Stopping the traffic… with Bulgin connectors
Come wind, rain, hail or snow, traffic signals must be able to deliver outstanding reliability no matter what. Importantly, they must continue to do so year-in, year-out – often for as long as a decade.
AGD is a multi award winning, independent UK company designing and manufacturing traffic detection and control products. They sell more than 130 large customers globally with a strong reputation for superior quality. Performance and reliability are therefore key design considerations.
That’s why AGD uses Bulgin Buccaneer connectors across almost 60% of its product line – including its entire vehicle and pedestrian detection ranges. Bulgin, a brand of Elektron Technology, has been a trusted supplier to AGD since the early 1990s and provides the company with a range of IP68-rated, weather- and dirt-proof connections. These connectors are specifically designed to deliver reliable connectivity day after day, helping to ensure that AGD’s products live up to their high standards.
Bulgin’s Buccaneer connectors are also something of an ‘industry standard’ in junction boxes and signal controllers helping to ensure compatibility with other related systems.
Trusted supply chain and benchmarking
The company works very closely with all its suppliers to ensure it invests capital into buffer stocks. This has sustained AGD’s ability to win business over its competitors, as they can deliver products fast.
Dafydd Hughes, Supply Assurance Manager at AGD comments: “In an increasingly competitive environment, the financial risk and increase in investment required to develop new products is substantial. The issue of supply chain relationships within and between companies has long been recognised as a key factor influencing our industry and greatly impacts our ability to compete and increase share in world markets. Our 20 year relationship with Bulgin has always been a positive one. Like all our suppliers, the reliability of their service directly relates to our own value and sustainable competitive advantage.”
Despite this very strong working relationship, AGD was recently approached by a competitor offering another connector product. This prompted AGD to undertake an in-depth benchmarking exercise pitting it against Bulgin’s Buccaneer connector.
Martin Smith, Quality Manager at AGD comments: “Our benchmarking exercise demonstrated the Buccaneer connectors excellence over competing products and reassured us that we are using the best available product on the market. Importantly, by working with Bulgin’s OEM Sales Manager, Jacqui Birch, to closely define our requirements, we saved 15 to 20% on our component spend. As a result, we were very happy to make a formal 3 year commitment to Bulgin with a healthy forecast in place for well in excess of 20,000 connectors a year.”
Lisa Hamon, Group Sales Director EMEA, Elektron PLC comments: “Innovation and customer service are the two cornerstones of our business. In the case of AGD we are supplying them with a great product that fulfils their requirement and, by making sure we work closely with their team to follow through on our promises and deliver on time, we are giving them a service to match. This is why we have so many long-term customers like AGD.”
Bulgin
EMEA: +44(0) 1803 407752
Americas: +1-760-343-3650
Asia Pacific: +65 6933 7680
Elektron Technology plc
+44(0) 1223 371 000
