P & I Design benefits from online ordering
Established in 1978, P & I Design provides consultancy, engineering design and support services to the process industry. It supports its clients from project conception through to detailed design, commissioning and operations. Based in Thornaby on Teesside, the company works with businesses throughout the UK.
“We’ve got the pricing and configuration at our fingertips.”
Allun Seabourne, Purchasing Manager, P & I Design
The challenge
Predominantly working in the chemical process and tank storage sector, P & I Design sources level, flow, pressure and temperature devices for its customers as part of its process and instrumentation design consultancy service. The company needs quick access to information about Endress+Hauser products as well as an easy way to make purchases and keep track of its orders.
The solution
P & I Design was one of the first companies in the UK to purchase Endress+Hauser products online. Purchasing Manager Allun Seabourne logs in to the website to specify devices and request quotes before ordering online. “We get the price and availability at the same time, at the quotation stage,” explains Allun. “It gives us the other choices and options that we hadn’t really thought of that we might need.”
The Endress+Hauser website makes it easy to find devices, place orders and check delivery times. Customers can store their favourite products in their online account, so they can find them quickly, and they can download technical documentation and manuals.
If Allun needs support with a particular order, he knows Endress+Hauser engineers are available to help. “If there’s anything specific we need, we will ask our contact to verify that what we’ve selected is actually what we’re after,” confirms Allun. “Once we’re happy we can process the order straight away.”
The benefits
Purchasing through the website not only speeds up the process and allows P & I Design to track their orders but makes it easier to see the differences between products. “It’s useful to compare different sizes of flowmeters, for example, based on price as well as the configuration,” says Allun Seabourne. “We can determine which product will be more beneficial for a project from a financial point of view and in terms of performance.”
Sourcing and buying products in this way is something Allun would recommend to other companies. “The products that we use we’ve had no problems with, and we’re happy to continue buying them online – especially when we’ve got the pricing and configuration at our fingertips.”