Carba-Tec needs a new Financial Controller

Please allow me to vent my frustrations, as others have done from time to time, at the stock management practices at Carba-Tec.

Several times over the past couple of years, I have been disappointed at stock outages at Carba-Tec on a number of straight-forward, consumable items - glues, T track, finishes etc. I have reasoned to myself that they must be having an ongoing series of cash management issues to allow their stock to be managed in the way that it is.

My latest frustrations concern Kreg products.

In recent months, Carba-Tec have run promotions with some useful deals on the Kreg Masters pocket hole drilling jig kits. I took advantage of one such offer and have found the product to be excellent and a lot more useful around the workshop than I thought that it might be so I have been back and augmented the kit with extra clamps and boxes of screws. Carba-Tec and Kreg have been doing OK from my patronage, even though I am just a hobbyist.

Now, wouldn't you think that if a company promoted the sale of a product like the Kreg jig that of necessity requires the use of Kreg brand pocket hole screws, they would stock up on boxes of screws in anticipation that the buyers of the jigs might actually want to use them?

Apparently not because they have been out of stock of the most commonly used Kreg screws for a few weeks now. Still on back order. Sheesh!

So today, I thought that I might go and buy a Kreg shelf pin drilling jig. I had my $45 cash in hand to buy such jig only to discover that there were none and that at this stage, it looks like it will be mid-August before any new stock arrives. Bugger!

Now, I read on forums like this one of all of the virtues of buying locally and supporting the local guy. That's OK but the local guy needs to offer better service than we seem to be getting from Carba-Tec's stock management processes that we are now getting.

So what's a slow talkin' country boy from western Queensland expected to do? Sit around and wait in hope that the Carba-Tec Kreg ship will arrive on time in mid-August?

Not this little black duck. I have just searched the product on line and have ordered it from Amazon in the USA.

Why? Well, you see, it will be delivered in the forecast time frame of 30 July - 9 August; ie sooner than what Carba-Tec tell me that they will have it in their store.

Not only that but the delivered price in Aussie dollars is $35.27. ie about $10 cheaper than Carba-Tec.

Will Amazon meet their forecast delivery dates? I have no doubt that they will because that seems to be a strategy of theirs that they intend to expand on. Especially in the USA itself where they are gearing up for same day delivery...
Amazon same-day delivery: How the e-commerce giant will destroy local retail. - Slate Magazine

I have no doubt that their international deliveries will get similar attention.

Local firms like Carba-Tec really do need to move into the 21st century with their supply chain management.

It must be possible. A few weeks ago, I bought a $300 marine battery charger from this Brisbane based online retailer .... RV Technologies . Being a nightowl, I ordered the product at 1.15 am on a Friday.

It was delivered to my door at 1.30 pm on the same day!

I could not believe that such was possible! Check out the customer testimonials on their website to see that super fast delivery is intrinsic to that firm. I hope that they get very rich. The fact that there are no shortage of testimonials on that website, including one from me, tells me that they will be. Interestingly enough, what attracted me to them in the first place was that their price was the cheapest in Australia.

I want Carba-Tec to succeed but if I were a school teacher, I would be giving them a "Must try harder" comment on their annual report card.

Perhaps, they need a new financial controller to implement some new 21st century stock management policies. They are losing business because of their current practices.

Frustrating isn't it. I was hoping to pick up one of the Kreg shelf pin jigs at the WWW show. Think I will just order from Amazon as well.

I went to CT in Melbourne today as I needed to get two items for the Men's shed. Both items in stock and service with a smile.


Peter.

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Originally Posted by Sturdee

I went to CT in Melbourne today as I needed to get two items for the Men's shed. Both items in stock and service with a smile.

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Ah yes - I never have any issues with the counter staff. They always try their best and are always as helpful as they can be.


The issue is with their stock management policies.

I believe that the Kreg stock problems stem from Maxis who are the importers.

Weather or not the importers are having traouble, is of no concern to Joe public.
Management of stock and delivery are key to modern retail...

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Originally Posted by jchappo

I believe that the Kreg stock problems stem from Maxis who are the importers.

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When I google Kreg, the only Aussie references are to Carbatec. So does that tell me that Carba-Tec is the sole Aussie seller of the jigs?

If so, what value does a middleman like Maxis add? They seem to be just an impediment to slick operations in the emerging real time trading environment.


