Are Your Salespeople Selling Your Company into Eventual Bankruptcy? Todd Drummond Most people have a mistaken belief that my services are all about making component manufacturing more efficient. Actually, more than half my time during a consultation is taken up reviewing things like management practices and the sales process. Fact is, sales—correction, healthy... Read More June 2018 Issue #10227 Page 30
Emerging Pillars for Business Success Ben Hershey As companies grow and change, we should ask ourselves—what are the essential pillars of support that help companies succeed? While making changes that will transform their businesses, successful companies will rely on core pillars that form the foundation of who they will be in the future.... Read More May 2018 Issue #10226 Page 18
A Tale of Two Dealers, and Why One Far Surpasses the Other Todd Drummond Most think lack of time is their biggest barrier to achieving their goals, but they are mistaken. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” This quote by Peter Drucker is one of my favorites. While providing consulting services for over one hundred companies, I have witnessed and... Read More May 2018 Issue #10226 Page 30
Change Your Pricing Formula for 2018 and Make More Net Profit Todd Drummond Let us assume that you are having problems with a truck’s transmission and it must be repaired or replaced. The local mechanic explains the hourly rate for service and that the cost of any parts needed to fix the transmission is extra. The hourly charge he is billing is to cover his... Read More January 2018 Issue #10222 Page 30
Three Practical Ideas for Better Margins and Net Profits Todd Drummond Too often a repeated mantra within our industry is that everyone sells components at too-low margins. The blame is always on the other guy, meaning the competitor, for selling at a lower margin than what should be market pricing. Well, what can your company do to raise margin pricing? During... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 24
Open Your Eyes to Overproduction Ben Hershey Part 5 in our TIMWOODS Series Piles and piles of production all around you. No, I am not talking about inventory, I am talking about WIP, finished goods/staged jobs—Overproduction. Overproduction is making products in too great a quantity or before actually needed, leading to excessive... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 48
Component Manufacturing a Cash Cow Division Todd Drummond In the wood truss component industry, we have the independents, who are not associated with lumberyards, and then we have those who are owned by lumberyards. What I found striking is that the lumberyard owned and operated component manufacturers (CMs) consistently make far less money than the... Read More March 2017 Issue #10212 Page 26
The Approach of Opportunity Carl Schoening Those of us who have been around this industry long enough have a general feeling of cautious optimism. We have all been through the economic ups and downs, the building cycles, and all the rest. We have sat listening to economists at BCMC every year. We have read so many detailed articles over... Read More September 2016 Issue #09206 Page 16
Bidding Practices that are Just Good Enough Can Cost Tens of Thousands in Additional Net Profit Todd Drummond Two very distinct aspects of the bidding calculation could be costing your company tens of thousands of dollars. If you were shown a better bidding method, would you allow your pride to prevent you from testing it and, if it works, taking the time to embrace it to improve your company’s... Read More September 2016 Issue #09206 Page 18
Truss and Wall Component Manufacturing for a Lumberyard – Pros and Cons Todd Drummond Many lumberyards still do not have their own wood truss and wall panel manufacturing as part of their offerings to their contractors but are contemplating whether this might be a good investment. There are pros and cons to this type of big investment; if you have been doing any research, you... Read More March 2016 Issue #09200 Page 12