Statement of the Problem: Rod Stanton, the new supply manager, notices that changes must
be made to clean up the supply management function before the increase in demand during the
winter months becomes a burial, but doubts that his suggestions to the older executives will
pass or be considered serious.
Background: Brothers Mowers is virtually a family run business and has never been an industry
leader or even a top competitor, but has managed to provide an adequate profit and retain its
independence. The head of supply management for the last twenty-two years, Uncle Phill, died
unexpectedly from a heart attack which caused the company to hire the new supply manager,
Rod Stanton. During Rod’s arrival he observed that late supplies sometimes caused breaks in
production, and that rework and scrap seemed excessive. Rod also found that many suppliers
had been used for ten to twenty years. Brothers Mowers is going through a different business
generation because the corporate managers are graying, and more new hires are expected.
Employees are skeptical of changes because they fear that the company will lose sight of its
family origins. The corporate mangers were satisfied with Uncle Phill’s management of supply.
Discussion: Rod needs to provide the corporate managers with proof that there is a problem,
even though they are managing to gain profit. This proof could be the projected increase in
efficiencies using fewer suppliers of standardized parts, or another discussion with Sam, Rod’s
cousin, who has worked in engineering for five years. He also needs to show the “big picture”
for the company to show that if these changes are not made, the company may suffer or go
under in the future. The loyalty to the original suppliers needs to be undermined by the chance
to push the company forward.
Recommendations: Rod should go ahead and suggest the redesign of each product line to
allow utilization of many more standardized parts.