Why Quality Matters

The continuing trend within our industry is towards using cheaper, less rigorously tested materials to save on costs and maximise the profit margin on every job. Purchasing materials this way makes competitive pricing easier, thereby winning the contracts. But at what cost further down the line?

With all materials, there is a standard to which they have to be manufactured. These standards work on the principle of a minimum performance level, that is to say they have to be manufactured to meet a minimum level of performance, or they cannot be considered fit for purpose. These minimum standards can be fairly low, depending on the material and what it is to be used for. Most manufacturers will make a product that exceeds these minimum standards, and in some cases they are far and away above the minimum standards required.

Then we have materials towards the other end of the spectrum.

These are materials that only just meet the minimum standards required, and in some cases only superficially. In a previous position I held, I came across a brand of plywood imported from the Far East that to all intents and purposes met the minimum standards set by the EU for that type of product. However, when the boards were cut up, it was found that the core had been stuffed with old plastic bags, dead leaves and rotting bark to fill the void. In another case, plywood from Malaysia had the soft pith from a palm tree in the core. Palm is not classified as wood.  So, not all that glitters (price wise) is gold. Caveat Emptor (Buyer Beware) as they say in Latin.

Here at Benchmark we choose our suppliers as carefully as we chose the materials themselves. We are sticklers for quality, and we refuse to compromise our reputation for quality products, by using inferior materials. It is a false economy. Our clients expect nothing but the best quality, at competitive rates, This is why quality matters!

So, the message here is a simple one, when evaluating a proposal, consider first how much trouble inferior quality materials used will cause you further down the line.

Benchmark FF & E Solutions, we know Why Quality Matters, Quality Assured