Keeping up with discontinued items

[WannabeFramer]

I've had a three occasions recently where mouldings and/or mountboards have turned out to be discontinued, which I have only discovered when I put the codes in FramR in front of customers.

I've spoken to a couple of suppliers who tell me they don't routinely email out lists of discontinued items, which I found surprising.

So I wondered how everyone ensures their displays are always up-to-date, and avoids showing customers things that no longer exist?

Thanks as always

[IFGL]

I use software that tells you if the suppier has stock at point of sale, also if I have stock in, also flags up if a product is discontinued.

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[WannabeFramer]

My point is, I would not know a moulding has been discontinued until I have selected it and entered the code into whatever software I happen to use.

This week my customer chose from a LJ range. I discovered only 3 of the dozen or so options I had on display are still valid.
I am wondering how to avoid those scenarios without needing to routinely go through and manually check every chevron on my wall, just in case.

FramR (or software of choice) is regularly updated with supplier changes so there is obviously a database sent to them. I could overcomplicate things by cataloguing my chevrons, somehow extracting the FramR database and using Excel wizadry to highlight changes - each time FramR updates.

But in simplest form, I am surprised that there doesn't seem to be a newsletter sent from main manufacturers simply stating 'X range, now discontinued'. I asked Centrado and Larson and they don't.

Or am I missing something?

[Tudor Rose]

No, you aren't missing anything. We periodically review our chevrons and check ranges to make sure they are still current. We also ask reps who visit to glance over our walls and highlight anything that is either gone or teetering on the cliff-edge of being discontinued. Our Nielsen rep is particularly good at this. Despite this, sometimes things happen and we have to advise at the design desk that it has been discontinued. Equally sometimes things get missed off the list sent to FrameR, and a quick look at the supplier website and you realise it is still very much available.

FrameR aren't sent a list of discontinued - they are just sent the latest price list. That will include anything from new ones, tweaks to prices and discontinued. So if you see that a supplier has updated (and FrameR tells you on the supplier list the date each element eg mountboard, moulding, glass etc was updated) then you can do a quick check of your own stock to see. No matter how faffy that all sounds, it is all a million times better than the old days of having to work out price codes for every single chevron, mountboard, backing board, glazing option etc manually from a printed list sent once or twice a year. That was a lot more work.

[IFGL]

Larson Juhl have that at the footer on their website, supliers are very nice in this idustry, they will send you a list of discontinued items if you explain that you are refreshing your chevrons.

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That sounds like a useful button to have on software, "list discontinued items" might just add it.

[Justintime]

IFGL thanks, I had no idea that button existed! Just a few then...
I have done a manual check once a year or two, definitely takes some patience. I think Lions do supply a list too. I try to have all my suppliers websites open during a consultation, to do a quick moulding check.

[WannabeFramer]

I have never noticed that link on LJ - thanks!!