12dz Chapter 577 There is simply not enough talent.
Chapter 577 There is simply not enough talent.
In the conference room, the two sides began formal negotiations.
“Our idea is this,” Zhao Jianhua said, pulling out a document, “to set up a dedicated counter in our chain stores to sell your products. Thirty percent of the sales revenue will go to us as a fee.”
"Thirty percent?" Li Xiangyang frowned. "Isn't that a bit high?"
“Director Li, please consider our value,” Zhao Jianhua explained. “More than twenty stores, covering major cities throughout the province—that’s an existing sales network.”
Manager Chen calculated from the side, "If we follow this ratio, our profit margin will be very small."
"How about this," Li Xiangyang thought for a moment, "we can cooperate, but the proportions need to be renegotiated. Also, we need to retain the right to monitor product quality."
After some bargaining, the sales expense was finally set at 20%, and Zhao Jianhua's chain stores were required to ensure the display and promotion of the products.
After the contract was signed, Zhao Jianhua brought up the past: "Director Li, I was wrong about what happened before, and I apologize to you."
"What's past is past," Li Xiangyang said calmly. "Now that we're partners, let's focus on doing business."
Zhao Jianhua nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely do my best to promote your product."
After seeing Zhao Jianhua off, Ma Qingfu was somewhat worried: "Are we really sure it's okay to cooperate with him? This guy used to try and ruin us."
"The business world is like a battlefield; there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests," Li Xiangyang smiled. "If it's beneficial to us, why not cooperate?"
"But what if he tries something again..."
“Then we’ll deal with it as it comes,” Li Xiangyang said firmly. “Besides, the situation is different now than before; it won’t be so easy for him to cause trouble.”
A month later, Zhao Jianhua’s chain stores began selling dried blueberries.
Sales were unexpectedly good; five thousand boxes were sold in the first month alone.
"It seems that people from Northeast China still appreciate their hometown specialties." Manager Chen was pleased as he looked at the sales report.
"This is just the beginning," Li Xiangyang analyzed. "The key is to maintain quality and build a good reputation."
As we were talking, the phone rang.
"Director Li, this is Zhao Jianhua," came the excited voice on the phone. "Our products are selling incredibly well; the customer response has been fantastic. I'd like to place an additional order."
"How much more?"
"20,000 boxes, can you deliver them by the end of this month?"
Li Xiangyang calculated the production capacity: "Time is a bit tight, but we should be able to finish."
After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang was in a good mood. It seemed that this collaboration was the right choice.
Zhao Jianhua's additional orders put the production line back at full capacity. Li Xiangyang stood in the workshop, watching the workers busily at work, feeling both satisfied and somewhat worried.
"Factory manager, won't the equipment be able to handle this?" Zhang Jianjun wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked over to Li Xiangyang.
"I am a little nervous," Li Xiangyang said, glancing at the packaging machine running at high speed. "How about this, have the equipment team increase their inspections and address any problems promptly."
As they were talking, the production line suddenly stopped.
"What's going on?" Li Xiangyang strode toward the malfunctioning equipment.
"The sealing machine is malfunctioning. It's probably because it's been running for too long and the temperature control system is overheating," said Xiao Liu, the repairman, as he squatted down next to the machine to check it.
Li Xiangyang's heart sank. If this batch of goods could not be delivered on time, it would not only affect the cooperation with Zhao Jianhua, but more importantly, it would damage the company's reputation.
"Can it be fixed?"
“We need to replace the controller, but we don’t have the parts right now,” Xiao Liu said with difficulty. “We have to order it from the manufacturer, and it will take at least three days.”
Three days? That definitely won't meet the delivery deadline.
Li Xiangyang paced back and forth in the workshop, his mind racing as he considered solutions.
"Jianjun, do we have any spare sealing machines?"
"Yes, there is, but that old machine is inefficient and often jams," Zhang Jianjun reported truthfully.
"It's better to keep using it than to stop production," Li Xiangyang decided decisively. "Also, have someone check with the nearby factories to see if we can borrow any spare parts."
Manager Chen rushed over upon hearing the news: "How about we talk to General Manager Zhao and ask for a few days' delay in delivery?"
“No way.” Li Xiangyang shook his head. “We’ve only just started working together, and this kind of problem has already arisen. What will people think?”
Just then, Ma Qingfu rushed into the workshop: "Xiangyang, we can ask Ma Laosan's friend for help."
"That's great! Go and contact them right away!" Li Xiangyang's eyes lit up.
Two hours later, Ma Qingfu brought good news: "Ma Laosan said his friend's side is fine; their factory is currently short of orders and can help us with subcontracting."
"What about the price?"
"It's the market price, but he said he could give me a discount because we're old friends."
Li Xiangyang did the math and realized that although the cost would be a bit higher, it was still better than breaching the contract.
"Okay, let's do it that way. We'll ship the semi-finished products there, package them, and then ship them back."
Over the next two days, the factory began a period of intense scheduling. Semi-finished products were produced here and immediately transported to Ma Laosan's friend's packaging factory, where they were packaged and then transported back to the warehouse.
Although the process was a bit complicated, at least the delivery date was guaranteed.
"Director Li, your ability to handle situations is truly impressive." Zhao Jianhua gave Li Xiangyang a thumbs-up when he came to pick up the goods. "You remain calm and composed when faced with problems, and you can even come up with solutions."
"Oh, not at all, I was just lucky this time," Li Xiangyang said modestly, but in his heart he was summarizing the lessons learned.
After seeing Zhao Jianhua off, Li Xiangyang convened a meeting with the management team.
"This incident should serve as a wake-up call for us," Li Xiangyang said solemnly. "Equipment management must be strengthened; we can't wait until problems arise before we start looking for solutions."
Liu Wanshan nodded: "Indeed, our equipment utilization rate is too high, and we haven't allowed enough time for maintenance."
"Starting next month, we'll implement a preventative maintenance system," Li Xiangyang decided. "We'll create a file for each piece of equipment and conduct regular inspections and maintenance."
Zhang Jianjun expressed his concern: "Will this affect production capacity?"
"There might be some impact in the short term, but it's beneficial in the long run," Li Xiangyang explained. "The losses caused by equipment failure are much greater than the cost of normal maintenance."
Manager Chen agreed, saying, "Moreover, with the increase in orders, we do need to consider expanding our production capacity."
"Expanding production isn't urgent," Li Xiangyang waved his hand. "The most important thing now is to strengthen our internal capabilities and improve our management."
After the meeting, Li Xiangyang stayed in his office alone to think.
As the company has grown to its current size, the importance of management has become increasingly prominent.
When the business was smaller, I could manage it all by myself.
Now we have more employees and more orders, but we simply don't have enough talent.