Capral’s national market manager for Industrial Solutions, Mark Murray, speaks to the role of the company’s online store, Shop.Capral, as a reliable source of sustainable and trustworthy aluminium.
As Australia’s largest extruder and distributor of aluminium products, Capral Aluminium manufactures and distributes a wide range of aluminium products to Australian manufacturers across a variety of industries. This range includes extrusion, plate, sheet, mesh, treadplate and low-carbon aluminium offerings.
“We extrude around about 55,000 tonnes of aluminium annually and distribute around 10,000 tons of rolled aluminium product a year,” said national market manager for Industrial Solutions, Capral Aluminium, Mark Murray.
Mark explained that Capral’s diverse range of products – including custom designs – are kept readily available and widely accessible.
“These products are kept in stock at our Regional Distribution Centres and usually available for next day collection or delivery. We also provide custom, proprietary extrusions which are designed to meet the needs of an individual customer,” he explained.
“Often customers in industries like transport, construction, marine or renewable energy will have their own bespoke extrusion designs that we supply on demand.”
The company’s national footprint enables it to work with customers across various industries, including manufacturing. This footprint includes six manufacturing sites as well as regional distribution centres in all states supporting Capral’s retail Aluminium Trade Centres and network of experienced account managers.
“Our business services all types of customers, from large multinationals to micro businesses, we take pride in being able to meet the needs of our customers regardless of their size or unique industry requirements” added Mark.
Revolutionising access to reliable aluminium
With such a firm hold on the national distribution of its aluminium, around half a decade ago, Capral established a flexible way to service customers on their own terms, providing customers with better visibility and access to the Capral’s Industrial Solutions aluminium offering. This innovation came by way of Shop.Capral, an online store that is available to all the company’s industrial customers along with general consumers and trade customers.
“In the store, we offer everything from all our standard extruded aluminium products as well as sheet and plate products. Currently, we don’t include our range of window systems or hardware but otherwise you will find most Capral Aluminium products available there,” said Mark.
“The online store reflects Capral’s commitment to innovating and evolving to meet customer needs in the aluminium industry.”
Mark said the store was launched to not only enhance the experience for Capral’s regular customers, but to enhance the product access of the customers that may not be as frequent buyers.
“There could be 10,000 customers that might buy once a year, often these businesses won’t have an established relationship with an account manager or our customer service team. This service is well suited to these customers,” he said.
“Rather than having to ring or work out where to go and pick up a product, they can just jump online on order.”
Running across the country, the online store offers pick-up options for its products from any of Capral’s RDCs or Aluminium Trade Centres – 28 locations nationally – or a next day delivery option.
“It’s all part of our enhancement for customer experience to give our products better availability to customers,” said Mark.
He said that the online store has numerous advantages, including its easy-to-use interface, timely processing and accessibility.
“You can jump on, place an order and be checked out and ready to move on to your next step within 30 seconds. You can do it on a computer, or a mobile,” he said.
As a part of this accessibility, Mark said that a fan favourite among customers is its 24/7, around-the-clock access.
“Being able to order 24/7 wasn’t possible five years ago. We’re moving with the IT world to make the customer experience better,” he said.
“People can say, ‘I need that tomorrow, I better get that now and put the order in’, and have it delivered the next day.”
Mark recalled scenarios that occur quite often where people will be working all day at welding and fabrication workshops and will not be able to order aluminium until nine or ten o’clock at night. The online store is also open for weekends, catering for people who don’t want to waste an hour or two on a Monday morning working out what products they need.
“Quite often I see orders come through at seven to 10 o’clock on a Sunday night. People are sitting down and working out what they need for the week. They could jump on an order on Sunday night and have it delivered the next day, ready for the week’s work,” he said.
Aside from accessibility and timeliness benefits, the store also caters to account customers, who receive access to their negotiated pricing, past orders and invoices. Account customers can also benefit from the recent reordering, shopping list and favourites features. It also adds to accountability and user experience through the ability for customers to track their orders and deliveries.
“Account customers can see their agreed pricing offers for the business so they can jump online and look at all their exclusive products, and then order and track their next day delivery,” said Mark.
Mark describes the customer response Capral has received since the store’s launch as excellent, and something that the company values – shown through the regular updates the system received based on feedback.
“Early last year we did a survey around the online store, and the feedback provided was excellent. Our customers have found the online store very user friendly,” he said.
“We also continue to develop the platform and have put a lot more features and enhancements into the system since we originally launched the site almost 10 years ago.”
An online store in full swing
A manufacturer of pontoons, gangways, jetties and decks for marine access – Aqua Pontoons – has been a customer of Capral for 15 years. Co-owner of the company, Mel Dyer, said Capral has been instrumental in the company’s operations by supplying a range of components used in its products.
“We use a broad range of products from Capral’s extensive range, including its flat bar, angle, sheet, treadplate right up to our personalised whaler and handrail,” she said.
Dyer said to add to the already strong relationship between each company, Capral representatives at the Burleigh Heads branch alerted Aqua Pontoons of the online store. Now, the company has used the store for several years, with Dyer saying that she would recommend the service to any manufacturer who needs easy and reliable access to aluminium.
“It makes ordering easier and efficient, and you are able to know your pricing without any surprises. The online experience is a time saver, and any queries can be sorted out quickly by a quick call to the wonderful staff at our branch,” she said.
“We’ve been a client of Capral’s for so long. It is testimony to their services.”
Another beneficiary of Capral’s services in a similar industry is MDS Marine, an Australian-owned and operated manufacturer of pontoons, jetties, marinas, bridges and associated components.
“MDS Marine has been using Capral for approximately 18 years. MDS Marine predominantly uses extruded structural profiles including mill run exclusive sections,” said MDS Marine’s administration manager Janelle Brewin.
Brewin said that after a timely relationship with Capral, they were approached by their account manager who notified them of the new online store. She said that because the system allowed any staff member to place an order, it was very convenient.
“It is more efficient as we do not have to wait for quotes, and we can see stock availability and estimated date if not in stock,” she said.
“We purchase multiple sections, so it is easier to order looking at section numbers. Having less human interaction and the ability to track history and view open purchase orders and estimated delivery dates means less chance of errors.
“MDS Marine would recommend it as we have found the system easy to use and accessible to all staff members. It greatly assists in quoting projects and ordering materials.”
Going forward, Mark emphasised that Capral would continue to prioritise customer satisfaction. He said the company currently has several enhancements listed that they are set to target within the foreseeable future.
“We are starting to look at what the next level of enhancements are to make the user experience even more friendly,” he said.