Window Ware

Posted on 04/08/2022

Vas Lazarevych is celebrating 15 years at Window Ware, following a meteoric rise through the ranks since he started at the market-leading independent hardware distributor back in 2007.

Having joined the business as a picker and packer in the warehouse, Vas soon progressed to the roles of junior operative and then senior operative responsible for moving, loading, and unloading goods using the forklift truck.  

When the opportunity arose to apply for a job in the trade counter, he didn’t hesitate. And it was this role which ultimately opened the door for Vas to a role in purchasing.  Just 5 years later, Vas successfully landed a promotion to Purchasing Manager in October 2021.

Today, Vas leads a small team and manages all the daily purchasing activities, including procuring all goods, helping to build strong relationships with brand partners, and managing inventory levels to maintain service levels, stock availability and all-important OTIF delivery performance for customers.

Every day, he works closely with colleagues across all primary business functions to strike that perfect balance between supply and demand; that means carefully managing inbound lines, so the warehouse team is never overloaded with goods-in, as well as maintaining constant lines of communication with the sales team so they have everything they need to meet their customers’ needs, whether that’s an ETA on an essential inbound shipment or enough stock to complete every order first time, every time.

It’s a challenging role, but Vas believes the practical experience he has gained during his various roles with the company has stood him in great stead.

Vas insists, “Even though joining the Purchasing Team in 2016 was undoubtedly a career-defining moment for me, every single role I’ve held at Window Ware has helped me to get where I am today. Together, they’ve given me a comprehensive understanding of the whole business.”

“In those early years, I got to learn hands-on how everything works in the warehouse. Then, during my stint in the trade counter, I was able to really expand my technical knowledge about our wide range of products and how they are used in fenestration. And of course, that first purchasing role gave me a thorough grounding in supply chain. The tasks I performed then, coupled with my business and product knowledge, have all helped to prepare me for my current role.  They’ve equipped me with the skills I now need to successfully predict what inventory our customers will need and order accordingly sometimes up to 6 months in advance, to run the purchasing team and work cohesively with the whole company.”

“Successfully balancing high OTIF service levels with an optimised inventory, when you have no customer forecasts, is always going to be a challenge for any business, but I’m pleased to report we are well stocked and just need to stay agile and continue to manage demand closely whilst mitigating any supply disruptions to keep the goods coming for our busy customers.”

Reflecting on his 15 years at Window Ware, Vas added: “I’ve always felt there’s a real family-feel to working at Window Ware. We work hard because we care, and we’ll go the extra mile to support each other and build strong, long-lasting working relationships both in- and outside the organisation. Because that way, everybody benefits!  Window Ware is a fast-paced company with motivated and experienced staff who can think on their feet and move quickly to keep up with changing times and priorities.”

Sam Nuckey, Window Ware’s MD, said: “After 15 years, and with 6 different roles under his belt, Vas has a wealth of knowledge about every aspect of our business, so he’s a tremendous asset to the team. Vas has always displayed the passion, strong work ethic and can-do attitude to make a success of every role and he’s constantly looking for new ways to add value to the business.”

“Nurturing and developing our talent is a top priority for us and there are plenty of opportunities to learn and progress here at Window Ware,” continued Sam. “At the end of the day, a business is only as good as its people, so making sure we have a skilled and experienced team that really knows its stuff is the surest way to create a better service for our customers and set the company up for success.”

Window Ware has been successfully serving the window and door industry with leading brand hardware, tools, and consumables since 1987, helping to ensure fabricator production lines keep moving and trade counter shelves stay stocked. For more information, call 01234 242 724, email sales@windowware.co.uk, or visit www.windowware.co.uk.