Natural Resources Wales

The challenge

Natural Resources Wales’ (NRW) mission is to protect, maintain and enhance the Welsh natural environment. “We are NRW and our main goal is to procure sustainable, naturally sourced products,” says Katie Davies, NRW’s Technical Advisor.

By choosing Lyreco as their sole supplier for stationery and furniture under the NPS framework, we were able to support NRW’s mission by providing them with many sustainable product alternatives and reducing the use of non-sustainable products.

Then the pandemic hit.

Now NRW had a new challenge: supporting staff as they started remote working. Not only did employees need stationery and other products delivered to their home addresses, but they needed ergonomic support as they set up home offices in their dining rooms and kitchens. NRW needed sanitary products, PPE, DSE equipment and fast home delivery.

The solution

First, Lyreco helped NRW reduce the range of products available, replacing many with sustainable alternatives. 

“Initially we had the freedom to order whatever we wanted,” says Katie, “but we decided to reduce our product catalogue to only responsibly sourced products.”

Katie explains how NRW were allocated a dedicated account manager, Andrew. “We want to be a leading example of what can be used and purchased. Andrew always finds us the most environmentally friendly product alternatives. It’s always better to go greener, nevermind the cost.”

As part of this, Andrew and the Lyreco team created a bespoke NRW catalogue with sustainable products. 

This proved to be particularly helpful during the pandemic when NRW teams were adjusting to home-working. “When we started working from home, our in-house health department carried out individual assessments to determine what products everyone needed,” Katie explains. “Andrew then organised a special NRW webshop that featured the products people might need to support them at home – footrests and computer stands and so on. 

“Also, Andrew organised delivery to people’s homes – where they needed it – rather than the office. 

“We work from eight different ‘hubs’ and the coordinator for each hub was given a unique login. This meant everyone could process their orders on their own work card but couldn’t go mad and order things they didn’t necessarily need from the wider range.

“He always goes above and beyond to help us get our orders in,” she adds. 

Proactive account management is at the heart of Lyreco’s customer service. This includes regular check-ins. “Andrew would ring us up on a monthly basis to see if we needed anything, was there anything else he could do?”

Well yes, there was.

For NRW, Lyreco implemented a home assembly service. When social distancing measures were not required, our teams would not only deliver furniture and DSE equipment but assemble or install it in people’s homes as well.

The results

“Lyreco were extremely helpful during the pandemic,” Katie beams. “Andrew is a treasure: firing off emails left, right and centre; helping us get sanitary products and DSE equipment; and ensuring home delivery.”

“Our previous supplier was ok, but nobody raved about them like they do about Lyreco,” she says. “The account manager wasn’t as good – wasn’t as proactive as Andrew.” 

Katie lists some other benefits of the move to Lyreco, including the Lyreco webshop: “It’s a smoother, slicker service.”

“With our previous supplier, logging in was complex and finding items could be tricky. Their online webshop was more difficult to navigate. It’s just quicker and easier with Lyreco.” 

A new customer is great for business, but we especially love it when we can help end users as well as the planet.