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From: Phil Hobbs on 12 Apr 2010 12:49
On 4/12/2010 12:40 PM, Tim Wescott wrote:
> Joerg wrote:
>> Tim Wescott wrote:
>>> Joerg wrote:
>>>> Hello Folks,
>>>>
>>> -- snip --
>>>
>>>> Other question: Does anyone know whether it's possible to order at
>>>> places like Digikey using a clients credit card? Or fill in a
>>>> Digikey order with shipping address and all, send to client, and
>>>> they just need to add their payment info but not have to enter all
>>>> the parts again? That would make invoicing less cluttered.
>>>
>>> It would indeed make invoicing less cluttered, but then it makes your
>>> timetable dependent on your client's purchasing department. I
>>> wouldn't do it unless I knew that I could monitor the status of the
>>> order and rattle some bars with the client if it wasn't getting entered.
>>>
>>> I'd have to trust the client's purchasing department, and even then I
>>> can already see the finger-pointing contest when my work was late
>>> because their purchasing department didn't get around to dealing with
>>> the order.
>>>
>>> Clearly this would work well if whoever holds the credit card on the
>>> client's end is motivated, responsive, and responsible. So I'm not
>>> saying "don't do it, it'll be a nightmare" -- but I am most certainly
>>> saying "think about it, it _may well_ be a nightmare". Depends on the
>>> client, and you, on how much you trust them to be speedy with
>>> ordering vs. how much you trust them to be speedy with paying
>>> invoices, and on how willing you are to bankroll their inventory.
>>>
>>
>> Oh, I fully trust the client. Most clients are smaller companies,
>> meaning they are highly motivated to get this done because it affects
>> the time frame within which they have a revised and reliably working
>> product. You just have to make sure the person doing this ordering
>> isn't out of office but I usually know that.
>
> I do appreciate working for smaller companies. There's a sort of madness
> that sets in when the layers of management get too deep, particularly
> when the top layer is all finance guys. It never fails to astound me how
> some CEO who has no trouble demanding 100 times the pay of a store
> manager at McDonald's can't imagine that some engineers may be worth
> more than others.
>
> Smaller companies get the concept of "I ask for more per hour, but even
> so I deliver more value per dollar". And they understand "you do your
> part and everything will go faster". Etc.
>
> Etc.
>
> Etc.
>

The other thing about some big companies is that they imagine that it's
smart to alienate their suppliers and consultants by not paying on time.
Foreign outfits seem to be much less prone to this idiocy.

Cheers

Phil Hobbs

--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs
Principal
ElectroOptical Innovations
55 Orchard Rd
Briarcliff Manor NY 10510
845-480-2058
hobbs at electrooptical dot net
http://electrooptical.net
From: Joerg on 12 Apr 2010 12:51
Muzaffer Kal wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:23:21 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>>> On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 08:10:56 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Other question: Does anyone know whether it's possible to order at
>>>> places like Digikey using a clients credit card? Or fill in a Digikey
>>>> order with shipping address and all, send to client, and they just need
>>>> to add their payment info but not have to enter all the parts again?
>>>> That would make invoicing less cluttered.
>>> Joerg:-
>>>
>>> You can send them a csv file and get them to do this:
>>>
>>> http://dkc3.digikey.com/RUD/US/OrderFileUpload.html
>>>
>>> You can set up an uncommitted order and grab the stuff off the screen
>>> with a bit of editing.
>>>
>> That would be another option but I am going to try Muzaffer's method.
>> Looks like just a couple of numbers and the order pops up, if that
>> works. I guess the client could then enter their Digikey account number
>> somewhere.
>
> Actually it works quite and it's very easy. Whenever you start a new
> order, the two numbers you need are displayed at top of the page. When
> you are done entering, write the numbers down. Later you can go back
> to Digikey and click on "order status" to enter the numbers. You can
> check wheter your purchaser has paid for the order by the end of the
> day and even get a tracking number.


