This post is the fifth in a 6 part series entitled “Who is Field?” Each post highlights one of Field’s 6 core values.
When a business has a core value of flexibility, one often thinks it’s only related to the employees. At Field, we value our team members’ families and make sure flexibility is a priority for our team. From doctor’s appointments to your child’s school program, Field assures each team member has the flexibility to attend life events. Field also has a program that allows team members to volunteer their time at a charitable organization for an entire week. Making flexibility a priority for our employees is one of the many reasons Field is a great place to work.
The flexibility we have within our team helps us pass on that same core value to our customers. When bringing on a new VMI partnership, customers are often taken back by our flexibility. We are flexible in creating unique individual plans for our customers. This outlook gives us the flexibility to be as creative as necessary to fit each customer’s needs. Our Vendor Managed Inventory system takes full responsibility for maintaining an agreed upon inventory of the fasteners. We are able to fulfill this responsibility by working with our customers and being flexible to their needs. For example, we offer different label sizes and formats. This flexibility makes the implantation process so much easier for the customer. Some of our customers have end of the month spikes that can affect inventory levels. The VMI team works with our customers to make sure we keep them fully stocked during these times. This results in having one of the team member’s on site an extra day at the end of month to take care of those needs. Flexibility with our customers allows Field to have the best fastener VMI programs.
Field’s customers are given accessibility to teams that put us ahead of our competitors. One of those is our engineering team. The engineers at Field set us apart from our competition by being flexible to help each customer’s needs. This might involve them being onsite for a kaizen event on fastener technical training for the customer’s team. Flexibility can also be working with the customer on fastener cost reduction, resulting in cost savings for the customers. Another team that uses flexibility with our customers is our distribution team. They will work directly with the customer’s requests. It might be kitting a part in a certain quantity, or using a heated treated pallet that the customer requested. Being accessible and flexible allows us to engage in a rewarding partnership with our customers.
Flexibility starts with Field employees and continues to our own customers. By giving flexibility to our employees, it allow us to give that same core value to our customers.