Conference 7.286::digital

    Ron, one of my customers (A VERY large chemical company HQ'd in
    Delaware,) won't even put us on their list for PC purchases. In the
    past I've even arranged to get the local site a free demo unit and they
    couldn't bring it on site because it wasn't from an approved PC vendor!
    
    This same customer recently awarded their VAX service agreement
    nationwide to another vendor. Only through LOTS of teamwork from the
    local sales and service people have we managed to keep the contract for
    servicing their local PC's.
    
    Harry
    

Ron,

>>> To date, I've forwarded memos from my salesperson explaining the above to 
>>> my manager and their management and other affected organizations.  To date,
>>> Digital, as a corporate body, hasn't responded to the customer's rating and
>>> apparently doesn't care if we're dropped from their preferred vendor's list.
>>>              .
>>>              .
>>>              .
>>> Suggestions are welcomed.

    Talk to your manager face-to-face or on the phone.  Ask him/her for help
    in addressing the problem.  Call people in the organizations that may 
    be able to help.  Keep pushing until you find someone who can make 
    even the slightest difference in the situation ... or, who can add his/her 
    concern and efforts to yours.

Never mind the suggestions.  Who's out there who can help Ron to work on this
problem?  Might your organization be able to help to clear the way for 
regaining our preferred status.

My group is Information Design and Consulting.  We design and develop 
documentation and training.  Can we help?  If we can, I'll start pushing.

Terry

    
    	I'm sure that Bob Palmer would be very interested, especially to
    learn that you couldn't get anyone else to take an interest!
    
    				Malcolm.

Is this a case of 'we've run out of employees to layoff so we'll start
on our customers'? ;^)

    Ron - 
    
    Recently we (AQO CSC's) had a presentation/training class conducted by 
    Bob Duffield of US Customer Relations. Bob stressed that employees should 
    feel free to get his office involved in cust. sat. issues and I would 
    consider your situation to be one. Bob also give us a wonderful "A-Z Guide 
    to Resources in Digital" which has been produced by his office. The guide
    is basicly a where to find help/contacts for just about everything in
    the U.S. You might want to get your hands on one of these if you
    haven't already.
    
    I would suggest either the salesperson or yourself contact Bob at DTN:
    264-8126 with this issue. Something like this can truly have a downward
    spiral effect for all of Digital. These vendors rating list are very 
    important to our ability to sell, especially in the govt. market space
    but I'm sure you know that!
    
    Keep us posted -
    
    

    
    Your management does not want to take the heat for the collapse of the
    total delivery and support system.  By their inaction they are telling
    the customer that they can't do anything about it.
    
    >"Is this the level to where we have dropped'.."
    
    Scary, isn't it?
    
    

    .6
    Thanks for the tip.  I just called and spoke with Peg in Bob's office
    who was extremely helpful.  She is forwarding to me a copy of the A-Z
    Guide you mentioned.  Bob currently is out of town on business but is
    checking his A1 account and Peg suggested I write him detailing my
    situation with the prime contractor.  Again thanks for the information
    and hopefully this will go a long way in getting this issue resolved,
    not just for my particular customer but for Digital as a corporate
    entity.
    
    Ron
    
    

    
    Ron,
    
    You sound like me these days.
    If we don't start delivering our goods as ordered on time. We will go
    down the tubes.
    Ron...enter a note in the CSC file, or let me guess, you already did.
    Give me a call, ya got my number. 
    
    Dave
    
    Oh by the way, as they say "Yes, we know about it, we are working on
    it". But it isn't getting better Ron is it, so its' a zero.
    

I work in the Custom Systems PSC.  Our program managers cannot 
complete a hardware delivery all at once.  They are left waiting 
for weeks and sometimes months before they can assemble and stage 
all of the parts for a platform because of manufacturing availability.  
Consequently, they have to spend more time re-checking parts 
availability to complete an order rather than finish the order and 
not have to keep re-working it and the associated customer and field 
dissatisfaction issues.  

I also know of a retired Digital employee who took advantage of the 
holiday PC offerings.  He received his order on multiple days in 
multiple boxes with some defects including the power supply he 
wound up fixing himself (loose wire).  He indicated he would never 
buy another PC from Digital after his experience.

There appears to be something systemically wrong with our delivery 
capabilities.

