Designing, purchasing, optimizing

In the world of industrial design, production and maintenance, RS is the digital partner for product and service solutions. Specifically, this means 750,000 products in stock and a variety of services ranging from support and optimization to forecasting. The company serves many customers in the food industry with products that meet strict hygiene requirements and withstand extreme conditions during cleaning processes. Advice focuses on energy management, sustainability and cost control in the logistics chain, among other things, whether or not in cooperation with the relevant manufacturer.

The team of RS experts delivers solutions to its customers' design, procurement, inventory management and maintenance challenges every day. This starts with a seamless purchasing experience. Menno Ruiter, Head of Sales Benelux: "Together with the client, we scrutinize their current processes and strategies to identify possible cost and consumption savings. After all, the value of goods purchased is often disproportionate to the process costs involved. However, ordering need not be complicated when the ordering process is simple and efficient. We have e-commerce platforms for this purpose so that we can provide the right solution for every customer and their situation, saving them time, effort and administration."

Efficiency and saving

To provide customers with the right advice or product at literally any time, the company's range includes 750,000 industrial and electronic products and has a customer service team that collaborates with technical experts. Organizations with different branches benefit from the 17 distribution centers, operations in 31 countries and more than 130 distribution/export countries. Ruiter: "Saving money and increasing efficiency happens practically automatically through the better prices associated with our (global) purchasing power and through good alternatives of our own brand RS PRO. In addition, we have a line of 'Better World Products' that aligns with our commitment to reducing environmental impact and improving the well-being of our people, suppliers and communities." 

The food industry

Especially for the food industry, RS has specific products and services. For example, products with an IP67/69K protection class or a stainless steel housing. But also certain measurement products that have both ECOLAB approvals and NSF-approved cleaning agents and lubricants are part of the range. Ruiter: "Our products in precisely this sector further focus on reducing hygiene risks and lowering potential downtime. Spill Kits, for example, is a range of spill kits that can be placed near potential hot spot locations for accidents in the dairy or beverage industry to help staff respond quickly to unexpected spills. This prevents an incident from becoming a major cleanup operation that could potentially halt production."

When it comes to support and advice, RS has all the knowledge and experience regarding current COSHH requirements and sign-off. The same goes for energy management and sustainability. Two topics that are inextricably linked and play a role throughout the industry. Energy management includes measuring and monitoring the consumption of electrical energy. For local power monitoring, RS has kWh meters and power meters in its product range that can easily also be retrofitted for a local indication of energy consumption. The data can also be accessed remotely via Ethernet if desired. 

Customers who focus not only on their own sustainability, but also on sustainability in their own supply chain, can pair up with RS without difficulty. Its commitment to Net Zero and ESG solutions aligns with the industry's focus on sustainable procurement, waste reduction and energy efficient operations. Says Ruiter, "We also lead by example with a Platinum EcoVadis rating and have achieved a 50% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions since 2019/20. Please feel free to contact us to see how we can support in meeting your current challenges."