Lawford Electric Company
Case Analysis
In this case, Robert Allen, a Field Sales Engineer for the Systems Controls department at Lawford Electric Company, has lost a very large sale with Bayfield Milling. Bayfield Milling’s average annual purchases with Lawford are about $50,000. The lost revenue on the bid discussed in the case was nearly $900,000.
The case chronologically outlines Allen’s Sales Activity log which provides an overview of the presentations and conversations he has with Bayfield Milling’s employees. Exhibit A outlines the cast of characters in the case. In reviewing the sales log the question to be answered is “How did Robert Allen lose the…show more content… What was Vogel like? What is important to him in running his department? Historically were his purchasing decisions made solely on cost, reliability of the product, or user experience or some combination of the three? Where does he place the most weight in his purchasing decisions? Although I’ve learned that I am not allowed to contact Vogel the operations department is not off limits. I think it would be safe to assume that there was someone in the operations department that Vogel trusted and relied upon. That would be the person I would set up a meeting with and get to know.
Loose Lips Sink Ships. When you go to lunch with the Chief Engineer, in this case, Lorenz, and he loosens up after two martinis you don’t let him leave. You offer to give him a tour of the country club, you take the opportunity to get to know him and you get as much information out of him about Vogel before he sobers up. Then, you make plans to take him back to the country club for a weekend of golf and…more martinis.
A Spec Here, A Spec There. Lastly, I would have had more contact with Magna Machinery Corporation. They are one of the key components in this bid process because the drive system is going to be used with the new shearing line that Bayfield is purchasing from Magna. Allen does take the initiative and contacts Magna for the specs on the shearing line; however he misses other opportunities to get clarification. Throughout the year there are
