[TenTec] Why should I still order an Argo V?

Fri Jul 4 22:42:58 EDT 2003

I work for a large retail store. Store retail sales for the past 9 weeks has
been in excess of $1 million per week.  We get some 8 to 10  53' trailers
loaded to capacity per week to replenish the store inventory and yet we are
frequently "out of stock" on a lot of items.  Additionally, we get several
smaller shipments from direct carriers.  Still on products I specifically
deal with, we offer the customer a 5 to 6 week lead time from point of order
to delivery.  It is unfortunate that you were not able to get an Argo V off
of the shelf for immediate delivery.

Lets look at the other side of the picture from a manufacturing point.  To
that end, I spent 15 years in electronic manufacturing for a large
US/Japanese company.  Any product we produced had certain components  which
had a lead time of up to 6 months and a few went into the 9 month period.
Any product that was to ship next week has had certain long lead time orders
placed to the supplier some 6 to 9 months earlier and this doesn't include
the production line scheduling for lot size production.  In many cases, we
may run a line/model only some 6 times per year.  Now, just what crystal
ball is going to be accurate and tell exactly how many items of product X
will be needed next week, specially when we have to look at purchasing parts
some 38 weeks earlier?  It is a real dicey game of forecasting, balanced
with cash outlay and warehouse space.  It seems simple as some folks say
order a hundred extras on everything.  That ties up a lot of cash and a lot
of warehouse space.  Now extend that into say 15 or 20 different models with
an average parts count of some 1200 pieces each.  That 1200 pieces each time
100 equals some 120,000 parts times 20 models is some 2.4 million parts.
See how the numbers get out of hand quickly?  Production demand forecasting
and lead times are not an exact science, just like weather forecasting. (No
insult to you forecasters) but things do change and sometimes suddenly.
After all the economy can do a real dipsy doodle in a 6 month lead time
period.  Once the parts are ordered, the parts are bought, commitment wise.
Oh sure the order can be canceled but with penalty which gets rolled into
the cost of a product somewhere.  And all of this is for a hobby!

It is the same for automobile manufacturers.  They have excess inventory
sales because the sales forecast several months ago were for higher numbers
than turned into actual sales.  And then there's the one that you want that
has to be ordered and you'll wait for 4 to 6 weeks just because the color (a
standard one) is not in stock.  Have anyone tried to buy a new Harley
lately?  Oh sure they got a bunch on the showroom floor but I'll bet the one
you'd want will have to be ordered, and you'll wait some 4 to 8 weeks to get
it, if you are lucky.

I like Keith's response with regard to attitude.

If I wanted and Argo V, I'd order it and be proud to have it when it
arrived.

End of stump sermon.

73
Bob, K4TAX

----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Lodahl" <lodahlkh at charter.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 8:02 AM
Subject: RE: [TenTec] Why should I still order an Argo V?

> While I understand your situation I also know what keeping inventory does
to
> any business.  The best example of inventory in a retail business lately
is
> the closing and restructuring of KMart stores.  They stocked inventory.
> WalMart has their supply chain keeping their inventory.
>
> The outage of the model you want could indicate that is not a hot seller
(or
> that it is).  Too bad that it was not immediately available.  But I think
> your main issue is how you were treated when you called.  Only you know
how
> that call was handled.  Often when I replay in my mind conversations that
> didn't go well I find my attitude was involved.  I often bring assumptions
> to the conversation that aren't realistic.  That can lead to the results
you
> describe.
>
> You need to be the one to decide what radio to get.  I suspect that the
tech
> specs of your next radio are less important than how it will make you
feel.
> The ARRL labs can't predict that.  Good luck with your hard decision.
>
> Keith Lodahl
> KB9NUM NNN0ACS NNN0GCE ONE
> President, Rock River Radio Club
> ARRL Official Emergency Station
> ARRL Public Information Officer
> ARRL Volunteer Examiner
> 920-387-4675
> kb9num at charter.net
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com
> > [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of J. Duffy Beischel
> > Sent: Friday, July 04, 2003 8:08 AM
> > To: tentec at contesting.com
> > Subject: [TenTec] Why should I still order an Argo V?
> >
> >
> > On Wednesday I decided to order the Argonaut V to take on
> > vacation.  Ordered
> > it with the TCXO option and specified Fedex shipping in order to
> > have it the
> > next day.  On Thursday, the Fedex guy came to the office - no
> > Argo.  Emailed
> > TenTec and asked for the tracking number.  Stan emailed me back to say
the
> > Argo with the TCXO option was out of stock and it would be two to three
> > weeks more.  I emailed Stan back and said the reason I specified Fedex
was
> > to have it the next day and that I should have been called on
> > Wednesday and
> > notified, or maybe been given the option of a non-TCXO unit.  I had him
> > cancel the order.  He did.  No apology or attempt to save the sale.
> > Business must really be good at TenTec if they let customers walk
> > so easily.
> > After coming out of college years ago, I worked in retailing.  I learned
> > that the biggest sin in the retail business was to be out of stock.
Hard
> > to believe that TT let themselves get into an out-of-stock
> > situation on such
> > a new radio.
> >
> > So I have a few weeks to consider some other rigs.  For less money, the
> > IC-703 seems attractive.  For about the same money, the FT-897 looks
> > attractive.  I never use a keyer so the internal keyer problems that
some
> > noted with the 897 is really not an issue and I use an external keyboard
> > keyer for CW.  QSK is not a big deal either.  If I decide to
> > reconsider the
> > Argo, and still want to go through with the purchase, I think the
hardest
> > thing will be to go back and buy from a company that does not seem too
> > concerned with getting my business.
> >
> > In any case, unless I buy a rig while traveling, no rig to take
> > on vacation!
> >
> > Happy 4th!
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
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