Message-ID: <14790eli$9808281645@qz.little-neck.ny.us> X-Archived-At: From: "Bill Morgan" Subject: {Morgan} NEW: Six-month Turnaround. 9/16 M/F Rom. lite sex Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d Content-Type: text/plain Path: qz!not-for-mail Organization: The Committee To Thwart Spam Approved: X-Moderator-Contact: Eli the Bearded X-Story-Submission: X-Original-Message-ID: <19980827182415.8109.qmail@hotmail.com> Author's note: If you are looking for wall-to-wall sex, look elsewhere. This book is a romance with a business setting. Beyond that, the sex is comparable to - or less than - what one would find in almost any work of popular fiction. Permission is granted to post on any free site, as long as the copyright statement is included. Please advise the author of any such postings. Comments are welcome and encouraged. Please address me at morg105829@aol.com. I hope you enjoy the book. My plan is to post a chapter each weekday; it will take about three weeks for it all to be up. This is chapter 9 of 16. Six-Month Turnaround Copyright 1992, 1998 by Morgan. All rights reserved. Chapter 9 Cliff was visiting Jack Crowther, vice-president of purchasing at Magna Motors in Troy, Michigan. The meeting was not going well. Crowther had reviewed the business Magna had given to Murphy and the reasons for it. Then he dropped the bomb: "Cliff, I'm sorry you came over today. You would have received the word in Milwaukee tomorrow. We're cutting off Murphy as a supplier, effective at the end of your current order. I guess that's in about three or four weeks. I'm sorry, Cliff, but your quality is not nearly good enough. Until now your prices were lower than Ajax, so we still gave you some business. But Ajax has just informed us they will meet your prices and deliver their quality. I can't fight that. Their quality is substantially superior to yours. I appreciate what you told me about the upgrading you have in process, but I'm afraid it's too late. Ajax quality is here now. It's a known quantity. You hope to get there, and frankly, I hope you do, too. We like to have at least two suppliers for important products like those you supply. But I can't live with the level of rejects you've been shipping me over the last few years." The two men were alone in Jack's office. Nevertheless, Crowther looked around and then continued in a confidential tone, "Cliff, we have done business with Murphy since your company got started. We feel we owe you, so I'm going to tell you something that could get me fired. We're alone, so if you even hint at it, I'll flatly deny anything was ever said. Cliff, did you have something going with George Simpson's daughter?" Cliff admitted that he did. Crowther nodded and said, "Simpson hates you with a passion! We were told that price was not an issue. Ajax would match your price at *any* level. Then the son of a bitch starts yelling that no one could say goodbye to his daughter." He looked at Cliff thoughtfully, "Did you?" Cliff didn't know what to say. He found Jack to be a very straightforward guy, a guy he would like to work with. Since he knew much of the story anyway, Cliff saw no harm in telling him the rest. "Jack, she referred to me as her fiance. I *never* proposed marriage - or anything else - to her. Then I met Sandra Donnell. Jack, I'm madly in love with her. She's... Well, she's going to marry me." Then commenting on the cancellation, he added, "Jack, I can say just one thing. We're going to beat Ajax on price *and* on quality. I've been at Murphy's for less than two months. My people know you're right... unfortunately. I'm sorry this has happened, but I understand. I hope you'll see me when I come back in a few weeks with guaranteed higher quality. Will you?" "I sure will, Cliff. Just between us, George Simpson is an insufferable son of a bitch. I don't like him, but more important, *we* don't like him. He does deliver reliable quality, though. But do you hear what I'm saying?" Cliff nodded, left the office and went to a pay phone. He called Sandy back in Milwaukee. "Hon, the roof fell in. We just lost the Magna Motors business. I don't have to tell you where that leaves us." There was silence for a few moments. Then Sandy said, "Cliff, I'll tell Steve immediately. I guess we'll just have to hustle for business to try to make it up. Darling, I love you and miss you. Please, may I pick you up at the airport tonight?" "Honey," he replied, "I would love it. You have the flight information. I'll call you at the office or at home if anything changes." When Cliff hung up, Sandy called Steve Muller. "Could you come in here right away?" He said he'd be right there, and moments later was. Meanwhile Sandy was on the phone to the Bank of Chicago, and Charley Adams. "Charley, this is Sandy Donnell. I'm calling to alert you that we're going to be drawing into our line next Monday. The first take-down will be $25 million. Does that cause you any problems?" "Of course not, Sandy. And