Inventory Management Problems
Inventory Management Problems
President Gish brings the meeting to order. “Look at these air freight bills! Here‟s one for
R955—more than the damn part is worth! I know, I checked! These things are murdering us.
You must realize that in our business today, transportation has great cost-cutting potential!”
The Traffic manager‟s response: “I know that freight bills have risen 30 percent in the last six months, but what can I do? Miss Glass here is cutting inventories so hard that she never has anything in stock. Her short lead times force me to use airfreight. And the way she spreads small orders, I almost never find a way to consolidate them to get volume rates.
And I‟m having the same problems on outgoing shipments. I‟m caught in a two-bladed buzz saw!” Supply manager Joan Glass interrupts to say, “Harold, we‟re operating on low inventories because we save money doing it. Many times airfreight is the only way I can be sure of getting what I need on time.”
Production manager Holtz comments, “And when I need something, I need it. Take spares.
This „downtime‟ is a very expensive proposition, and we all know it. Further, by the time
Miss Glass here gets me needed production materials, we are so late that the only way to meet delivery dates is with overtime and the use of air freight.”
Marketing manager Levi joins in, “Whatever the trouble, it seems there must be a way to get an efficient pipeline. If Heinrich is late, then I am late. We are losing our image as a reliable supplier. Soon, we‟ll be losing sales!”
Traffic manager Tracks defends himself by saying, “I don‟t want to seem bitter, but it looks like I‟m getting the short end of the stick.”
President Gish interrupts to say, “No more excuses. I want action! Costs must come down.”
Supply manager Glass defends herself by saying; “The lead-time problem goes right back through production and eventually to Harold‟s sales forecasts. I need earlier information.”
Marketing manager Levi says, “I
President Gish brings the meeting to order. “Look at these air freight bills! Here‟s one for
R955—more than the damn part is worth! I know, I checked! These things are murdering us.
You must realize that in our business today, transportation has great cost-cutting potential!”
The Traffic manager‟s response: “I know that freight bills have risen 30 percent in the last six months, but what can I do? Miss Glass here is cutting inventories so hard that she never has anything in stock. Her short lead times force me to use airfreight. And the way she spreads small orders, I almost never find a way to consolidate them to get volume rates.
And I‟m having the same problems on outgoing shipments. I‟m caught in a two-bladed buzz saw!” Supply manager Joan Glass interrupts to say, “Harold, we‟re operating on low inventories because we save money doing it. Many times airfreight is the only way I can be sure of getting what I need on time.”
Production manager Holtz comments, “And when I need something, I need it. Take spares.
This „downtime‟ is a very expensive proposition, and we all know it. Further, by the time
Miss Glass here gets me needed production materials, we are so late that the only way to meet delivery dates is with overtime and the use of air freight.”
Marketing manager Levi joins in, “Whatever the trouble, it seems there must be a way to get an efficient pipeline. If Heinrich is late, then I am late. We are losing our image as a reliable supplier. Soon, we‟ll be losing sales!”
Traffic manager Tracks defends himself by saying, “I don‟t want to seem bitter, but it looks like I‟m getting the short end of the stick.”
President Gish interrupts to say, “No more excuses. I want action! Costs must come down.”
Supply manager Glass defends herself by saying; “The lead-time problem goes right back through production and eventually to Harold‟s sales forecasts. I need earlier information.”
Marketing manager Levi says, “I