As Senior Buyer, Phil McFarland is responsible for sourcing the materials and components that go into every Sievmaster machine.
“All Farleygreene products are built to high quality standards, which means that high quality procurement and stock management are essential. My team works hard to ensure a strong supply chain with exacting standards, so that customers secure the best quality sieving machines.”
Sourcing without compromising on quality
Farleygreene fabricates much of its own equipment in-house, so Phil’s team sources incoming raw materials, components and some external fabrication services. Supplier quality control remains a core part of the role, as the quality of incoming material feeds directly into the quality of the finished component.
Phil’s job involves screening potential suppliers (many of whom fail the quality test), with front end verification and onboarding followed by ongoing QA checks to confirm they remain suitable. If issues arise, he deals with audits and reviews, managing the process to ensure that Farleygreene’s exacting standards are met.
Supporting the move to in-house manufacturing
From a purchasing perspective, the shift toward in-house manufacturing has meant buying in more raw materials and moving fabrication onsite, keeping quality control closer to home. Any issue the QA inspector identifies can now be addressed with the workshop team directly, rather than routed back through an external supplier.
Because Farleygreene sells to order rather than working from long-term supply contracts, inventory management is a significant part of the role: holding enough stock to meet demand without overstocking, and making sure the data on the system reflects what is actually on the shelves. Phil’s department has also recently taken on responsibility for the shipping function at Farleygreene, further expanding his expertise within the supply chain.
Experience in procurement
Before joining Farleygreene, Phil spent three years in distribution for a book publishing company, which piqued his interest in purchasing. Looking for a new role in procurement, he joined Farleygreene in 2021 as a purchasing administrator and within six months had been promoted to Senior Buyer by Managing Director Antony Hare.
As a result, Phil has worked from the ground up to learn about procurement, including achieving a Level 4 CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) Diploma in Procurement and Supply Chain Management. He has built a set of standard operating procedures for the department to keep processes consistent and fit for purpose as the team grows, and shares what he has learned with the people he manages.
Ambitious and results-driven, Phil is always keen to learn more and to share best practice with his team, so that Farleygreene customers ultimately benefit from the best quality products at the best price.
Leading with trust and respect
Phil’s approach to managing his team centres on treating people, suppliers and colleagues alike, with trust and respect. He wants his work and his team to reflect the values he sees instilled at Farleygreene: taking pride in building high quality products, and being seen as people who are good partners in business.
“Negotiating, sourcing and protecting quality all work best when you treat people the right way, whether they aresuppliers or colleagues. I am proud to be part of the Farleygreene family, ultimately making sure that we always bring the best to our customers.”
Find out more about Farleygreene
Learn more about Farleygreene’s expertise in British Engineering, or explore our sieving product range. Please get in touch if you have any questions, we’re happy to help.