Cool! That's the ticket then. Thanks. Now I just have to find that inductor.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 12 Apr 2010 12:57
Tim Wescott wrote:
> Joerg wrote:
>> Tim Wescott wrote:
>>> Joerg wrote:
>>>> Hello Folks,
>>>>
>>> -- snip --
>>>
>>>> Other question: Does anyone know whether it's possible to order at
>>>> places like Digikey using a clients credit card? Or fill in a
>>>> Digikey order with shipping address and all, send to client, and
>>>> they just need to add their payment info but not have to enter all
>>>> the parts again? That would make invoicing less cluttered.
>>>
>>> It would indeed make invoicing less cluttered, but then it makes your
>>> timetable dependent on your client's purchasing department. I
>>> wouldn't do it unless I knew that I could monitor the status of the
>>> order and rattle some bars with the client if it wasn't getting entered.
>>>
>>> I'd have to trust the client's purchasing department, and even then I
>>> can already see the finger-pointing contest when my work was late
>>> because their purchasing department didn't get around to dealing with
>>> the order.
>>>
>>> Clearly this would work well if whoever holds the credit card on the
>>> client's end is motivated, responsive, and responsible. So I'm not
>>> saying "don't do it, it'll be a nightmare" -- but I am most certainly
>>> saying "think about it, it _may well_ be a nightmare". Depends on
>>> the client, and you, on how much you trust them to be speedy with
>>> ordering vs. how much you trust them to be speedy with paying
>>> invoices, and on how willing you are to bankroll their inventory.
>>>
>>
>> Oh, I fully trust the client. Most clients are smaller companies,
>> meaning they are highly motivated to get this done because it affects
>> the time frame within which they have a revised and reliably working
>> product. You just have to make sure the person doing this ordering
>> isn't out of office but I usually know that.
>
> I do appreciate working for smaller companies. There's a sort of
> madness that sets in when the layers of management get too deep,
> particularly when the top layer is all finance guys. It never fails to
> astound me how some CEO who has no trouble demanding 100 times the pay
> of a store manager at McDonald's can't imagine that some engineers may
> be worth more than others.
>
> Smaller companies get the concept of "I ask for more per hour, but even
> so I deliver more value per dollar". And they understand "you do your
> part and everything will go faster". Etc.
>
> Etc.
>
> Etc.
>

The opposite happened at one client. Very efficiently run company,
small, just my cup of tea. Needed an electronic design, quickly, the
deadline set by one of their customers was in October last year. I
delivered on time, all the docs, working and tested boards plus some
spares, everyone happy. Their customer (big company) that was in such a
rush to get this project done "hasn't gotten around to testing it" and
now we have April ...

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
From: Jim Thompson on 12 Apr 2010 13:01
On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:57:25 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid>
wrote:

>Tim Wescott wrote:
>> Joerg wrote:
>>> Tim Wescott wrote:
>>>> Joerg wrote:
>>>>> Hello Folks,
>>>>>
>>>> -- snip --
>>>>
>>>>> Other question: Does anyone know whether it's possible to order at
>>>>> places like Digikey using a clients credit card? Or fill in a
>>>>> Digikey order with shipping address and all, send to client, and
>>>>> they just need to add their payment info but not have to enter all
>>>>> the parts again? That would make invoicing less cluttered.
>>>>
>>>> It would indeed make invoicing less cluttered, but then it makes your
>>>> timetable dependent on your client's purchasing department. I
>>>> wouldn't do it unless I knew that I could monitor the status of the
>>>> order and rattle some bars with the client if it wasn't getting entered.
>>>>
>>>> I'd have to trust the client's purchasing department, and even then I
>>>> can already see the finger-pointing contest when my work was late
>>>> because their purchasing department didn't get around to dealing with
>>>> the order.
>>>>
>>>> Clearly this would work well if whoever holds the credit card on the
>>>> client's end is motivated, responsive, and responsible. So I'm not
>>>> saying "don't do it, it'll be a nightmare" -- but I am most certainly
>>>> saying "think about it, it _may well_ be a nightmare". Depends on
>>>> the client, and you, on how much you trust them to be speedy with
>>>> ordering vs. how much you trust them to be speedy with paying
>>>> invoices, and on how willing you are to bankroll their inventory.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Oh, I fully trust the client. Most clients are smaller companies,
>>> meaning they are highly motivated to get this done because it affects
>>> the time frame within which they have a revised and reliably working
>>> product. You just have to make sure the person doing this ordering
>>> isn't out of office but I usually know that.
>>
>> I do appreciate working for smaller companies. There's a sort of
>> madness that sets in when the layers of management get too deep,
>> particularly when the top layer is all finance guys. It never fails to
>> astound me how some CEO who has no trouble demanding 100 times the pay
>> of a store manager at McDonald's can't imagine that some engineers may
>> be worth more than others.
>>
>> Smaller companies get the concept of "I ask for more per hour, but even
>> so I deliver more value per dollar". And they understand "you do your
>> part and everything will go faster". Etc.
>>
>> Etc.
>>
>> Etc.
>>
>
>The opposite happened at one client. Very efficiently run company,
>small, just my cup of tea. Needed an electronic design, quickly, the
>deadline set by one of their customers was in October last year. I
>delivered on time, all the docs, working and tested boards plus some
>spares, everyone happy. Their customer (big company) that was in such a
>rush to get this project done "hasn't gotten around to testing it" and
>now we have April ...

