Top 4 Ways The Dove Agency Helps With Procurement
Let Us Help You Streamline Your PROJECTS
At The Dove Agency, we’ve mastered a streamlined approach to give every order the attention to detail it deserves—including our procurement operations.
After a difficult experience several years ago, the importance of a streamlined procurement process became more evident to me than ever before.
During my final project as a designer, my partner and I were working on a vacation home in Montana. We had placed a large upholstery order from a manufacturer in North Carolina. My experience with this vendor gave me confidence that my order would arrive on schedule, and amidst the busyness leading up to installation, expediting and tracking the order was pushed to the back burner.
In the hours leading up to installation day, we made a quick phone call to the receiver to confirm that the sofa and eight chairs had arrived at the warehouse. We were told they had arrived. Our entire team flew from Dallas to Montana for the installation. That morning, the trucks arrived on time… but with no upholstery in sight.
Panic set in after we made a few phone calls and determined that the upholstery items had been received at the warehouse—at the original delivery destination—but not in Montana. It turns out the delivery truck driver had picked up our upholstery items at the original destination, but as he made his way into Montana and across state lines, he learned that his company wasn’t authorized to deliver there. After returning the items to the original warehouse (one state over!), our delivery contact signed the bill of landing, and our items were left in a corner at the loading dock with other unknown items—at the wrong location! (Ironically, what we did receive, however, was a set of patio furniture that wasn’t expected for another several weeks.)
Meanwhile, we were frantically trying to complete an install without upholstery for a family ready to enjoy their new home in the middle of winter with nothing but patio furniture.
LESSON LEARNED: Don’t take any shortcuts. Track and expedite your products, regardless of how well you know a manufacturer or your past experiences, and ask all the questions necessary to get your items to the correct destination and on schedule. Or, let us take it from here.
Our SPECIALIZED Procurement SERVICES
Our boutique-style approach at The Dove Agency ensures that procurement is executed under each client’s trade account, giving us the ability to oversee every step from start to finish, including ordering, payment, tracking, expediting, and processing damage claims.
We value the knowledge that we are representing our clients during this process, as well as their vendor relationships. Let our team take the headache of procurement off your plate, so you can do what you do best—design!
1) Placing orders: Once you’ve found the perfect piece for your project, placing the order is exciting and easy! Oftentimes, designers feel helpless, crossing their fingers and praying that their orders will arrive on time at the correct destination.
Our team of procurement experts removes that burden by seeing your order across the finish line. We ensure that the order is not only correct but also arrives promptly and at the correct location. Additionally, we are equipped to procure the items with our clients’ preferred payment method and verify that all design specifications and costs are accurately noted on the vendor PO and vendor payment receipt.
2) Shipping/Receiving/Delivery Fees: Stop eating fees! When you’re juggling multiple projects and endless orders, it’s easy to overlook the small charges that keep hitting your credit card and add up along the way. We guarantee that all costs related to your purchases are credited to the associated items purchased for each client.
3) Tracking/Expediting: From the original destination to the receiving warehouse to the install location and the transit in between, we know where your items are every step of the way and ensure that you don’t experience any surprises due to missing inventory. We oversee each client’s list of ordered items, track shipment dates, expedite items to installation, and work with the receiving warehouse to confirm (with coordinating photos) that the correct items are ready for installation, damage-free. We are happy to also provide expediting reports upon request.
4) Damage Claims: Designers know that damage happens—far too often. Our team seamlessly handles damage claims, works with vendors and receiving warehouses, and identifies the source to best provide our clients with a variety of cost and repair options.
Whether you’re an industry veteran or just starting your own journey, our tailored procurement services are designed to integrate seamlessly with your firm’s unique workflow. Elevate your projects with confidence, and partner with us to ensure every detail is managed, every selection is secure, and your process is effortlessly streamlined.