since you called, I want to thank you again for your business. You and Cliff told me what you would do, and you're doing it precisely as you laid it out. I appreciate it and so does the bank's top management. I also appreciate the courtesy of the phone call. You'll have the $25 million in your account on Monday morning." She went into Cliff's office and went behind his desk with Steve following. She felt it was time to act like the alter ego Cliff had said she was. "Steve, I've just had terrible news from Cliff: Magna has canceled it's order. The business we ship on the present contract is the end. You know as well as I do that it's over 50 percent of our volume. "Fortunately, we're in an excellent cash position. I just picked up another $25 million from the bank. Along with the savings from the layoffs, the cash management pick up, and the money from the sale of our stores, we're in good shape that way. But, Steve, we've got to get some new business." She avoided a grim facial expression as she spoke to him. "I wanted to tell you alone. Now what do you want to do? My inclination is to have a council of war in the boardroom with whichever senior people you have in the office today. Do you agree?" As Steve looked at her, he realized three things. First, she wasn't panicking. Second, she was doing exactly what he figured Cliff would do if he were here. Finally, she owned the place, but most importantly, she *knew* it. "Let me get the guys together, Sandy. Could we meet in thirty minutes? I may be able to reach some more people who aren't in the office right now. And thanks for telling me alone. I appreciate it." Thirty minutes later Sandy was standing in the boardroom with an easel pad set up. Steve and Jane came in. Jane told her how sorry she was. Looking into Sandy's eyes she saw that her ex-roommate was quite calm. Jane gave her hand a warm squeeze and took a seat. In a few minutes there were seven senior sales and marketing people in the room. Sandy began with her voice grim, "I just received very bad news... the worst possible news. Magna Motors has canceled its contract with us. With the cancellation goes over half our business. I'm sorry to tell you so baldly but there's no way I know to sugarcoat news like this. All we can do is pull up our socks... or our stockings," she said, smiling at Jane, "And get more business. But where are we going to get it?" Jane was the first to speak. "Sandy, I have an idea but it's so far out, I need some help. Could we get Bill Stevens and Max Kaufman in here, quick?" Sandy didn't ask questions. She called the shift superintendent and said she needed to see Max Kaufman in the boardroom immediately. She then called Bill's office. In moments the two men arrived in the room. Sandy quickly briefed them on Cliff's message. Then she turned back to Jane and said, "Okay, roomy. You have your audience. What now?" Jane plunged right in. "Last week I met with Kenichi Saito, the general manager of the Kaga Motors plant in Michigan, along with his top people. It was a fascinating meeting. At the beginning, I didn't know whether to bow or shake hands and neither did they. It was odd. As you know, we've never called on them before. It turns out no other American parts supplier has, either. The result was I didn't see the junior purchasing guy I had an appointment with. Instead, I saw Mr. Saito himself and his entire executive staff! They were surprisingly pleased to see me. It seems they have two major problems: The first is the distance from their suppliers in Japan. The lead times for ocean transport are murderous. The result is there are a lot of parts shipments that come by air: JAL to Anchorage and then on to Detroit. I don't have to tell you what that costs! The second problem is the very strong Japanese yen. They are producing cars here to avoid getting killed by incurring yen costs and selling in dollars. Net, they're very interested in working with us. But there's a very big 'but'. They are used to zero defects and just-in-time shipments. The way it's supposed to work is that when they're down to the rings and valves to assemble about two more engines, a truck drives up with more rings and valves. I'm exaggerating, obviously, but not by very much. "Frankly, the service and quality they're used to is what Cliff is trying to gear the company to provide to all our customers. The question is, Mr. Stevens and Mr. Kaufman, dare we try for it now? I can virtually guarantee us an order. *One*! Can we produce against it? It's scary. I didn't even tell this to the father of my future children." She looked at Steve and said plaintively, "I'm sorry, Honey. I was scared. I thought I would put it on the back burner and save it for when we were really doing what we all know we can and should do. Dare we go for it now? Remember, this is all or nothing. I don't see us getting two trips to the plate. We get a hit, or we forget it." Sandy's face had been impassive throughout