CEO Insights: William S. Pike, Managing Director, Brady Australia

What do you see as the single biggest challenge facing your industry in the year ahead?

The single biggest challenge facing our industry over the next year will be the ability of suppliers to adapt to the rapidly changing buying patterns of our customers. As customers move to a more lean methodology, they are increasingly looking to suppliers to respond more rapidly to their demands. For that reason, we have spent considerable resources upgrading our mobile web applications to allow real-time order shopping and placement.

Our mobile-optimised websites allow customers to search for products no matter where they are and to place orders in the knowledge that in most cases they will be picked, packed and shipped same day (for all stocked items). The scale and security of dealing with a large company like Brady gives customers confidence that we can respond in this manner. Companies that haven’t invested in technology like we have will fall by the wayside.

What do you see as the two or three biggest growth opportunities for your customers in 2016?

Many of our customers should be able to participate in the tremendous growth opportunities in the construction and infrastructure markets, particularly in NSW. Obviously there will be an increasing requirement to comply with all OH&S obligations, particularly around people identification and safety. That is where Brady can assist with our market-leading identification solutions designed to put customers at the forefront of industry-leading ideas.

Fortunately a good number of our customers work in the health and aged care sectors, and these sectors continue to grow and prosper. Increasing scrutiny on people identification and security means that many customers will rely on suppliers like Brady to provide them with the competitive edge they need to stay in the game. Our industry-leading certification process enables us to give first-class service and advice. No customer can afford to risk damage to their reputation by using substandard product. At Brady you can rely on us to ensure all statutory requirements are met.

What do you feel are the three most important things your customers are looking for in a supplier?

Our customers are looking for a totally reliable established supplier; one with the history, knowledge and quality that they need. With Brady, customers know we are the compliance experts; a reputation built over the past 100 years. We have been around longer than most and we will be here for the long term. It is this security that customers are also looking for today; they can confidently expect that we will be here to support them as they grow their business. Security is a key feature of the Brady model, backed up by a quality product developed by a global expert — Brady Corp. Our quality standards set us apart from our competitors, and customers often tell us this is a key factor in their decision-making process. In short, reliability, quality and security are the three major features that our customers continually look for in a supplier.

What systems or technologies have been implemented, or are you planning to implement, to improve the energy efficiency of your business?

Brady Australia has invested a considerable amount into the development of mobile-friendly web-based catalogue solutions designed to make sourcing decisions fast, easy and stress-free. Browsing through our various websites will assure even the most fastidious buyer that we have one of the most user-friendly platforms available to the market here in Australia. Every day we are reviewing our offering and looking for ways to tweak and improve our offerings. The latest techniques in site design and operation are employed by tech-savvy Brady staff — both here and through our Global network. One of the benefits here at Brady is that we operate across the globe and we have the ability to learn from a wide variety of our businesses in the USA, Europe and across Asia.

What are your customers demanding of you more today than five years ago, and how will you meet these requirements in 2016?

Customers today are demanding to know that their suppliers are experts in their field. Brady Corp is recognised across the globe as being the expert in personal identification and safety compliance. As such we are increasingly relied upon to provide the best in advice and supply of totally compliant product to the market. Very few companies offer anywhere near the range of quality of product supplied by us to the Australian market.

Bill began his career as a graduate trainee with International Harvester, a large US multinational serving the truck and agricultural sectors of the Australian market. Bill took on general management roles in parts, procurement, sales planning and distribution and export sales with Toyota, which gave him a learning platform to transition to executive vice president sales and marketing at Mitsubishi Motors Australia. After resurrecting Mitsubishi’s market share position, Bill was headhunted to the position of president and CEO of Komatsu Australia. A successful business transformation followed, turning a struggling equipment manufacturer/distributor into the leading Komatsu Distributor in the world. Now at Brady Australia, Bill has similar ambitions for this business.