Questionnaire: E-Commerce for

Building Material- Flat & Long Steel

LightCastle Partners
Questionnaire: Steel for Building Materials

Consent of Respondent

LightCastle Partners is conducting this study with the aim of understanding the Building Materials Industry
at present and bringing out the opportunities and challenges prevailing in this area. We are asking a wide
range of people working in this industry for their opinions about their sector. This includes not only large
and small companies but also self-employed sole traders and suppliers. A proper account of the Building
Material Industry will be crucial in predicting future trends, changes and strategies for the sector and your
response will be instrumental in that effect.

Your response and identity will be kept completely anonymous adhering to LightCastle Partners’ non-
disclosure policy. None of the answers you give here will commit you to anything, and your answers will
never be used in a way that will enable you or your company to be identified. Any data shared will only
be used for this market research and will be the intellectual property of LightCastle Partners. Your views
are appreciated in helping us shape a set of meaningful recommendations that will identify the future
needs of your industry.

I understand this information and agree to participate fully under the conditions stated above:

Signed: ____________________________________________ Dated: ___________________

Official Stats

a. Questionnaire Code:

b. Date: 1 8

c. Name of Field Enumerator: _______________________________________

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E-Commerce for Building Materials: Survey 2018
Your Business Information

1. What is your name? (Last Name, Middle Name, First Name)

2. What is the name of your enterprise/ company?

3. What type of company are you?

a. Dealer
b. Retailer
c. Both

4. How long have you been doing business? - MCQ

a. 0-1 years
b. 1-2 years
c. 2-3 years
d. 3-5 years
e. More than 5 years

5. How many shops/ stores do you have? - MCQ

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5 or more

6. Where are these shops located?

7. What type of steel do you sell? – Check Box

□ Rebar Steel/ Long Steel □ Corrugated Steel/ Flat Steel □ Both

8. What portion of your total sale comes from these categories? - Grid
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 Type of Steel Sales (% of total)
Rebar Steel (Long Steel)
Corrugated steel (Flat Steel)

9. Please tell us your top 3 selling brands (For long and flat steel) of last 3 months. - Grid

Long Steel
Brands 1 2 3
BSRM Steel
KSRM Steel
RSRM Steel
GPH Ishpat
RRML
Rahim Steel
HKG Steel
Abul Khair Steel (AKS)
Anwar Ishpat
SS Steel
Others: (Please Specify)

Flat Steel

Brand Name Month 1 Month 2 Month 3

Abul Khair Goru
Marka Dhew Tin
PHP Arabian Horse
KY Steel
Jalalabad Color Tin
Others: (Please
Specify)

10. How many units of long steel did you sell in the last 3 months? - Grid

Brand Name Month 1 Month 2 Month 3

BSRM Steel
KSRM Steel
RSRM Steel
GPH Ishpat
RRML
Rahim Steel

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 HKG Steel
Abul Khair Steel
(AKS)
Anwar Ishpat
SS Steel
Others: (Please
Specify)

11. How many units of flat steel did you sell in the last 3 months? - Grid

Brand Name Month 1 Month 2 Month 3

Abul Khair Goru
Marka Dhew Tin
PHP Arabian Horse
KY Steel
Jalalabad Color Tin
Others: (Please
Specify)

12. What is your typical sales volume (flat steel) to each customer? – Check Box

Thickness Sizes (feet) Sales Volume

(Per Piece
Tone)
0.120 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.250 mm (Specify)
________
0.260 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.400 mm (Specify)
________
0.410 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.550 mm (Specify)
________
0.560 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.650 mm (Specify)
________
0.660 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.750 mm (Specify)
________
0.760 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
0.900 mm (Specify)
________

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 0.910 mm – 6X3 7X3 8X3 9X3 10 X 3 Others
1.200 mm (Specify)
________
Others
_____

13. What is your typical sales volume (long steel) to each customer? - MCQ

Less than 1 ton 101 – 200 tonne

10 – 30 tonne 201 – 300 tonne
31 – 50 tonne 301 – 500 tonne
51 – 100 tonne 500 tonne or more

14. What type of commissions do you mostly prefer? – Check Box

Cash
Free product
Discounts
Gifts/Merchandizing
Other (Please Specify)

15. How do you deliver products to the end customer? – Check Box

Customer manage the delivery By truck

By van By boat
By pickup Others (Please specify)

16. If you’re a dealer, how do you deliver your product to retailers?

Retailer manage the transportation By pickup

By rickshaw By truck
By van I’m not a dealer
By boat Others: ________________

17. What is your delivery pricing split? – Check Box

Retailer pays delivery cost Others:_________________

Dealer pays delivery cost
Consumer pays all delivery cost
Dealer: Retailer cost split 50:50

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18. How is steel delivered to your shop? – Check Box

Direct delivery from the manufacturer

Direct delivery from a distributor/wholesaler
I manage the transportation
Others (Please specify)

18. From where is the product collected? – Check Box

Direct delivery from the manufacturer

Direct delivery from distributor
Factory gate
Depot
Product is delivered to a certain location and then I collect from there and
transport to shop
Others: (Please specify)

19. Overall, how satisfied are you with the flexibility of delivery of your stocked brand? –
MCQ

Not At All
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Not Satisfied Satisfied

20. Overall, how satisfied are you with the Responsiveness to requests for emergency
deliveries your stocked brand? - MCQ

Not At All
Very Satisfied Satisfied Neutral Not Satisfied Satisfied

Consumer Profile

19. Would you please mention who are the major purchasers of steel and what are their
proportions, as percentage of total sale? - Grid

