Written by: Bridget Fallen, Project Coordinator

We live in an age of multi-tasking. Our phones are also our cameras and our planners and our web browsers. Our personal computers have processors that allow us to simultaneously input into spreadsheets, send e-mails, create presentation materials, and host meetings over video conference with people all over the world. The technologies that have allowed us to become more productive than ever before were created by specialists dedicating all of their creativity and attention to detail toward specialized tasks. It is important that while embracing efficiency and productivity we don’t lose sight of the critical benefits of specialization.

Benjamin West specializes in purchasing. It involves far more than plugging numbers into budgets and processing purchase orders. Purchasing is negotiating terms on behalf of clients to protect capital and retain leverage once the product has shipped. Purchasing is combining the experience of project teams with the expertise of established manufacturers to facilitate creative solutions for design and installation issues and creative ways to value manage costs. Purchasing is finding the best possible value, whether through the strength of our purchasing power due to the volume of projects we handle, or through competitive bid analysis, or by arranging goods to deliver at ports local to a project to save on overland freight costs. Purchasing is getting the goods to the warehouse on time, coordinating field measures, staying on top of approvals, invoices, treatments, and payments. Purchasing is holding suppliers accountable for errors and protecting the client’s interests.

Is it worth risking any of the crucial elements above in the interest of taking shortcuts on purchasing with companies that specialize in design or installation? These fields are compounded at the expense of expertise. Just as a general practitioner would refer a patient to a specialist for open heart surgery, the health of a project similarly requires experts for each specialized field. When experts are assigned to each field of a project, they serve to hold each other accountable and limit the client’s exposure to errors and hidden costs. Benjamin West’s fees are openly stated and offset with the prices we secure on goods during the bid process. Getting the best price possible and making no mark-ups is the transparent way that Benjamin West does business. We take no kickbacks from suppliers for granting orders, and we root out extra costs like tariffs, packaging charges, potential overages, and freight during the quote process so clients can make informed decisions based on the real cost associated with the products before they approve the purchase orders. We seek and provide hidden savings, not hidden costs.

Multi-tasking is a great skill—it’s one of the reasons why Benjamin West is known for meeting deadlines and quick response times. This doesn’t take away from the necessity of being masters of the tasks that we handle. While it’s tempting to consolidate job responsibilities to save money up front, the cost at the end is substantially higher. It’s hidden savings vs. hidden costs—and it can make all the difference to the success of the project.