Lawson Products working to help customers navigate new challenges, look to the future

"Our employees’ safety and wellbeing is of the utmost importance. We have been following CDC and Health Canada guidelines to ensure that our employees and those they come into contact with remain healthy. Our corporate employees are working from home and we have rotating shifts working at our distribution centers.

"To ensure that our and our customers’ operations continue to run efficiently, we have a business continuity plan in place to provide uninterrupted service to the best of our ability. We have taken a proactive approach with our supply chain — working with all of our key suppliers to ensure that we have adequate stock, bringing in additional supply where possible and identifying alternate sources if needed. In fact, Lawson has a diverse set of countries from which it sources product.

"Ensuring that our customers are able to continue to operate efficiently in this ever-changing environment is of great importance to us. Customers can reach out to their sales reps directly via phone, call customer service or place orders through our website. Our team will continue to conduct business safely to provide the support and service that our customers have come to expect, including where possible providing our in-person service intensive vendor-managed inventory services."

What are the main challenges your customers are seeing and how are you helping them with solutions?
DeCata: "Our customers are adjusting to changes in work flow, product needs and human resources. Lawson Products is as much a service business as a product business. We continue to help our customers manage inventory, ensuring they have the assortments and products they need at the right time. Our sales reps are following both CDC and customer driven guidelines which for some means wearing Personal Protective Equipment at customer locations and for others means problem solving via Zoom; taking orders via phone, email and web."

How has the current environment changed how Lawson Products will conduct business in the future?
DeCata: "While Lawson Products will continue to uphold its service intensive “high touch” value proposition with vendor managed inventory and deep product knowledge, this may be further supplemented with web ordering and increased use of our customer engagement portal that houses technical specifications/data on products and problem solvers."

In addition to getting through trying times, shops need to be preparing for when business is back to normal. What are some of the new products shops should be looking into?
DeCata: "Now more than ever, shops will need to lower their total cost of operation. This can be done by increasing productivity and efficiency. Lawson Products helps its customers do so by working with shops to design an organized storage system that is filled with the right products for the job; stocked based on usage. Our sales reps also bring a wealth of technical expertise to help shops discover new product applications/uses and increase their knowledge.

"Our Kent Automotive customers will want to consider the PROS Profit Enhancement Tool^® mobile app. The mobile app allows users to create complete and accurate invoices directly from their mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets. The PROS cost recovery tool improves repair workflow efficiency by tracking and costing all consumable products used on a repair. The app allows technicians to scan product bar codes with their phones, which automatically enters the items in an invoice. The PROS Profit Enhancement Tool dynamic database of thousands of repair supplies ensures more accurate, detailed job costing and a more complete accounting of the materials used in repair processes."

What tips do you have for fleet management teams?
DeCata: "Whether fleets are running 24/7 or experiencing downtime during this crisis, the benefits of fleet maintenance still hold true. Adhering to a maintenance schedule is rewarded with extended uptime, fewer parts failures and accident prevention. Preventative maintenance includes checking fluids and lubricants, chains, electrical connections, tire wear and battery health.

"Engage is a high-tech, maintenance engineered, long lasting lubricant. Formulated with advanced synthetic lubricants to be long lasting, Engage works in temperatures ranging from -70 Fahrenheit to +480 Fahrenheit. It resists contamination from rust, dirt, grit, salt and water. Engage also penetrates through rust, grit, grime and water to lubricate frozen parts.

"For battery maintenance, eliminate vibration by ensuring batteries are properly secured with Tru-Crimp. Keep cables securely attached and protected from corrosion to avoid undercharging.