Industrial equipment and supplies don’t come cheap, so as a business owner, you should look to save as much as possible from your purchase. In addition, this equipment needs to be carefully assessed to avoid costly mistakes. This is important because the purchase of heavy machinery does not come with a free trial period. Therefore, you need to be confident that the industrial equipment and supplies you purchased provide you with the best value.
But saving money when buying industrial equipment and supplies isn’t that straightforward. Fortunately, this article provides some ideas on how you can save money when you’re planning to purchase your industrial machinery.
1. Know What You Need
Before you head out and buy a double planetary mixer or any other industrial equipment, it’s crucial you first stop and ask yourself whether the purchase is indeed necessary. This is because your priority should be buying company equipment that increases production, boosts product quality, or generate more profits. If the industrial machinery and supplies you’re hoping to buy don’t achieve any of this, maybe it’s best to invest your money in other aspects of your business.
Determining your company’s goals and expansion plans can help you decide whether you need certain machinery or not. This is the only way to ensure that the industrial equipment you get will provide your business with value.
2. Stick To A Realistic Budget
It’s very easy to go overboard and end up buying equipment or machinery that’s way beyond your budget. This may happen when you’re not really familiar with the machinery and technologies behind it, making you an easy target for unscrupulous sales agents.
The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is by doing your research and sticking to a budget. Make sure to ask industry experts and business partners, or do research to know what kind of technicalities are necessary, which features can be foregone, and how much the average costs may be. With a clear idea of how much money is available to spend on buying industrial equipment, you’ll be able to prevent any impromptu purchases.
3. Buy Refurbished or Used Equipment
Buying used or secondhand industrial machinery such as forklifts, infrared industrial furnaces, loaders, or commercial mixers is a great way to save on expenses. This is an excellent strategy if your business is still starting, and you don’t have enough money to buy new industrial equipment.
Most refurbished or used equipment is still in excellent condition. However, it’s best to inspect the machinery to make sure it doesn’t have any issues. This means examining the machine’s safety, reliability standards, and current condition compared to newer models. As a result, you can be sure that you’re getting a reliable piece of machinery.
4. Maintain Your Equipment Properly
You need to schedule routine maintenance to ensure your machine stays efficient and is always in optimal condition. By doing this, you avoid sudden machine breakdowns that will consequently affect your company’s efficiency and productivity. To do these routine maintenance tasks, you can either hire an in-house team of professional technicians or outsource this duty to maintenance service personnel.
Maintenance also includes a general cleaning process to take away all kinds of dirt and dust. This is usually very important as dust, in many cases, leads to the breakdown of industrial machinery. While maintaining an in-house team of technicians or hiring an external contractor will require you to spend money, it is still cheaper compared to how much you’d have lost repairing the machine and losing a whole day of production for your business.
5. Consider The Brand’s Reputation
You must always buy your industrial machinery from a dependable manufacturer. This way, you avoid buying a machine of sub-standard quality or those that lack documentation or have legal issues. Knowing this, you should always buy your industrial equipment and supplies from a brand that has an excellent reputation. As a result, you’ll be assured that they’re efficient and of excellent quality. This also means that the equipment can last for a long time, and there’s no need for constant maintenance or emergency repairs.
6. Consider The Installation And Assembly Cost
After buying industrial equipment, it will most likely be delivered in parts. While you may have an idea of using one, there’s a high likelihood that you or your employees don’t know how to assemble and install the whole machinery, as this requires specialized expertise and experience.
Therefore, you should first ask the provider whether they’ll do the installation for free. In many cases, companies offer free installation but some will charge an additional cost. Alternatively, you can try to see if your employees can receive on-site training, which may be worth it in the long run. This way, you don’t have to call for a third-party provider if there are minor issues with a piece of equipment.
7. Take Note Of The Machine’s Warranty
You must also confirm that you’re buying industrial equipment with a valid warranty. After all, this investment is usually capital intensive, and you don’t want to find yourself needing to buy the same industrial equipment within just a few years. Because of this, you must always buy industrial equipment with a long-term warranty as this is enough proof that the manufacturer believes in the quality of the product. If the machine does experience any technical glitch or breaks down before its warranty comes to an end, then all the repair and replacement costs will fall on the manufacturer.
Therefore, it’s best to buy industrial equipment with a valid warranty to have protection and peace of mind. Ideally, you want to buy industrial equipment with a warranty that lasts at least two years or more.
Takeaway
Having the right industrial machinery is essential to ensure the smooth running of your business. But such equipment is typically expensive, and it’s up to you to think of creative ways to reduce your total spending. If you’re still unsure about how you can save on equipment and machinery costs, just take note of the tips above.