I have worked for a number of companies over the years where it was clearly obvious they were top heavy when it came to budgets and there was very little put aside for what counted. The back end where the real work happens used to have to beg ,borrow and steal in order to complete tasks. They used to tell me it was a cost center and my argument was you would not have the large sales orders if you did not provide the services required so they are equally as important. You cannot have one without the other.
I got onto this subject because of what we have been doing of late which is fulfilling a massive order and at the same time coming in under budget. This is something new that our client is experiencing for the very first time mainly down to the fact they were not involved.
This may sound a little harsh, but this is the honest truth because I know them only too well. I used to call them reactive more than pro active business people and we all know what type of chaos that causes.
If they were in trouble they used to always call me for a solution and there is always a solution if you are prepared to pay. The trouble is when it could jeopardise the entire business relationship the money flows when it should have been flowing before hand costing them much more than it would have in the first place. You would think people would learn, but I have known these people for years and they have not changed one bit.
Their idea of making something happen is to delegate that task to someone else and they then expect that task to be completed even though they have given no resources for that to happen. This was a bit like a circus waiting for the next catastrophe to kick off which it always did.
This week we completed there biggest order having proof of deliveries signed off by 100 stores nationwide by 1pm this afternoon. The timings were critical because this client pays them on Monday. No wonder they have not stopped phoning since Wednesday and even today said if there is any problems throw whatever resources you need to at it. This is what they used to do and from reading between the lines expected to do this again. When we told them it was done and all the paperwork was in hand and signed off they obviously had doubted our abilities.
What they had asked us to do was by no means an easy task, but there had been planning involved which I seriously doubt whether they know what that even entails. Coming in under budget yet again even though we have pushed out some massive orders. This is not just our name over the door, but a team effort with the other companies involved where we have placed our trust through careful selection.
The months of finding who we would partner up with to help us achieve the job required has paid off and at the time you wonder if there are still decent companies around offering the type of service you require. They are few and far between, but your gut tells you when you have found what you have been looking for. The one company out of over 150 phone calls has made the difference and why they are worth every dollar.
