In the supply chain domain, having the right type of people is of significance. You might have heard from people or seen on various printed media about finding the right carpenter or finding the right mechanic, but there is no "right" person in reality. It is the criteria which we set for those people, which should be a good one. Similarly, some basic and essential criteria are needed to find an office supplies wholesale distributor. Those who live up to the criteria set by you will be, in your eyes, an ideal wholesale distributor.

The Common Criteria for selecting an office supplies distributor

Below listed are the common criteria/requirements needed for selecting an office supplies distributor.

Dropship Office Supplies

It is imperative to have a clear understanding of whether the wholesale distributor will drop ship the office supplies to the end-users. You must always go for a distributor who follows the dropshipping method, i.e., shipping the product directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the end-user. Another point that holds great importance is that if the distributor follows the dropshipping model, they must ship the product under their company's name. There have been many cases where products get shipped under a sister company's name.

Quality of Office Supplies

Office supplies comprise various things, such as paper, pen, computer accessories, table, and much more. It becomes extremely crucial for an IT hardware distributor to provide excellent quality computer accessories because they comprise a vital part of the office supplies. If you deliver the product late or the service was not upto the mark, the customers would have a bad image of you. But, if later on, they find the product to be of vibrant quality, with time they will tend to forget about your service or late delivery as they have liked the product very much and that is what they care about.

Offering Price

Price isn't in every case, just dictated by volume. Make sure to investigate a wide assortment of wholesalers, as there can be substantial value contrasts dependent on shipping distances, the distributor's relationship with producers, and even money trade rates dependent on the organization's geological area. While you can always comparison shop across sites, it likewise pays to utilize irregular channels like reaching manufacturers legitimately and asking them what wholesalers they suggest. A Distributor catalog should be present at all times with you to be sure of the price and availability.

Shipment Tracking Information

Whether you purchase products cheaply from a distributor, it could mean enormous misfortunes for you if delivered late. The actions of an untrustworthy distributor will reflect poorly on you, which means your capacity to convey excellent client support to your clients will endure a shot. Hence, it's helpful to pick a distributor with automated shipping alerts, product tracking, and knowledge of your industry's transportation needs. For instance, while choosing a food distributor, ensure they're utilizing quality refrigerated trucks to keep your produce new.

Timely Shipping/Delivery

In building a great image in your customers' minds, a timely or super-fast delivery would play an important role. Nowadays, people lack "patience to wait", so it becomes vital for you to choose someone who has a super-fast delivery process, but that doesn't change the philosophy, "speedy but not reckless". Having the office supplies shipped within the stipulated time or even before would ensure an everlasting impression of you in your customers' minds and the new ones coming through word-of-mouth marketing.

Reliability

In the end, all comes down to whether the distributor is a reliable person or not. It is often during the tough times when people prove out to be effective, reliable, and honest or not. Have a proper check done before counting on anyone. Believing in facts and statistics for reliability is better than falling for the sweet or appealing words people use. Quality, quantity, timely delivery, and customer service combined decide whether a wholesaler is a reliable source or not.

Invest Time before Investing Money (IT before IM)

This article will prove to be a strong foundation for all those who want to learn more about the process of selecting the ideal type of distributor. Additionally, there are prominent organizations, such as VARStreet, who have done wonders using their skills and services and helped a significant chunk of resellers select a trustworthy and reliable distributor. Do not waste your time looking for any more articles, and approach VARStreet for world-class service and support.

Author's Bio: 

Arnaldo is an American writer for various digital news publications. After being in the eCommerce industry for more than 15 years, Arnaldo has a good understanding of what it takes to make an eCommerce business successful. He also likes to cover newsworthy events related to business management software, customer relationship management (CRM) and Quoting software.