The Operations Committee is endorsing common box size standards for the industry, in order to provide simplification and accuracy in our supply chain process. The situation we have today is that the industry, with the exception of California, has few standards in box sizes and that situation is causing inconsistencies in freight efficiency and cost calculation.

To provide an example please look at the following:

Box A=41 x 10 x 9 box size packed 20 bunches is a 2.13 cubic foot half box

Box B=40 x 10 x 8 box size packed 20 bunches is a 1.85 cubic foot half box

If you are paying 2.00 per cubic foot, including fuel surcharge, to a transportation company from Miami, then the freight cost per box with the same contents inside is of course more expensive for Box A. While the difference may be relatively small per bunch, summed up over thousands of bunches, the difference adds up.

Freight cost Box A per box packed 20= $4.26 (per bunch .213)

Freight cost Box B per box packed 20= $3.70 (per bunch .185)

We often mention the fact that this is a pennies business and here is a real example where you gain a 15% decrease in your freight costs from Miami by shaving off an inch or two from the overall box dimension, without sacrificing anything to the contents of the box.

The WF&FSA Operations Committee is endorsing common box sizes, that have already been adopted by a few large suppliers in the marketplace and we encourage you to make your suppliers aware of this standard. The WF&FSA Recommended Standard Box Sizes are listed below.

WF&FSA Recommended Box Sizes

Colombia 

In future bulletins we will provide other examples of why standards make sense potentially to help you gain cost and logistics efficiency in your business.

In fact, recent research shows that of four dri­vers of cus­tomer loy­alty (com­pany and brand impact, prod­uct and ser­vice deliv­ery, value-to-price ratio, and sales expe­ri­ence), 53% is related to the sales experience.

What are some of the key com­po­nents of the sales expe­ri­ence that will drive cus­tomer loyalty?  

To read this full article, click here. 

The WF&FSA Board of Directors is accepting nominations for the 2013 Leland T. Kintzele Distinguished Service (LTK) Award. The award will be presented at the WF&FSA Floral Distribution Conference October 23-25th, at the Doral, Miami, FL.

The Leland T. Kintzele Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor presented by WF&FSA. The award was created to honor Leland T. Kintzele, an extraordinary individual in the floral industry. During his career, Kintzele took particular interest in both WF&FSA and the wholesale distributor. By demonstrating integrity, perseverance, decisiveness and fairness he did much to advance the association and the industry.

• Demonstrated dedication, ability and initiative to a degree that sets him or her apart from contemporaries;
• Made significant contributions to the welfare and progress of wholesale florists in particular and the floral industry in general;
• Provided distinguished service that exemplifies the outstanding character of Leland T. Kintzele, president of WF&FSA from 1963 to 1966.

The WF&FSA board of directors decides each year who will receive the LTK Award. Nominations are considered for two years. After two years, the nominations must be resubmitted to be considered. As previously stated, the award will be presented at the 2013 WF&FSA Conference. The winner will receive an etched glass vase with his/her name. A video dedicated to the winner will be added to the LTK section of the WF&FSA website and be added to the previous winners list. If interested, you can visit the WF&FSA website and access previous winners.  

Commodity thinking is small thinking. Buyers who view the products they purchase as commodities have a low opinion of their needs, too. Fundamentally, buyers that buy commodities are tacitly admitting that they are not special, and it is reflected in their buying behavior. "I buy nothing special because I am nothing special." They may not come right out and say it, but that is what I hear when they denigrate the value of a solution.   

This is called value-stripping in negotiating terms. The buyer thinks, "If I can diminish the importance of the solution that my supplier offers, that salesperson will lack the confidence and esteem to hold fast to their prices during the negotiation." How wrong can a buyer be! They are special. You are special.

Do not fall victim to this tactic. Do not view the customer's situation as "nothing special." Do not become a willing accomplice in the de-valuing of your solution. When a buyer attempts to convince you that all you sell is a commodity, you can respond this way: "Mr. Buyer, I am sorry to hear you say this because what you are really saying is that there is nothing special about your needs, and I respectfully disagree. We view each of our customers as special, regardless of the similarities of their needs. For me to accept that our solution is not special is tantamount to my saying that your needs are not special. Some vendors may tell you that, but we won't!"