What’s wrong with some firms?

[anonymous-user]

£1,900 item, lead time 15 weeks, factory works 5 days, 1 shift

Why not put another shift (or two) on and work weekends?

[Caddyshack]

JPJPJP said:

£1,900 item, lead time 15 weeks, factory works 5 days, 1 shift

Why not put another shift (or two) on and work weekends?

Is the product a fast moving item? You need enough turnover to generate enough profit to pay the staff on the 2nd shift and the weekends and late or early hours cost a lot more.

[Chozza]

Is the product seasonal or have a seasonal demand.

If your annual production meets your annual demand for the product - then why change.

You might also have production lines that switch the product every so often .. ie.. spend two months making product A , then B etc. More efficient than running two production lines.

Is there demand .. but its not your most profitable item - it can wait.

Or ... you can make 15 weeks worth of backlog in a day ... let the backlog build up till its worthwhile running the line but not so long that you annoy your customer . Quote the 15 week lead time as worst case .. rest of the orders get it quicker than expected.

Basically ... lots of reasons !

[anonymous-user]

Have been digging round a bit. Seen a post dated August 2020 on another forum claiming to be by a distributor in one of the Scandinavian countries

‘Our last delivery from the UK factory was in March 2019 and was 12 units. We ring every day pleading for stock, but there is never any for us. We have a wait list of consumer orders for 175 units and turn more customers away every day.’

I’m starting to sniff a potential opportunity

[bucksmanuk]

I’m starting off in business right now, (great timing I know) and the ability of some UK companies to even just reply to emails and phone messages is truly appalling. Even a “sorry we can’t help you this time, but please keep in touch for future enquiries” is beyond them. How long would that take to reply?

I reckon about a third don’t respond at all - ever. A third aren’t interested and talk as if they are doing me a favour, the other third are great.

I am currently waiting for a response for some simple test jigs, straight forward machined steel parts. It went out to 5 local companies, 1 – no response, 2 -a response saying “too busy right now” after 3 weeks. 2 responded with a quote, but it took them over a month. This is ignoring anything to do with price.

A Chinese company responded in 90 minutes after me sending the email, with a full quote, shipping etc.…

[technodup]

bucksmanuk said:

I’m starting off in business right now, (great timing I know)

Lots would say it's the best time, if you can make it work in adversity...

bucksmanuk said:

and the ability of some UK companies to even just reply to emails and phone messages is truly appalling. Even a “sorry we can’t help you this time, but please keep in touch for future enquiries” is beyond them. How long would that take to reply?

I think a lot of people these days don't even listen to phone messages, I've pretty much stopped leaving them for that reason. As for emails, email enquiries tend to be the lowest quality. I'm in double glazing and if someone enquires by email it's obvious they've emailed 10 others and you're only going to be compared on price. Not interested. And I certainly would't give them any encouragement to make future enquires the same way. I reply, but many won't because they're busy, don't see the point, can't be arsed...

There are plenty who are just st and disorganised too though.

[droopsnoot]

Caddyshack said:

You need enough turnover to generate enough profit to pay the staff on the 2nd shift and the weekends and late or early hours cost a lot more.

And some way of finding the staff from somewhere, you can't necessarily just get the existing staff to work more hours.