Jane's recital. When Jane finished, she looked at Bill Stevens. "Bill, you heard our key accounts manager. We have a shot at a major new account. What's the status of our production equipment right now?" Bill swallowed hard and said, "We've got six machines in A-1 condition: better than new. I'll have a seventh next week and could have the eighth the week after. Whether we'll need all ten, I don't know. But Sandy, we have an important friend at Micronics. If we ordered new machines, I think we could get two brand new ones in one hell of a hurry. Our statistical quality control is in place... on paper. We've done it for practice, but I've been waiting for Cliff before we shift over. I guess that's about it." "Thanks, Bill. Make the move to the full-bore statistical control effective with the next shift. Now, Max, it comes down to the people. It's up to the machine operators. They've got to do what we all know they can do. They'll be making different valves and rings, but they still power internal-combustion engines," she said with a grin, "So they can't be *that* different. "You know, Max, there's a lesson here for all of us. Sales has teed up the ball. The company has upgraded the tools to a produce at a level of precision we haven't had in years. I guess I'm saying management has done all it can. Now the question is do the workers want their jobs? If they do what they're capable of doing, I think we'll make it. If they don't, we're in deep trouble. We may fold. We've just lost over half our sales volume. What do you say, Max?" Max smiled at her. "I say what I said a few weeks ago. All the Murphys would be proud... real proud. Would you like to talk to the men, Sandy?" "No, Max. Thank you. There are two reasons: First, if anyone from management talks to the people, it has to be Cliff. Second, I don't think it should come from us at all. It isn't an order. It can't be. I think it should come from you and your people in the local." Max was initially stunned by her reaction. Then he realized the significance of what she was saying. He looked at her with deep respect in his eyes. "Thank you, Miss Donnell. You're saying the union represents the workers. It's our job to make them see where their own interests lie... their personal interests. I like that, Miss Donnell. I sincerely hope we make it. This is becoming a very interesting and a very good company to work for. Bill, could we have a special break so I can talk to the people right now? I assume Miss Miller is waiting to call Kaga, pending the outcome, right?" Sandy nodded, and Bill called the superintendent. Moments later, the plant whistle blew signaling stop work. Max went down to the shop floor followed by the rest of the people who had been in the meeting. While a portable PA system was being set up, Max hurriedly briefed the other officers of the local before he went to the podium and started speaking. "Brothers and Sisters! A few weeks ago we had a meeting. We talked abut the changes that were coming. We heard that under the new arrangement the workers would be responsible for quality, not a bunch of inspectors. We heard the owner, and we believed her. Today, the company received terrible news. Our contract to supply Magna Motors has been canceled. That's over 50 percent of the company's sales. It was canceled because of very poor quality, by the way - the very thing the new program is designed to address. We can't blame management. Mr. Fitzpatrick identified the problems and moved to solve them faster than anyone would have thought possible. He was unlucky. Magna didn't give him the time to get our quality back to where it should be. He's doing all the right things, but he didn't come in here last year or the year before. He only came here a couple of months ago. Nevertheless, he has done what he said he would do: Our production equipment is better than it's ever been. Our floor layout makes sense for the first time in years. Now it's up to us. It's *really* up to us! "We have one of the finest industrial sales organizations in American industry. The company's top salesman... saleswoman, Jane Miller, has developed an opportunity for us. I've heard you all bitching about the damned Japanese. How they work for coolie wages... even when we know it's not true. The fact of the matter is we're jealous! They build first-rate automobiles. The fit and finish are beautiful. They don't rattle or fall apart. They are very well made is why. We wish we could do as well, and we know damned well we don't. "Jane Miller has provided us with a new opportunity. We have the opportunity to supply rings and valves to Kaga Motors at its plant in Michigan. Now the question is, can we? Are we good enough craftsmen to build precisely to specification every damned time? Are we? The equipment Miss Donnell has given us to work with can. But are we good enough? There's a big risk. I can't stress this too much. We have only one chance! If we blow it, it's gone for