Klarinet Archive - Posting 000494.txt from 2000/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Good Middle School Bass Clarinet?
Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 23:12:28 -0500

At 05:41 PM 1/15/2000 -0800, Neil Leupold wrote:
>--- Bill Hausmann <bhausman@-----.com> wrote:
>
>> Just-in-time inventory control works really well for manufacturers who have
>> a reliable source of supply for production PARTS inventory where the
>> production level is relatively constant, or at least predictable. As an
>> inventory control method for SALES, unless the demand is very predictable
>> (yeah, right!), it simply does not work, regardless of how much managers
>> and accountants would like it to. It would be like figuring that last year
>> your store sold 12 clarinets, so you should order from the factory one
>> clarinet to be delivered each month for the year.
>
>Manufacturer production throughput issues notwithstanding, the people with
>the greater specific knowledge about consumer demand are the retail store
>owners. If they are able to recognize that customers come in reliably at
>least once or twice a year to purchase a new bass clarinet for their band
>programs, why don't the stores stock at least one new bass clarinet in the
>store to satisfy that known, predictable demand? Plainly, it can be ex-
>pensive in terms of the cost-of-capital to stock a $1200 bass clarinet in-
>house, but for the sake of customer satisfaction and repeat patronage,
>might it not be worth it, rather than turning a customer away, saying,
>"Sorry, but you'll have to wait a year to get one of those..."? Either
>stock one in-house, or do some local market research and perhaps find
>out in advance what the coming needs will be of the local music programs.
>
You would be amazed how UNPREDICTABLE such demand is. School systems
sometimes order several at a time, or you may not sell any for a long time.
There simply is not a predictable demand for such a special-purpose
instrument, seldom purchased by an individual. And even if we DID keep one
in stock (which we commonly do), when it sold, it would still take forever
for US to get a replacement (which it does). Furthermore, predicting the
needs of the local music programs is relatively easy, but predicting the
BUDGETS the directors will have to work with and what company will
ultimately win the bid to SELL them the instruments is quite a bit harder.
Personally, I think we ought to keep at least 3 in stock. Of course, if we
stocked 3 Bundys, everybody would order Yamahas (and vice versa)! And,
fortunately, since it is not MY money that is tied up in inventory, it is
not my decision to make.

Bill Hausmann bhausman@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive http://www.concentric.net/~bhausman
Essexville, MI 48732 http://homepages.go.com/~zoot14/zoot14.html
ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is too loud.

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