I am currently going through a deal with a prospective client. They are a Canadian based company who wanted to reduce costs on shipments coming into the United States. For the past four months, I have been working with them and another customs broker to consolidate their shipments when they cross the border and ship them throughout the country from a single point in Detroit. This project has been a prime example of why it is so important to have an implementation plan with hard timeline and go live date.
The first steps of the project went very smoothly. In a series of conference calls, we identified company’s shipping goals, were able to introduce the prospect to our in-house shipping software, and develop a plan to accomplish their goals. From there, it has been an exercise in frustration. Everything is tied up on our end, and we have been ready to go for two months. All that is left is for the client to push the last 5% across the finish line, but constant delays on the client’s end have pushed back the go live date. I understand that my contact is a one-woman shipping department, and she spends most of her days just trying to keep her head above water. The ironic part is once she switches over her shipping and we begin to take it over for her, most of what consumes her day like dealing with multiple carriers will no longer be an issue. My company and its many different divisions will handle it all for her.
The real shame is cost savings that the company is missing out on by not implementing the plan sooner. The company has lost thousands of dollars in revenue in border fees alone, much less in the reduced shipping costs by using my company’s general tariff’s that are contracted with our shippers. In addition, the amount of day to day shipping nonsense that she deals with will no longer be her issue.
I would love to say we are close to finally closing and putting the plan in place, but based on a conversation from today, the client is going on vacation next week and she does not want to start for one day and then leave a brand new process to her backups. My guess is once she is back, she’ll be so flooded it will take at least a week for her to catch up. It has been a frustrating process to say the least.
It is unfortunate but deadlines really do spur action. In a world where multi-tasking and balancing of high priority items is expected, I think people need a sort of mental finish line that allows them to cross particular items off their ever-growing lists.
An implementation plan and contractual agreement would have definitely helped move things along. Is there any way you can quantify the missed savings and communicate this to you counterpart? By providing a subtle visual reminder of how much the delays continue to cost the company money (in addition to the migraine headaches she continues to have) might provide the motivation needed to close out the deal. To take less critical measure and avoid the risk that the client might get offended by focusing on past delays, you can focus on quantifying future savings. Good luck and in the words of Frank from Seinfeld “Serenity Now!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3VCl3yBURs
Josh that sounds super frustrating! Tom those are great suggestions! Some of the research centers I work with are often attached to using to old methods and sticking with inefficient practices. Quantifying time and and cost savings is normally the most convincing thing I can do. I’m luck enough to be able to force the changes thru adjusting policy. The situation you describe makes the saying come to mind, “The most dangerous phrase in the language is “we’ve always done it this way.”” -Rear Admiral Grace Hopper.