Workplace equipment: Unique concept for suppliers and dealers in Europe

E/D/E’s business equipment concept for its European partners was launched a good year ago. Around twelve months later, the initiators and member companies are drawing a conclusion from this large-scale project. 

Launched in November 2021, the factory equipment concept aims to provide special support to members and suppliers in European countries outside Germany, from Spain to Benelux and Slovakia. “With a concept that is unique in Europe, we bring traders and suppliers together: The dealers get a wide range of products and the suppliers get access to a majority of dealers,” says Freek Dekkers, Sales Manager North Europe-Benelux at EDE International. 

In accordance with the E/D/E principle “listen – understand – implement”, he and Martin Ochelski, Sales Manager Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Eastern Europe, have recorded the needs of the international partners. The result: a catalogue that takes on a number of tasks. For example, all member conditions as well as the freight rates for each country and for each individual supplier have already been negotiated. 

The logistical challenge of the concept was great: 20,000 catalogues in seven languages for twelve countries in printed as well as online versions. 

Added value for members

The feedback from members shows that it was worth thinking outside the box. Managing Director Alina Dragomirescu at Hesse in Timișoara, Romania, summarises the advantages of the catalogue for her company: “Before, we had problems with handling freight costs, because the customer needs his EC price including all costs, which was always complicated to present. With the new catalogue, our customers can order any item online, including freight and other costs.” 

Tinne Verhemeldonck at ERIKS nv in Mol, Belgium, is also convinced of the new possibilities to address potential customers: “Our sales force uses the catalogue in different ways. Some salespeople use it as a guide. Others use it primarily as an introduction to our portfolio and its variants. 

Local manufacturers with a European sales market

Martin Ochelski says about the outlook for the concept: “We have taken a close look at the market requirements of our international partners and suppliers and mapped them in the catalogue. In the next step, we want to design it more to meet the individual needs in the individual countries. For example, we plan to include even more local manufacturers and thus open up the European business to them”.