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When managing tight budgets amid MRO purchasing, it can be tempting to prioritize cost over quality. But what might seem like a savvy cost saving move at the time—especially one that sacrifices reliability and quality—can lead to unexpected long-term costs that outweigh any initial savings.
Let’s look at the true price of buying cheap industrial supplies, and how purchasing managers who prioritize quality today can save their businesses money (and stress) down the road.
1. Repeat Replacements Add Up
Low-cost tools, shoddy safety gear and other cheap MRO supplies are often made from inferior materials. Naturally, they’ll wear out faster, break more easily and need more frequent replacing.
Hand tools made from low-grade steel, for example, might be enticingly affordable—but after two or three months of repeated use, they’ve corroded or broken altogether, and you’re facing premature replacement of tools. Over time, the cost of these repeat purchases can exceed that of buying a high-quality product in the first place.
Solution: Opt for industrial supplies made from quality materials—for example, tools made from chrome vanadium (Cr-V) instead of high-carbon steel. This alloy combines the hardness and durability of steel with chromium’s corrosion-resistance and vanadium’s toughness.
Our Black Canyon combination wrenches are forged from premium Cr-V steel for exceptional hardness and superior torque performance, with a polished finish that protects against rust and corrosion.
2. Downtime Hurts Production Efficiency
Imagine your drill bits breaking in the middle of a pivotal repair, or your choice of subpar safety gloves resulting in a workplace injury. These situations lead to production halts, stalled operations and lost productivity, while also costing you money in repairs and replacements. Worst even potential safety violations.
Solution: Choose products that have undergone rigorous testing to meet or exceed industry standards—like our NIOSH-approved N95 respirators, or our Olympia brand gloves that have been formally tested and rated for abrasion resistance.
3. Compromised Safety Risks Employee Health
Second-rate safety equipment can fail to provide the protection workers need and deserve, resulting in workplace injuries, medical expenses, legal liabilities and a whole mess of trouble. Supplying substandard safety glasses, for example, can lead to avoidable accidents. Bad things happen when protective eyewear doesn’t do its job—or it’s simply so uncomfortable and poorly made employees choose not to wear it.
Solution: Invest in safety equipment from trusted brands like Olympia, which conducts thorough internal and third-party testing on its products, while also prioritizing designs that are comfortable, intuitive and easy-to-use.
4. Operational Costs Lurking Below the Surface
The fact is: Inferior MRO supplies create inefficiencies. A low-grade, fragile drill bit that dulls quickly or a measuring tool that easily and frequently falls out of calibration can waste valuable time and resources when important jobs are on the line.
Solution: Quality products made from quality materials, like those offered through NorthSky Select, can strike a perfect balance between cost saving and performance, ensuring your industrial supplies can stand on reliability and quality.
5. Negative Brand and Reputational Impact
For businesses that rely on MRO procurement to effectively serve their customer base, such as contractors or manufacturers, there’s more than just financial burdens on the line. Cheap supplies can result in lackluster work, missed deadlines and unhappy customers... which in turn can do real harm to your reputation and your customer relationships.
Solution: Hold your MRO supplies to the same standards you do your business. It'll help you deliver a product or service you can be proud of.
Choose Quality, Reliability and Affordability—Together
At NorthSky, we believe premium products don’t have to come with a premium price tag. We offer high-quality, dependable tools, PPE, safety gear and more, for 40-70% less than the competition. How? It’s all thanks to rigorous testing, thoughtful design and an extensive network of manufacturing partners around the world, committed to quality just like we are.
By investing in industrial supplies that are built strong and priced right, you can avoid the long-term costs of cheap alternatives, and focus on your business instead.