I've had big company clients like that... hell-bent-for-leather design
and fabrication of the chip, then it sat for months "due to a change
in direction and priorities" :-(

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

The only thing bipartisan in this country is hypocrisy
From: Joerg on 12 Apr 2010 13:04
Jim Thompson wrote:
> On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:57:25 -0700, Joerg <invalid(a)invalid.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> Tim Wescott wrote:
>>> Joerg wrote:
>>>> Tim Wescott wrote:
>>>>> Joerg wrote:
>>>>>> Hello Folks,
>>>>>>
>>>>> -- snip --
>>>>>
>>>>>> Other question: Does anyone know whether it's possible to order at
>>>>>> places like Digikey using a clients credit card? Or fill in a
>>>>>> Digikey order with shipping address and all, send to client, and
>>>>>> they just need to add their payment info but not have to enter all
>>>>>> the parts again? That would make invoicing less cluttered.
>>>>> It would indeed make invoicing less cluttered, but then it makes your
>>>>> timetable dependent on your client's purchasing department. I
>>>>> wouldn't do it unless I knew that I could monitor the status of the
>>>>> order and rattle some bars with the client if it wasn't getting entered.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd have to trust the client's purchasing department, and even then I
>>>>> can already see the finger-pointing contest when my work was late
>>>>> because their purchasing department didn't get around to dealing with
>>>>> the order.
>>>>>
>>>>> Clearly this would work well if whoever holds the credit card on the
>>>>> client's end is motivated, responsive, and responsible. So I'm not
>>>>> saying "don't do it, it'll be a nightmare" -- but I am most certainly
>>>>> saying "think about it, it _may well_ be a nightmare". Depends on
>>>>> the client, and you, on how much you trust them to be speedy with
>>>>> ordering vs. how much you trust them to be speedy with paying
>>>>> invoices, and on how willing you are to bankroll their inventory.
>>>>>
>>>> Oh, I fully trust the client. Most clients are smaller companies,
>>>> meaning they are highly motivated to get this done because it affects
>>>> the time frame within which they have a revised and reliably working
>>>> product. You just have to make sure the person doing this ordering
>>>> isn't out of office but I usually know that.
>>> I do appreciate working for smaller companies. There's a sort of
>>> madness that sets in when the layers of management get too deep,
>>> particularly when the top layer is all finance guys. It never fails to
>>> astound me how some CEO who has no trouble demanding 100 times the pay
>>> of a store manager at McDonald's can't imagine that some engineers may
>>> be worth more than others.
>>>
>>> Smaller companies get the concept of "I ask for more per hour, but even
>>> so I deliver more value per dollar". And they understand "you do your
>>> part and everything will go faster". Etc.
>>>
>>> Etc.
>>>
>>> Etc.
>>>
>> The opposite happened at one client. Very efficiently run company,
>> small, just my cup of tea. Needed an electronic design, quickly, the
>> deadline set by one of their customers was in October last year. I
>> delivered on time, all the docs, working and tested boards plus some
>> spares, everyone happy. Their customer (big company) that was in such a
>> rush to get this project done "hasn't gotten around to testing it" and
>> now we have April ...
>
> I've had big company clients like that... hell-bent-for-leather design
> and fabrication of the chip, then it sat for months "due to a change
> in direction and priorities" :-(
>

Matrix management can quickly lead to such effects. That's why, when I
was running a company, there was no matrix management.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
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