Our top 3 learnings from working with major housebuilders for 25+ years

We’re fortunate to have some of the biggest and most established housebuilders on our customer list. As a go-to supplier for numerous major housebuilders, we work hard to make sure we fully meet their requirements first time around.

Our extensive knowledge and expertise, not to mention our quality products – timber roof trusses, metal web joists, porches and canopies and car barns and carports – are among the reasons why the UK’s top housebuilders choose us.

And when you add our exceptional customer service, attention to detail and ability to push the boundaries and add value to the mix, regardless of the size, complexity or scale of the project at hand, it’s clear why so many housebuilders choose us time and again.

The entire Scotts Engineering Team, from our salespeople to our estimators/designers and delivery team, go above and beyond for major housebuilders by putting themselves in their shoes and focusing on delivering the best possible product and service.

As a forward-thinking company, we’re constantly adapting in response to the latest industry developments and standards. We’re also learning and perfecting our processes with every housebuilder brief we deliver. Over the years, we’ve learnt a lot organisation-wide. Here are our top three major housebuilder-related key learnings so far:

Key learning 1: You can never be too responsive or flexible 

One of the main reasons why we’re able to respond to requests and tailor our products to customers’ specific requirements so efficiently and effectively is because we’ve got such a flexible and responsive 90-strong production team located over two sites (Thrapston in Northamptonshire and Redditch in Worcestershire). For instance, they’re capable of changing the composition of spandrel panels to suit customers’ specific requirements on a site-by-site basis. They can also turn around trusses within a three to four-week call-off period.

In the meantime, our rapidly-expanding transport fleet delivers to sites across the length and breadth of the country.

Over the years, our responsiveness and flexibility has enabled us to develop strong working relationships with buyers, technical and site teams. From pricing through to completion, we also provide a single point of contact to make sure we provide a consistent service from start to finish.

Key learning 2: Focusing on the technical details = an accurate end result    

In addition to having two production sites, we have two design hubs made up of some of the brightest and best design talent around. Collectively, these hubs boast more than 200 years’ experience, which we’re incredibly proud of. We’re also continuously investing in our employees’ training and development to ensure they remain at the forefront of the industry.

What’s more, as Trussed Rafter Association members, we have access to the very latest timber engineering standards and wider technical details that really make us tick. The devil really is in the detail when it comes to designing and manufacturing our entire product range, which is why we provide layout drawings for every project, as standard. Paying attention to the technical details from the outset enables us to achieve an accurate end result. We also allocate a dedicated design technician to every site to answer any technical queries housebuilders may have as everything takes shape.

Key learning 3: Obtaining the right information at the right time is crucial

As we’ve just mentioned, we’re detail-orientated, but we don’t just obtain any old details. The moment we receive an enquiry, our estimating team starts asking the right questions to make sure our quotations ultimately meet customer and project requirements.

Typical questions include:

• What type/spec of spandrel panels/trusses etc. do you need?
• Tell us about the scope of the ancillary package that’s required?
• Can you provide us with any specific drawings you may have that may be missing from the tender package?

We use a variety of quotation formats, all aimed at helping housebuilders easily analyse our costs. For example, we can output an itemised plots list for easier inputting into our ordering systems.

At the same time, we carry out meticulous take-offs  that are tailored to each project and ensure all of the required materials have been included.

We provide housebuilders with an unrivalled service; one that’s been shaped and continues to be shaped by our daily interactions with them. The learnings above are literally just the tip of the iceberg and are something we will continue to build upon organisation-wide for many more years to come.

For more insight on our industry-leading ways of working read, ‘Housebuilders: 7 ways to guarantee you receive the best timber roof truss quote.’

If you have any queries or would like to discuss your timber roof truss or wider requirements with us, get in touch.