    I am not a manufacuring advocate, but have worked there.  It seems
    to me that over the last 4-5 years mfg has taken some pretty heavy
    lumps (cuts) in the dowsizing, now it is showing.  Who was it that 
    was doing all the cut backs in mfg?  Gee I can't remember the name.
    
    You can cut to your hearts content when sales are heading down, no
    one notices. It is the turn back up that you can't control, but is
    critical to keeping customers, old and new.
    
    I hope we (Digital) are planning NOW for the upswing.  It will happen.
    
    

    Opinion:
    
    This type of problem and many other equally serious problems are
    a result of CHANGE's byproduct; DESTABILIZATION.  
    
    Change is necessary.  Frequent change is necessary.  CONSTANT and
    seemingly CEASELESS change is paralyzing.  The level of change, in
    all areas, at Digital has lead to an inward focus.  Who suffers?
    The more appropriate question is, who DOES NOT suffer?  

    Send this note to the account manager, Bob Palmer, and Ed Lucente and
    see which one responds first.

 Digital - Supply Chain Integration video available
        {Livewire, Worldwide News, 28-Mar-94}
   "Supply Chain Integration," a new video produced by Customer Value Chain
 Communications, is available via the Integrated Repository. The video presents
 an overview of the Customer Value Chain (CVC) and the progress to date of the
 Supply Chain work.  It's hosted by Joe Ford, Engage Customer Process manager,
 and Jim McCluney, vice president, Worldwide Logistics.
   In his 30-minute presentation, Ford covers the beginnings of the CVC, its
 vision and charter, its first four initiatives and expected deliverables.
 McCluney highlights the work of the Supply Chain and how it integrates into
 the overall CVC process (also 30 minutes).  A 20-minute question-and-answer
 period follows.
   To order the video from the Integrated Repository, type VTX IR at your
 system prompt.  Choose #2, New/Revised; under Customer Consumables type VI
 (video).  The video document ID is VI560Y.

Re: .15,.14
    
If a manager in some capacity of authority cannot be found to address
this customer's concerns in person, then perhaps they would get all the
answers to their questions from this terrific 90-minute video.
What a marvelously economical way to respond to customer satisfaction
issues.
It appears that after two years the supply chain has some broken links.

Also see note 2083 in this conference.

re .-1

  Since this topic is tangentially discussing supply problems for our products,
  I thought I would get people's attention to efforts underway in this area 
  and their effectiveness or uneffectiveness.

Avinash

    re: .4

    	I'm surprised that Sales didn't feel it has the authority to speak
    on behalf of Digital from a management perspective.  I expect Sales to
    have that authority all the time, especially Account Executives and
    District Managers.

    	On the practical side, most letters I'm aware of that management has
    sent to a customer to address a specific issue are drafted by the person
    most knowledgeable about the customer situation.  I suggest you draft
    the letter you want sent and then get it in front of the senior manager
    (I resisted the urge to type Vice President) who's signature would make
    the letter as effective as possible.  Be prepared for the letter to be
    edited.

    	Good luck.

    	Rich

    Update:
    
    Bob Huffield is assisting me at this point in getting this into the
    proper hands.  I appreciate the various pointers and tips and we are
    continuing to pursue the right conclusion to this dilemma.
    
    Ron

    The good folks at Sun have removed DEC from their salary planning list
    for setting competitive wages because they no longer consider DEC a
    "player" in the industry.

    
    so has 7-11 stores.

    I am not surprised that Sales does not feel it has the authority to
    speak on behalf of Digital-it generally does not have the power to
    commit and ensure follow through-as any salesman will witness.
    I find it distressing,although I know it is the case,that the person
    with the problem has to do ALL the running,even writing the letter to
    get it signed by someone with the right hierarchical level to make it
    effective.Just what do these people do then?I am constantly amazed that
    the 17 levels of management between a client and BP seem to think that
    living real clients don't matter and don't automatically take up a case
    like this a pushing for change-too busy politicking no doubt.
    How many of our readers have sat in front of a client and said 'what's
    it like doing business with Digital-give me three good and bad
    points.."
    The answers are fabulous and much better that the millions of surveys
    we do.To cap it all,we are doing one now which asks US what WE think a
    client would say when asked about Digital...