend that's in procurement or maybe they're in order some type of ordering function whatsoever, whether it's ENI technicians or control techs, whatever it may be give them this information, because we want those types of users, those types of roles, logging into Eco Online, because that's where you have so much valuable data that we know that you're going to really find helpful and enjoy. So thank you again so much for hanging out. Hopefully that you have a great day Again.

Eeco that's E-E-C-O onlinecom is how you can connect with us to learn more, to get started, and we'd love to hear from you. So you can always send an email to podcast at EECOASYcom. We'd love to hear from you there, or you can check out our show notes. We'd love to hear from you there, or you can check out our show notes. We'll have other links for you. Again, connect with us on our YouTube channel, connect with us on LinkedIn and then connect with us directly in our branches at Electrical Equipment Company. So thank you so much for listening. Have a great day and remember to keep asking why. Thank you for listening to. Eeco Asks why this show is supported ad-free by Electrical Equipment Company. Eeco is redefining the expectations of an electrical distributor by placing people and ideas before products. Please subscribe and share with your colleagues and friends. Also leave comments, feedback and any new topics that you would like to hear. To learn more or to share your insights, visit EECOASYcom. That's E-E-C-O-A-S-K-S-W-H-Ycom.