Timing is everything. These words are nowhere more true than in wholesale ingredient orders. But it’s not only supply chain challenges that stand in the way of your order’s successful fruition.
Harvest times don’t only affect the quality of your ingredients but also the timeframe of your order. That’s why the timing of your order matters. And the best way to ensure that your order’s timing leads to a reliable supply chain is by getting it in before the harvest season.
The benefits of ordering before the harvest
Why is it important to order ahead of the harvest? Let’s look at a few of the top benefits of getting your order in before the harvest.
Secure competitive pricing
Once the harvest comes in, pricing becomes more competitive as the season’s yield is divided up. By placing your order early, the price spikes that come with high demand can be avoided.
Skip the waiting list
Ordering ahead of the harvest allows you to skip the line, so to say. Instead of falling in with other orders, you get to secure the first yields of the season from the start. This is especially valuable when you’re working with in-demand seasonal ingredients that could be affected by low harvest yields.
Set up a reliable production schedule
Early wholesale orders allow you to plan your production schedule more effectively ahead of time. So instead of having to scurry around when unexpected supply chain delays or shortages crop up, your production schedule will be able to continue as planned more effectively.
The steps of an effective supply journey
Ensuring that your early orders produce these results requires your supplier to follow a few vital steps, though.
Build quality relationships across the supply chain
The strength of relationships suppliers build with both clients and vendors is a vital lifeline for effective ingredient journeys. When a supplier’s service only focuses on the purchaser end of the supply chain, they’re not building the relationships needed to ensure the best quality product yield come harvest time. Close relationships with vendors allow suppliers to keep a closer eye on harvest forecasts, enabling them to deliver on orders more reliably.
Understand the marketplace
Just as quickly as the climate can affect harvest, so too can the marketplace. Both the consumer market and the greater ingredient industry can play a dire role in supply chain management, and may affect even early orders. Remaining aware of market activity and trends and their influence on ingredient orders will help to ensure that early orders actually make the difference they’re intended to.
Remain adaptable to address challenges on the go
Adaptability is one of the most important aspects of effective supply chain management. Harvests can be impacted by numerous factors: from climate changes and cold fronts to labor shortages to the struggle of staying competitive in the market. Being able to adjust course mid-journey and find solutions quickly is something suppliers have to be able to do at all times.
Dedicated warehouse management
Suppliers go through every possible precaution to safeguard the quality of ingredients. But disrupted supply chains and extended storage spans play a very real part in the decline of nutritional value in ingredients. Managing bulk ingredients in dedicated warehouses is the only way to ensure fresh products throughout harvest season and beyond.
The difference Ingredient Brothers bring to the harvest table
We’ve seen the ingredient journey from both sides of the spectrum, as buyers and suppliers. That’s why Ingredient Brothers are able to provide the highest quality service at every one of these steps to ensure you enjoy the full array of benefits that wholesale ingredient orders have in store.
Leading up to and throughout harvest seasons, we visit our vendors personally wherever possible to stay as close to the journey as we can. They’re the starting line of the supply chain and we cherish those relationships. And it’s those relationships that allow us to stay close to harvest developments.
With the upcoming chia harvest, the matter of timing is once again at the forefront. So if you’re ready to get to the head of the line when ordering your superfood this harvest season, get in touch with Ingredient Brothers today.
While you’re exploring, take a look at the catalog of ingredients we provide, unveiling a wide spectrum of opportunities to elevate your product range. Unsure if you’ve found exactly what you need? Rest assured, we have the means to procure it for you. Ready to embark on this collaborative journey? Let’s dive in together!