The Regional Supply Chain

Performing every step in your product’s supply chain yourself isn’t always feasible in order to get your design from paper to reality, whilst still maintaining the quality. Whether it is due to lack of specialist skills, knowledge or equipment there will come a time where the need to find a supplier or specialist equipment is required. So where do you start?

Our advice

The region has a wealth of resources and facilities that you could be right on your door step. However the process of finding a supplier or tracking down specialist equipment can be time-consuming and if complex may require the involvement of more than one organisation.

Working with the right supplier or equipment is important in order to ensure your supply chain remains efficient and value for money. However when selecting your supplier your instinct and personal connection is worth taking into account as well as believing that your selected supplier/s understands you and your organisation’s needs. 

A personal recommendation through friends and contacts or via social networking is a great start if you know what you are looking for and will give you an element of reassurance. See our Network Map on organisations who may be able to help or via the links on the left hand side.

If you are unsure about your requirements Design Network North can support you through the whole process. We can simply help you to identify a shortlist of companies or even help you to review and refine your current supply chain. This is because we offer free and impartial advice, with possible funding opportunities, to help you select a supplier, giving you more time to be creative. 

For more information or advice, contact us via our website.

How can Design Network North help?

Design Network North has several services and resources available to support you in this process.

• We have one of the most comprehensive networks of manufacturers and suppliers, who support designers, in the North East. The broad range of organisations can be found on our website under ‘The Network Map’ where the map enables you to search by discipline or location to simplify the process of accessing design support.
• Boomerang is a service offered by us which provides answers to your design questions. Acting as a design forum for designers of all backgrounds Boomerang aims to provide answers to those difficult design questions, where you wouldn’t know where to start looking for an answer or if you are looking for someone with a particular expertise.
• Design Network North has a series of Design Performance workshops which will enable your whole team to assess your current performance across the key areas of new product and service development and to create action plans to improve your performance. Please contact a member of the Design Network North team via our contact us page.

Follow the links under on the left hand side of the page for more information.