750,000 products in stock 

Like Apple, RS Components - renamed RS Group this year - began in a garage. Two radio repairmen saw a business around selling spare parts for radios. Since then, the company has grown into a component supplier with more than 750,000 products in stock.

"We enter the market of technical wholesalers, but at the same time we differentiate ourselves from it by not being a typical wholesaler but offering a much broader range of products," says Hans de Vries. He is Country Manager for the Benelux at RS Group. "We are an omnichannel provider, so to speak, which means companies can come to us for a wide variety of products, from electrical resistors to PPE and just about any industrial product in between."

Omnichannel provider 

"We help customers with the development of next-generation products, during the production process as well as in maintenance and service," De Vries states. He explains this with a number of examples. "First, we are a suitable partner for the Willie Roots of the industry. They are concerned with technological developments and want to bring their ideas to life with a prototype. RS Group is a suitable partner to supply the necessary components for these prototypes, even in small quantities. Thanks to 750,000 products divided into various product categories relevant to them, from sensors and cables to other electronics, they always find what they are looking for." In addition, RS Group supports companies in the manufacturing industry with its portfolio. "We like to think along with customers to optimize their production process, by offering the right products at the right time. In doing so, we contribute to higher efficiency and cost savings. Finally, maintaining or securing industrial equipment is also an important aspect of our business. In a production environment, machines and automated lines must be maintained taking into account safety and hygiene. Therefore, PPE and testing equipment can also be found in our product range."

From catalog to website

750,000 products in stock is quite a number. "Companies used to deal with one or sometimes more specialists for each product category. They took the paper catalog in hand and determined their choice on that basis. As a result, finding the right supplier as well as the right products was often a time-consuming activity. In recent years, we have noticed that companies want to reduce the number of suppliers they do business with in order to save costs, while still retaining as much freedom of choice as possible and appreciating fast and reliable delivery. We respond to this. We offer 2,500 A-brands, as quality is important to us. We also offer our own brand - RS PRO - which means we can always offer customers good value for money. And with the large number of products in stock, companies can buy from us more efficiently and cheaply."

E-procurement

E-procurement is growing in the industry, De Vries knows. "Companies are automating and robotizing to make production processes even more efficient. But digitizing and automating procurement is also becoming increasingly important. Customers can link their procurement system to us if they wish, making it even easier to place orders. E-procurement solutions have existed for several years, but the world around e-procurement is developing rapidly as new parties with new protocols enter the market. We also notice that more and more companies are getting it on their radar."

Service

"In addition to e-commerce, service is and will continue to be an important aspect," De Vries states. "Many e-commerce companies excel in anonymity. Companies can place orders online very easily, but when there are questions or problems, making contact is often difficult because a phone number is missing and a chatbot has to solve problems. We think this is a bad thing at RS Group. It is important that customers can reach us not only by email but also by phone. Service is an important part of our business and, unlike many other e-commerce companies, it will always be important."