That sort of supply chain is last millennium's business model. If I can import just one jig economically, Carba-Tec ought to be pursuing the possibility of bypassing Maxis for commercial quantities of product.


.

I really think it is a problem right accross the retail spectrum. I called in at the local mower shop and bought a spark plug for a small engine and said I also wanted a tool to insert it; they were out of stock! How many businesses run completely out of stock before they re-order?

Yes buy local & support the Aussie business is great in theory;
BUT when the price is as much as 50% cheaper & the 200% better from overseas.
It's better to move a heap of stock at a smaller margin and have a good service repretation than what I've hear here.
It's so sad.....

Carbatec aren't the only ones with stock problems, I went to bunnies in Adelaide (2 WAREHOUSES) wanting a dozen 4" flap discs, walked out with 4 in one place and 6 in another (that was ALL they had)!!!!!!!!!
Went to the local Mitre10 and was asked how many boxes I wanted?????
Carbatec are painfully slow on getting product out the door, a week from ordering till it is posted. Too bad if something was URGENT..:((
Kryn

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Originally Posted by Kidbee

I really think it is a problem right accross the retail spectrum. I called in at the local mower shop and bought a spark plug for a small engine and said I also wanted a tool to insert it; they were out of stock! How many businesses run completely out of stock before they re-order?

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Most.

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Originally Posted by KBs PensNmore

Carbatec aren't the only ones with stock problems, I went to bunnies in Adelaide (2 WAREHOUSES) wanting a dozen 4" flap discs, walked out with 4 in one place and 6 in another (that was ALL they had)!!!!!!!!!
Kryn

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I agree, my local bunnings has been out of short M8 HT bolts for months.

My nearest H&F was not able to supply a 14.5 mm MT drill bit for several months. I even found one in the store amongst another size of drill bits and triumphantly went up to the counter with it but the guy on the counter said that he had been looking for that one as it was already sold! He said the mining industry was driving supply crazy with one mine site ordering 1000s of large drill bits. This dried up their AUS supply and they were waiting for more to come in. I was in there two weeks later and the same guy felt sorry for me and went out the back and came back with a drill bit. He said 100, 14.5 mm bits had come in but they were already sold to one mine site! but they could be satisfied with 99 for the time being!

For flap discs I would suggest trying a welding shop supplier. They are usually cheaper than bunnings, different (sometimes superior) product of course so you can't beat buntings withe the 10%.

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Originally Posted by Lumber Bunker

Weather or not the importers are having traouble, is of no concern to Joe public.
Management of stock and delivery are key to modern retail...

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As a heads up if you were looking to but a Veritas BUS or LA Jointer today on sale in Sydney forget it. BUS computer says 2 but only diplay model in the cabinet. Jointer computer says no. Wonder if there will be any stock at the sydney show?

I have written an email via there web page asking them to convince me why i should shop there. Will let you know if i get an answer.

BTW the person who answered the phone was polite. People = good ( mostly) Systems and Processes = bad

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Originally Posted by Pac man

BTW the person who answered the phone was polite. People = good ( mostly) Systems and Processes = bad

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I know what you're saying and I agree. However just remember that if you can talk to people then people are part of the system and processes. And people (sometimes with the best intentions) can break systems. Just read BobL's most recent post on H&F drill bits.

Thirty plus years ago I worked for a national agricultural spare parts distributor in the early days of computerized inventory control. It was common for sales staff to raid shelves and incoming stock orders for selected in-demand parts, so that they physically had control of them for their preferred customers and dealers. The first time I saw a hand written card with 2xRBD I had to ask several other staff before one confessed it meant "two in Roger's bottom drawer" !! Staff would occasionally partly dis-assemble factory kits in order to get hard to get parts that rarely broke and forget to replace them once stock arrived.

So nothing I hear on read on stock control surprises me. Very little we experience is new to the world. And don't get me wrong. This place was efficient and profitable, but the odd disaster was .... well - disasterous and frustrating for the customer.

And don't be surprised if those missing inventory items have been already put aside for the Sydney show.

Hmmmm, I now feel a little sad for reminiscing about that place. It was a fun and educational time for a young fella. At least I no longer dream about spare parts numbers.

Pac man,

Dont bother waiting for their reply - I'm about to order the jointer online, delivered straight to work for $10 more than than Sydney's sale price and I'll have it next week !

If I can get one that easily, surely they can organise something........

Sam