John is right.

Up here in Oz, there is the usual market mix, a few very big companies, and
a variety of smaller ones. My experience with the big companies is that some
are very good, reliable, predictable, some have at times got complacent
(veering into arrogant). One place I worked, we had accounts with one big
company, and one smaller one (but trying harder). Two lost boxes at the big
company (we requested them, the company said we had them, we knew we
didn't), their response was "well, we'll keep a lookout and let you know if
we find them". Same situation a few months later with the smaller company,
their response was to scan their warehouse twice, at their expense - and
they found the boxes.

Guess who we rationalised with? And then they got taken over by a big
company . . . (but that's another story).

My basic approach is, you do not outsource to save money, you outsource to
add value. The smaller company came to us, at their initiative, with a
report showing the boxes we'd retrieved more than three months earlier and
never returned. THEY suggested we stop paying for the empty space in their
warehouse, which we did. We also had a little chat with several of our
business units and tightened up our internal controls. Saved a bit of
money. Repeat after me: you do not outsource to save money, you outsource to
add value. Are all you (creative, proactive) vendors listening?

Cheers

Glenn

Glenn Sanders
Australia
0407 187 333
These views are mine alone. They may or may not be those of any
previous or present employers or clients. I don't know. If I'd asked and
they'd agreed, I would have signed it "Harry Peck and Co and Glenn".
Or whatever. But I haven't, so I didn't.

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