Real-Life Decision Making
A purchasing manager has a lot of on-the-job responsibilities. They look
after huge volumes of materials coming into a firm and have to make decisions
regarding purchasing, costs, cost control, budgeting and quality.
You are the purchasing manager for a large organization. You oversee the
purchasing of a large number of products for a manufacturing plant. Your company
manufactures doors, window frames and similar millwork products.
One day, the supervisor of the window frame department comes to see you.
He is visibly upset and you soon find out why. In his hand he is holding a
piece of wood. Even to your untrained eye you can see that it is of inferior
quality.
Waving the chunk of wood at you, he demands to know what is going on. "How
can I produce a quality product with junk like this?" he questions angrily.
Upon inspecting the wood, you feel your own anger rising. You have been
dealing with the lumber manufacturer who supplied the wood for many years.
You have been a good, reliable customer, providing them with a lot of business.
You are surprised they would try to get away with this.
You'd like an explanation, but you're also thinking you should
just take your business elsewhere. Another lumber manufacturer has been trying
to interest you in their product. You could place an order with them and teach
your old supplier a lesson at the same time. You might even get a cut rate
since it would be your first order.
What are you going to do?