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Mopar151

(9,965 posts)
9. Another consideration or 2
Mon Jan 23, 2012, 01:26 AM
Jan 2012

When a manufacturer outsources, It frees them from a lot of employee/employer relationship issues - many of which become vendor/purchaser issues.
A lot of managers prefer the relationship of purchaser to vendor, for a couple of reasons which aren't so nice. First is the fact that there is much less of a collegial relationship with a vendor than an employee. I can tell you, from 35 years as a machinist (outsourced, restructured, leased, temped, harassed, and generally screwed over) that the finance and marketing people HATE pushback from the technical side of things. They literally do not want to hear it - even if the pushback makes/saves significant $$$$$$.
The second issue is about who has power within the management structure - the purchasing function becomes much more important with outsourcing, as does finance. A lot of detailed engineering work ends up at the vendor as well, so there are fewer of those nerdy engineers around the office, and if the vendor's engineers have to deal with their customer, they have to be prepared to kiss a mile of ass! American engineers and skilled trades are not shy about telling the "suits"that their expectations are unrealistic, or, to be blunt about it "Hey, you guys fucked the dog again on this one!" A vendor will jump through hoops and bend over backward to keep the suits from finding out how badly they fucked up.

A few companies who's products are made in the same factories as the iPhone: onehandle Jan 2012 #1
Read The Article And Agree, The Subtleties Of Modern Electronic Manufacturing cantbeserious Jan 2012 #2
America is a POWDER KEG of anti-offshoring sentiment. We need to start FIGHTING BACK Zalatix Jan 2012 #3
This uncontrollable lust for profit is ultimately going to kill us all. Initech Jan 2012 #4
Things change and so does the economy.. China is actually a good story for Humanity BrentWil Jan 2012 #5
Sorry. The Chinese economy is NOT good and can never be good for the US. AdHocSolver Jan 2012 #12
The American middle class slipping into poverty b/c of offshoring "does not hurt us"? brentspeak Jan 2012 #14
does not hurt us? Confusious Jan 2012 #15
which is exactly why free trade doesn't work Motown_Johnny Jan 2012 #6
Best comment to the Duhigg & Bradsher article: ProfessionalLeftist Jan 2012 #7
Agreed - However, Changing The US Ship of State Will Take Decades Due To Politics cantbeserious Jan 2012 #8
The only way to fix our economic problems is to remove profit from current practices. AdHocSolver Jan 2012 #19
Another consideration or 2 Mopar151 Jan 2012 #9
Best description of the process I've seen in a couple years, at least. saras Jan 2012 #16
I was appalled by the argument that it was "skilled labor." joshcryer Jan 2012 #10
When we killed metrication I knew it was all over. That was 40 years ago. Gregorian Jan 2012 #11
You owe somone 10k and you have a problems, you owe a few hundred billion and it is their problem Exultant Democracy Jan 2012 #13
The reasons given for Apple's move to China are specious. AdHocSolver Jan 2012 #17
Well said! n/t Zalatix Jan 2012 #18
Apple is like Scientology - a religion masquerading as a corporation, or visa versa leveymg Jan 2012 #20
It isn't just electronics that are made in China. Much of our clothing is made in China, or in 4lbs Jan 2012 #21
To add to your list: Dash Riprock Jan 2012 #22
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