Success through flexibility – expansion thanks to subcontractors
The use of external, third-party subcontractors has become part of the daily business for many companies. On the one hand, it is unavoidable for this reason alone, as otherwise the bulging order books would no longer be manageable. On the other hand, in many cases it would even be uneconomical not to make use of the specialization of third parties.
Subcontracting offers companies many advantages that can not only ensure competitiveness, but also help them achieve international success. The following report shows how companies can succeed in realizing orders that exceed both their internal capacities and their internal qualification profile.
Strategic advantages thanks to subcontractors
Hiring the right subcontractors offers a company many advantages that can ultimately develop into strategic advantages over the competition. Subcontractors have long since ceased to be regarded as inferior unskilled laborers, but rather as partners on an equal footing.
Helmuth W., an entrepreneur from southern Germany, was quick to realize this when he first decided to call in a subcontractor to fulfill an order 5 years ago. “The order at that time was very extensive, from welding work, to pipe laying, to the entire installation of the machines, the customer wanted everything from a single source.”
The contractor reported that at first he was not sure whether he could accept the order at all. He neither had enough employees for the enormous order volume, nor could he cover all service areas with his regular staff. Nevertheless, he decided to accept the order.
“If you still want to be competitive as an entrepreneur these days, you literally have to go above and beyond. I accepted the job even though I knew that I actually lacked the people with the necessary qualifications to do it,” Helmuth W. recalls today. It was clear to him that he would otherwise lose the job to the competition, and who likes to feed the competition with orders worth several hundred thousand euros?
Successful project with the right subcontractors
With the contract signed, the project was to get underway in just a few weeks. It was clear to the entrepreneur that what he needed was a short-term, flexible solution. Expanding his own permanent staff was not an option, because he would have to reduce it again once the contract was completed. Not to mention the high non-wage labor costs. An acquaintance finally made the suggestion that he team up with a subcontractor.
“At first, I was very skeptical. After all, you vouch for the subcontractor’s work with your name. The quality has to be right in any case, otherwise you not only lose the contract but also your good reputation faster than you can say subcontractor,” jokes the entrepreneur today.
For the success of the entire project, it is essential to work with the right partners. Partners you can rely on and who meet the same quality standards as your own employees.
Rely on competent mediation
For this reason, the selection of subcontractors should not be left to chance. You are on the safe side with a competent subcontractor mediator. Such firms only refer those companies that have gone through a qualification process beforehand.
Helmuth W. also made use of such a mediation service for his company. “The whole process ended up being much easier than we thought. The placement company Subauftrag.com took care of everything. Starting with the search for the right subcontractors, through to the contracts and all other administrative matters.”
Today, the southern German entrepreneur works with subcontractors on virtually every job. These give him the flexibility that is so urgently needed these days. Helmuth W.’s orders are no longer limited to Germany, they are scattered all over the globe. “I never imagined it would ever be possible. But thanks to modern technology and the international network of Subauftrag, we now even realize projects in Nigeria.”
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