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 Type of Customer Percentage of Sales
Individual Home Builders
Real Estate Developers
Industrial Builders (Businesses)
Local Government
Others

20. Which is the most favored steel (long and flat steel) brand among all customers (even
besides your own)? - Grid

Long Steel

Not
Very Not
Brands Favored Neutral Very
Favored Favored
Favored
BSRM Steel
KSRM Steel
RSRM Steel
GPH Ishpat
RRML
Rahim Steel
HKG Steel
Abul Khair Steel (AKS)
Anwar Ishpat
SS Steel
Others: (Please Specify)

Flat Steel

Brand Name Month 1 Month 2 Month 3

Abul Khair Goru
Marka Dhew Tin
PHP Arabian Horse
KY Steel
Jalalabad Color Tin
Others: (Please
Specify)

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21. What are the attributes that your customers seek while buying steel? Rank the following
attributes on the given scale: Very High: 5, High: 4, Medium: 3, Low: 2, Very Low: 1 - Grid

Attributes Important to Very Not Not At All

Important Neutral
the Consumer Important Important Important

Product Quality

Price

Retailer's Recommendation

Promotions (TV ad,

Newspaper ad, Radio ad,
Billboard ad)

Availability

Reputation

Others (Specify)
___________

22. Regarding steel purchase, who is the major decision maker or influencer for the
consumers? - Grid

Decision Maker or Influencer

Consumers Themselves

Recognition of Renowned Organization (BSTI, BUET)

Peer groups (family members, friends, business partners)

Architects/Contractors

Retailers

Other (Specify) _____________________

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 Payment Profile

23. How do you pay your suppliers? - Grid

Most of the
Payment Method Always Often Rarely Never
Time
Cash
Credit
MFS (bKash)
In Kind
Others: (Specify)

24. What percentage of your purchases are in cash? - MCQ

a. 0 -10%
b. 11 -20%
c. 21 -30%
d. 31 -40%
e. 41 -50%
f. 51- 60%
g. 61 -70%
h. 71 -80%
i. 81 -90%
j. 91 -100%

25. How long do you typically take to pay the money back for credit purchases to the
companies? - MCQ

a. 0 -15 Days
b. 16 -30 Days
c. 31 -45 Days
d. 46 -60 Days
e. 61 -75 Days
f. 51- 60 Days
g. 61 -75 Days
h. 76 -90 Days
i. More than 90 Days

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26. How do customers pay you? - Grid

Most of the
Payment Method Always Often Rarely Never
Time
Cash
Credit
bKash
In Kind
Others: (Specify)

27. How long do customers typically take to repay the money back for credit purchases? -
MCQ

a. 0 -15 Days
b. 16 -30 Days
c. 31 -45 Days
d. 46 -60 Days
e. 61 -75 Days
f. 51- 60 Days
g. 61 -75 Days
h. 76 -90 Days
i. More than 90 Days

28. What percentage of your credit sales default every month? – MCQ

a. 0 -10%
b. 11 -20%
c. 21 -30%
d. 31 -40%
e. 41 -50%
f. 51- 60%
g. 61 -70%
h. 71 -80%
i. 81 -90%
j. 91 -100%

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 Value Chain

29. How does your value chain operate? i.e. the players- distributors, retailers, shopkeepers
how do they carry out transactions, who sends products to whom, what is the delivery
mechanism, etc.

Platform Specific Questions

29. Do you use internet? – MCQ

□ Yes □ No
30. Which device do you use the most to surf on internet?

□ I do not know
□ Smart Phone □ Laptop □ Desktop □ Tablet □ Others

31. What is your source of internet? – Check Box

□ Wi-Fi □ Mobile Data

32. How long do you spend on the internet every day? - MCQ

□ 10-30 minutes □ 30-60 minutes □ 1-2 hours □ 2+ hours

33. What activity do you use internet for? – Check Box

□ Facebook □ Internet □ YouTube □ Blogs □ Internet TV

search

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 □ WhatsApp/ □ Mobile Games □ Official/Email □ Music/Video □ Other (Please
Viber/ Imo (Clash of Clans) Check Specify)

34. How much do you spend on internet monthly? - MCQ

□ Up to 100 □ 100 to 200 □ 200 to 500 □ 500 to □ 1,000 to □ 2,000 +

taka taka taka 1000 taka 2,000 taka taka

35. Have you ever used an online platform that helps you sell construction material products
to customers? - MCQ

a) Yes
b) No

36. If a website was there to help sell cement to customers, how likely are you to adopt it and
deliver cement to order points? (1 Not at all likely and 7 being very likely) – Scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

37. In which form would you be more comfortable using the platform: - MCQ

□ Mobile □ Computer/Desktop □ I will not use the platform

38. If your answer to 37 is “I will not use the platform”, please kindly elaborate? –

39. Which of the following factors will most influence you to adopt an online platform in your
value chain: (1 Not at all likely and 7 being very likely) – Scale
a) If an online platform reduced my cost of selling to retailers/end-consumer through discounts

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

b) If an online platform lets me receive purchase orders faster

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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c) If it was possible to receive credit for purchase and sale in the online platform

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

d) The platform will reduce my time between sale to end consumer and purchase from
manufacturer

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

e) If the platform lets me pay through credit cards

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

f) I will not use the online platform.

g) Other:

40. Would you like to partner up with the platform for product delivery? - MCQ
a. Yes
b. No

41. If your answer to Question 40 is ‘No’, please elaborate?

42. What should be the payment method for the online platform according to you? – Check
Box

a) Cash on delivery
b) Online Payment
c) Credit/Debit Card
d) MFS (Mobile Financing Service)
e) Others

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