MPL | Service

1. Pricing

Ask us for a quote. We’ll respond with a price and delivery schedule.

2. Shipping and Logistics

Shipping and logistics are included in the price. MPL works with Third Party Logistics (3PL)

firms (DHL, Schenker, etc.) to deliver products internationally. Shipping and Logistics includes:

Freight

Local delivery to the site

Customs duties

Warehousing free up to one month

Full insurance

3. Local Delivery to the Building Site

Your products are delivered to the building site, free of charge, on the day of installation.

Products can also be delivered to a warehouse or to the installer’s site, according to what is

convenient for you.

+ Customisable Product

Because the products are ordered directly from the manufacturer, they can usually be

customised to project specifications. You can order the exact size, color, materials,

reflectors, cross blades, ballasts.

2. Are the luminaires certified for use in Australia?

Yes. MPL-procured luminaires follow the same strict Australian standards as any luminaire found in A-grade Australian buildings. Recessed luminaires, for instance, follow Australia/New Zealand certification AS/NZS-60598 (for the luminaire) and AS/NZS-61347 (for the ballast), as the European code (e.g. ENEC-60598) is identical and derived from the same source, the IEC code.

3. Are the luminaires insured against loss and damage during transport?

Yes, the luminaires are insured for their full value for the entire journey.

MPL’s insurance covers:

damage in transit

theft

acts of God (storms, earthquakes, etc)

acts of war (including piracy and terrorism)

Our insurance is provided by Vero National Marine and our brokers are AON Risk Services Australia in Sydney.

Clients also have the option of not using MPL’s insurance program, if they prefer to use their own insurance, or if they prefer to not have insurance at all. (This reduces even further the price of the luminaires, though the client takes on the task of finding his own insurance, or the risk of being uninsured.)

4. Is the product covered by warranty?

Yes. All luminaires are covered by manufacturer’s warranty. Standard coverage is usually 1 year for the luminaire and 5 years for the ballast; clients can take advantage of Osram’s 5-year ballast warranty by using Osram lamps with Osram ballasts.

5. The mechanics of procurement and delivery sounds like a logistical nightmare. How does MPL manage the logistics execution?

Direct procurement often is indeed a logistical nightmare when builders and contractors procure direct—it’s one of the reasons they usually don’t. Logistics and procurement aren’t their usual day-to-day activities—they’re a distraction added to the workload of a business busy with other things.

MPL, however, ONLY does procurement, logistics and distribution. That means that MPL is in constant communication with the manufacturers, shippers, and local distributors, at every stage, from initial order to final delivery.

Most importantly, MPL engages third-party logistics firms, or 3PLs, to perform logistics execution. These firms are completely specialised in logistics and distribution, and MPL only works with the most trusted names in the industry. Our logistics are provided by DHL, Schenker, CEVA, NYK Logisitcs, and Expeditors International. Each of these firms has between 5 and 8 warehouses throughout Australia.

Clients also have the option of not using MPL for its logistics, if they prefer to use their own logistics firm. (This would reduce even further the price of the luminaires.)

6. How is MPL different from a wholesaler?

MPL is the opposite of a wholesaler. Wholesalers buy in bulk, then wait for customers to show up, but never know in advance how much the customers will want, or when. Wholesalers have the added cost of storing the products for longer periods of time, of transporting them among several different locations (never knowing exactly where or when the customers will appear), and the cost of point of sale and warehousing (rent, utilities, security, insurance, staff, maintenance, etc).

On the other hand, a syndicate manager, like MPL, knows the exact requirement of the customers before the purchase is made, and therefore charges the customer very little overhead. Moreover, MPL buys directly from the manufacturer, while the wholesaler typically buys from a local distributor, which further increases costs. The result is a reduced price of 30% to 45% from the wholesaler’s price.

7. What if something goes wrong with the luminaires and they need to be repaired? If the luminaires weren’t purchased from the contractor, won’t the project manager have to pay the contractor to repair them?

Yes—if the flaw is with the luminaires and not with the installation, the contractor will have to be paid to do the repair, whereas if the contractor had procured the lights himself, he would have been obliged to make the repairs free of charge. (Every luminaire carries a warranty, which also protects the buyer against product defects.)

8. When is payment made?

Project managers are used to paying 30 or 45-day accounts when purchasing through contractors. When purchasing internationally, however, manufacturers usually expect to be paid once the goods leave the port of origin. In order to maintain their usual 30 to 45-day terms, the building firm can arrange for short-term financing from its bank as part of the letter of credit (letters of credit usually come with short-term financing).

The cost of this short-term financing would equal about 5% of the savings on the light fittings.

9. Do all the participants get the same price on the products?

No. 30% discount is the starting point, but it could be much higher. The price depends on the volume of the order, and also other variables such as the distance between the port of entry and the building site and the amount of time required in storage.

Clients receive an additional discount for signing on additional members to the round.

1. Where are the luminaires manufactured?

MPL procures top quality luminaires suitable for A-grade buildings. Most MPL-procured luminaires are made in Germany, some are made in Italy or in the Czech Republic. We also have suppliers throughout Europe for special client requests (Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Bulgaria). Our LEDs are typically from the USA, which is currently the most advanced LED market.

Luminaire ballasts are from Osram and Tridonic (or from Philips upon client request).