Rapid rewards
Dean Pitcher, general manager at Rapid Windows, explains how recently switching to Deceuninck is already paying dividends for the North-East-based fabricator in its pursuit of progress.
“I see the business as a massive opportunity, and I think we can take it to the next level, very quickly,” says Dean Pitcher, general manager at PVC-U window and door manufacturer, Rapid Windows.
“It’s got the customer service, the quality products, the ‘can do’ attitude, all combined with that family-feel that makes the customers feel welcome. With a bit of hard work, we can totally refine the business. It just needs that finishing touch…”
Having joined Rapid earlier this year, Dean says he was initially attracted by the owners’ passion, combined with, what he saw as ‘bags of potential’.
Supplying installers around the North-East for more than three decades, Rapid is well-known in the area it serves. With father, Paul Hewitt, and son, Sam, at the helm; Paul looking to take a step back, and Sam keen to drive the business forward; Dean is confident that he has what it takes to help the business achieve its future goals.
“I came on board in March, with a remit to help Rapid achieve the next level of growth,” he explains. “Having been in the fenestration industry for 26 years, I bear all the scars, but that just provides me with a good grounding to help drive the business forward.
“One of the things I’ve got a lot of experience in, is digital transformation, which is something I felt the business could really benefit from,” Dean continues. “There was a need to move on from a traditional paper-based set-up; make the factory more efficient, make the office more efficient, improve visibility and traceability, and give our customers a much better experience as a result, from point of order onwards.”
A significant tool in Rapid’s arsenal when it comes to achieving this objective, is the company’s recent switch to Deceuninck. With its marketing support, single bar length service and online ordering system identified by Dean as key advantages, the new partnership is already paying dividends.
“Finding the right system to support our future growth is essential,” Dean explains, “and Deceuninck have been so proactive from the word go.
“They were here on my first day, to welcome me, which was a great gesture from a supplier. They’ve offered a lot of support and really helped us push forward with our website marketing to get us on the front foot.
“I think the single bar length service that they offer, meaning you don’t have to take on pack stillages is a really good feature. Everything’s in stock, pretty much on a standard lead time. Combined with the obvious Deceuninck quality and extensive colour choice, it gives us all the tools to offer our customers a really great service.”
Deceuninck’s straightforward online ordering portal has also significantly simplified operations for Rapid, improving communication with customers, speeding up the ordering process, and reducing errors, as Dean explains: “It’s totally live, so you can see how much of the profile is in stock, allowing us to notify customers of delivery timescales at the point of sale and pre-empt any jobs that might be delayed. So far, they’ve had stock of everything though, so it’s been great!”
As the digital revolution gains pace in the window and door sector, Dean is committed to ensuring that Rapid keeps up; a task made much easier with the backing of Deceuninck.
“The advance of technology is changing everything,” he says. “From online ordering to delivery tracking, to automation in manufacture; it just speeds everything up and ultimately, improves the service for the customer.
“We’ve already come on leaps and bounds since partnering with Deceuninck,” Dean concludes. “The onboarding process for the initial switch has been seamless and the transformation has been so quick. I think the hands-on, practical and digital support Deceuninck provides, as a technologically advanced, forward-thinking systems supplier, will only see us go from strength to strength.”
