Global Solutions

This Global Solutions section of the Shepperd Report gives you a chance to provide answers to hypothetical situations. Any relation to actual events is coincidental. The reader with the answer closest to the Shepperd Solution will win a free, one-year subscription to the Shepperd Report.

This is a great chance for you to test your globalization knowledge and skill. Good luck!

One day, your sales department is summoned to the purchasing department of your largest customer. The story is all too familiar: In spite of a lengthy relationship, the customer wants to make some changes. To keep the business, you must compete in an open-bidding process. You receive a set of blueprints and soon realize you don’t make half the components listed. You are also aware that you are up against suppliers around the world.

How would you respond if you were vice president of sales? Would you quote the parts that you do make? Would you quote everything? Or would you quote nothing at all? Email your answer along with a description of your rationale to: sheprep@quadralgroup.com – and look for the answer in our next issue.