good. If we make it, we've saved the company, saved our jobs, and started on the road to more jobs to rehire our brothers and sisters who were laid off. "Today, I asked Miss Donnell to address you people. She refused. She said the union speaks for the workers. That's what we're here for. It's clear that management has done everything it can. Are we going to work to save our own jobs? Are we going to accept the challenge? Can we perform as well as Japanese workers? Well, can we!? What do you say?" There was a moment of quiet as the amplified sound of Max's voice reverberated around the plant. Then a cheer began. It built as more workers picked it up and made it louder. In moments the roof was shaking from the roar of noise. At that point, Sandy went up to the podium. She took Max's hand and raised it up with hers. She hit the PA's volume control and yelled into the mike, "That's the answer I wanted to hear! We're going for it!" Max took her around a corner where they could be heard. The cheering continued unabated. "Sandy, you are a piece of work. I don't know what to say, except I'm very proud to be working for you." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and went back up to the office and the boardroom. Everyone was present except Jane who came in a few minutes later and said, "Sandy, you're going to have good news for Cliff. I'm going over first thing in the morning to work out the details of their first order. Incidentally, they didn't even ask about price. Their concerns are quality and shipment reliability. It's not Magna's volume, but it's a start." They spent the rest of the afternoon reviewing their position customer by customer. By the end of the day, including an estimate of Kaga's initial volume, they had recovered about half the lost Magna volume from other customers. The sales people were set to move the next morning to convert the potential to actual orders. * * * Sandy was waiting at the security barrier when Cliff came up the concourse. Her heart fell as she saw how defeated he looked. She spoke softly, "Hi! Looking for a hot date for the evening, mister?" Cliff heard her and immediately perked up. "I might be interested. Are you giving samples?" She went into his arms and melted him with her kiss. Passers-by turned and gaped at the tall couple locked in a passionate embrace. Cliff gently eased her away to catch his breath. "The sample was okay - no, to be fair, it was better than okay. It was... It was almost good." He smiled tiredly, "It was great! I must have looked about knee- high to a snake's belly coming up the concourse. At least, that's how I felt. How did you make out after my call?" "Make out how? I only make out with you, Clifford, and you weren't even here," she replied with a grin. "Sandra Donnell, I think I shall strangle you. But I will give you one more chance. I can tell you what you did. You called Steve and told him. Then you had a meeting in the boardroom with all the sales and marketing people. Then what happened?" "How did you know?" she asked. "Because it's what I would have done if I had been there, so I know it's what you did. Now quit screwing around and tell me what happened." "Can we stop in the bar so I can tell you in a more private setting?" They found a quiet table in the cocktail lounge that was very quiet now that the evening peak for flights had passed and they ordered beers. Sandy told him about Jane's meeting with Kaga and its requirements. Then she told about the meeting with Bill and Max, and finally Max's meeting with the membership. Finally, she told him about the Kaga order and the others that she thought looked pretty good. Cliff nodded and shook his head. "I think it's a good thing you told me here at the airport. This way I can stay and get the next connection to Hawaii. You sure don't need me around the office. Honey, you were brilliant. I love you dearly, but I don't need a beer, I need you... badly! Let's just go home, okay?" Sandy looked worried. "Cliff, you're not too mad, are you? All I did was what I thought you would want me to do. Was it all right?" "Honey, it was perfect! You know, I just had a thought. Neither you nor Jane are bra- burning women's libbers, although neither of you needs the bras you wear. Neverthe less, you are sure advancing the cause of women in business. I'm particularly impressed with what Jane did with Kaga. That was absolutely brilliant. Can we go home and go to bed now? Please? Otherwise, I'll check around the airport and see if I can get some better offers." Sandy had to pull Cliff out of bed the next morning to get ready to go to work. Neither had gotten any sleep to speak of. Whenever one had been about to fall asleep, the other would initiate another round of lovemaking. It had been a wonderful, if sleepless, night. -- +----------------' Story submission `-+-' Moderator contact `--------------+ | | | | Archive site +----------------------+--------------------+ Newsgroup FAQ | ----