Screws loose at Enco

[kvom]

I ordered 100 stainless 5-40 SHCS; when then UPS box arrived I was surprised to find only 2 screws inside. The shipping doc says I will get the rest in TWO separate boxes. :wall:

Go figure.

 

[rhitee93]

Rof}

That's what happens when common sense get replaced by policy and procedures.

I feel your pain.

 

[rleete]

It's not logical from your point of view, but it is from their's. Enco, McMaster, Grainger, etc all use multiple warehouses. They ship available quantity from the closest one. Then, if the order is incomplete, they send from the next closest one, continuing down the line.

Kvom just happens to be located where the screws have run out.

 

[rhitee93]

It's not logical from your point of view, but it is from their's. Enco, McMaster, Grainger, etc all use multiple warehouses. They ship available quantity from the closest one. Then, if the order is incomplete, they send from the next closest one, continuing down the line.

Kvom just happens to be located where the screws have run out.

That is exactly my point, and it is a major sore point for me that I have rebelled against ever since I started managing an engineering department.

Corporate America has given into the lure of blindly following procedures rather than allowing talented people to think for themselves and then holding them reliable for the outcome.

Sure, in general, the algorithm you describe for fulfilling the order makes sense. However, in this case is it not logical at all.

Rather than create a company culture where is is better for a fulfillment clerk to put two screws in a box and pay $5 to ship it, they should reward the guy who recognized that it's illogical to do this and bump the entire order to the next warehouse.

Mediocre managers everywhere hide behind strong written policy and procedures that guarantee consistent average results. This is relatively easy to do and it is safe, but it will always yield average results. That is the whole point, predictable results that are statistically constant. Average.

It is much harder to allow people to use their brains to take the initiative to do what they think is best in a situation because people occasionally make mistakes. However if you work with them and allow them to grow as individuals, you can achieve something far greater than just average.

Grrr...

Sorry for the rant. It's not meant to be directed any anyone in particular, but it is a major issue for me.
(Stepping of the soap box and kicking it to the corner)

 

[sssfox]

Do you realize how hard it is to find workers with brains now?

 

[Rayanth]

Do you realize how hard it is to find workers with brains now?

Zombies got to them already. Braaaaaainnns....

- Ryan

 

[Sshire]

Not a rant. Wonderful analysis and mgt philosophy.
I had ordered a 20 ton press (with free shipping) for my brother's birthday from Enco.
It was to be shipped to my nephew's house.

Upon arrival, one small locating pin was missing. Called Enco and asked them to put one in an envelope and drop it in the mail.

Initially, they wouldn't do that. They wanted to ship a new press and ship back the one with the missing locating pin.

I asked how this makes sense to ship (on their dime) a very heavy piece of machinery, two ways instead of about a buck in postage.

The answer was that the only way to get another pin was to take one out of another press in stock, but that would make that press unsaleable.

I again tried to explain that when they shipped a new press and shipped back the original with the missing pin, they would have precisely the same result: one unsaleable press in the warehouse but at a much greater shipping cost.

Finally got thru 4 levels of people until one mgr said, that's a ridiculous policy, walked into the warehouse, had a press opened, removed the pin, put it in a 4"x6" padded enveloped and mailed it.

 

[rhitee93]

Do you realize how hard it is to find workers with brains now?

It's been my experience that if you expect them to be stupid, they will be. If you throw down a challenge, and hold them accountable, they will rise to the occasion or leave.

The accountability thing is the hard part to do.

 

[kvom]

Got the rest of the screws today in two boxes but in the same UPS package.

Since a box holds 100 screws and are sold in multiples of 100, I'm having trouble figuring how they end up with partial boxes.

 

[ShopShoe]

We could all probably come up with ways that partial boxes could exist. A company policy that failed to admit partial boxes exist would create even more strange results for customers.

As a customer I agree that shipping multiple packages with partial quantities sounds inefficient, but I once waited months because of a vendor policy to only ship the entire order when everything was complete and correct. I'd hate to wait for a critical tool or part because one drill bit was backordered. (Look for a place to agree to accept partial shipments.)

Sometimes I spend a little more to keep a relationship with someone at a company who has the ability to think outside the box and to also actually solve problems.

I wouldn't be surprised that the present economy has resulted in a few people in many companies having to take up a lot of slack and an increasing dependence on automated systems that only follow the rules they have been programmed to follow. (Systems as T-O-Ms: Totally Obedient Morons)

--ShopShoe

 

[lathe nut]

HF also does good business, I paid in advance for a 13X40, five months go by then the local manager admitted that there was no in the US and would take another 6 month, I said is there a 14X40 in the states, yes, would you let me have it for the price of the other one, no cannot do that, then give me my money back, cannot do that will give you a 12" lathe and two milling machines, don't want a 12" lathe, next day she calls, will let me have the 14X40, come in two days, had to take it out of the box to load on my trailer, it all banged up from a fork lift forks, told her if she orders the chip shield and trip tray I will take it with the other gashes, calls me the next day cannot get the chip try or shield, ordered me another lathe would not let me take the chip tray or the shield off the next one, had to load it and go back, she did not want the face plate, four jaw chuck and the steady rest, someone could drop that on there foot, brought that back home, two weeks later the chip tray and the shield show up, that is good business, by the way that is much a machine and is tight, Love it and love HF, great to deal with, Lathe Nut

 

[Antman]

How do you spell byourockrasee, it's much more fun in Africa, there is no policy and everyone uses their own initiative to run you around in as many different ways

 

[rake60]

I ordered one box of disposable acid brushes from McMaster Carr.
Their part number 7237T81. 48 brushes at a total cost of $5.86

I received them in two shipments from different warehouses.
36 in one shipment and 12 in the other.

Go figure???

Rick