Solution · Simplify
Supplier consolidation moves your C-parts, the fasteners and small components that make up most part numbers but little of the spend, from many suppliers onto one managed source. The result is fewer purchase orders, fewer invoices and one accountable partner for availability and quality.
Order accuracy
Global operations
Containers a year
Bufab network suppliers
C-parts are cheap to buy and expensive to manage. The same clip can sit under three part numbers from three suppliers at three sites, so volume is split, every line carries its own order and invoice, and nobody owns availability. Consolidation tackles the number of suppliers and part numbers first, then puts the survivors on a managed supply model.
It is the starting point for C-parts management and usually runs alongside vendor-managed inventory.
Four phases. The first two decide how much the rest is worth.
Part numbers, suppliers, annual usage and the cost of ordering and expediting, by site.
Duplicate and near-duplicate parts are mapped so one approved part replaces several.
One part family at one line or cell first, run in alongside existing stock, with no hard cutover.
Consolidated parts move to VMI, consignment or kitting and are reviewed against real consumption.
A typical before and after for the C-parts slice of a bill of materials.
| Area | Before consolidation | After consolidation |
|---|---|---|
| Suppliers for C-parts | Many, often one per product family | One managed source plus its network |
| Purchase orders | A PO per part, per supplier | Blanket or programme ordering |
| Invoices | Many small invoices | Consolidated invoicing |
| Part numbers | Duplicates across sites | One approved number per part |
| Availability | Owned by whoever notices a shortage | Owned by the supplier on agreed levels |
| Documentation | Held by each supplier separately | Certificates travel with the parts |
Consolidation concentrates supply, so the risks are real. These are the ones buyers raise and how a programme handles them.
| Risk | How it is controlled |
|---|---|
| Dependence on one supplier | The Bufab network of 1,600+ suppliers across 30+ countries sits behind the single point of contact, so a second source can be qualified without you re-sourcing |
| Shortages during the switch | Families move one at a time, run in alongside existing stock before old supply is closed |
| Quality and paperwork gaps | Supply under ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120 Rev B, IATF 16949 with PPAP for automotive, and certificates kept with the parts |
| Losing visibility of cost | Commercial terms are set per programme and reviewed against measured consumption |
| Engineering changes | Usage history is held, so exposure is known before a superseded part lands |
Consolidation decides who supplies the part. These models decide how it reaches the line. Compare them on the sourcing models page.
Bins scanned and topped up at the point of use. VMI.
The whole long tail on one managed route. C-parts management.
Stock on your site, invoiced when used. Consignment.
Parts for a build delivered as one kit. Kitting assembly.
The questions buyers ask before handing over their C-parts.
Moving purchases for a category, here fasteners and other C-parts, from many suppliers to fewer, ideally one managed source, to cut ordering cost and improve availability.
No. Programmes start with a defined family at one line or cell and widen once the mechanics are proven.
One point of contact, not one factory. The Bufab network behind CSG gives alternative sources for most standard parts.
Yes. Branded lines such as BUMAX, Böllhoff, HellermannTyton and Southco can sit in the same programme as standard fasteners. See the brands page.
With a part list or spend export. Send it through the RFQ form and we will come back with what consolidation would cover.
Send a spend export or part list and we will show you which families consolidate cleanly and what changes on your side.