Real Reason for Delays?

Ive called the Dell customer service many times now and it seems like they change what the delays are about on a daily basis. Does anyone know for sure what is causing the delays on these laptops, or is it really just too many different things to point out just one. Any ideas?

 

What they are saying is true...All this is because Dell is flooded with so many orders since they introduced the new Dell inspiron laptops...As far as I know they are running short of colored lids, processors and Graphics card. I assume that while your laptop is delayed because of the color lid, instead of wasting the processor that was reserved for your laptop, they use it for another order for which they have the color lids required...and by the time the color lids for your laptop are got, if you are unlucky dell may find themselves short of any other part this time since the parts are not reserved. I assume...please correct me if I'm wrong...

 

I would say 'too many things' if you ask me.

The funny this is I called them about a non-shipping question 10 minutes ago, and the wait music now also has a message in there like this:

"If you are calling about about an order that has been delayed, please understand we are experiencing issues beyond Dell's control. Please go online to support.dell.com to view the status of your order and get additional details.

But yes, vishwanathan_a has the right idea: Dell does not hold parts. They only start building an order once each part needed for that order can be grabbed from stock at that instant. No waiting.

 

According to the video documentary about the dell factory, they DO hold the parts for a specific configuration, but only for 2 hours. After 2 hours, the parts are used wherever they will make a build in the queue proceed. If a wide variety of parts are on backorder, its likely that many orders starve because of this process. That is also the reason for many people getting their order before people who actually ordered before them.

 

I must have missed the part in business school where maintaining appropriate supplies for manufacturing was considered unrelated to running a company and outside of your control.

--The Dan

 

They HAVE to write something there, right? Putting the blame on someone else is easiest thing to do for us humans.

 

It seems to be a shortage of screens and batteries also, which is affecting HP and Acer as well

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41760

 

actually, a csr told me that they are having painting issues, and they MUST paint at fast speeds, but when they do, dust trickles in between the layers of paint, thus, slowing everything down and stalling.

 

I jsut had a really BAD chat with a csr (see my "ordered white 1720 yesterday - now in testing" thread), and she said that ALL colors are delayed. Well not white!!!! I don't think they know what they're talking about. This woman was telling me all sorts of things they weren't allowed to do when I KNOW they're allowed to do it (b/c they did it w/another order of mine). Half of them claim to not know what the holdup is, and others DO know. Go figure. I have no confidance in them at all.

 

I think it's most definitely the colors. Ordering the exact same laptop except as a vostro ends up having it ship in a day.

 

Not quite - they send out an order for parts every two hours to cover the next 2 hours of production - everything is used and nothing is stored. Dell know what stock the suppliers are holding so only orders with all parts available are scheduled for the next two hours and included in the parts order. Those parts come loose through the front door and as a completed system out of the back.

 

I wish Dell would come out and reveal exactly how they are handling this situation. My major concern is about how they go about "storing" the orders with backordered parts. Also I wonder if they would transfer an order to another production facility that may have all parts in stock.

 

It is clearly obvious the system Dell currently uses to manage their inventory is horrible and needs to be revamped. Why buy 2 hours worth of parts when they have 2 MONTHS of backlogged orders? Everyone can tell that it only makes sense to buy thousands of the parts and not just small groups..

Not to mention, I don't buy that anyway. I think it's just a way to make them sound advanced, when in reality it's just a way for them to make excuses.

Don't frigging sell more systems if you can't handle your current load. Think about this... If they are backlogged by weeks and months, how will they ever get out of this pit? New orders keep coming in every second..

-Tzale

 

Yes they should just stop taking orders but they won't because that'll decrease future profits. But they could at least tone down the advertising some. It makes me even more frustrated to see these computers pushed so hard when they are still so overwheled.

 

True... The problem is that the advertising department is only looking at sales, while the manufacturing/logistics department is overwhelmed and quite honestly probably HOPING for a drop in sales.

One guy's job relies upon high sales, the other relies upon efficient processing of those orders. :-/

 

No that topic doesn't exist, but you did miss the part in business school that teaches Just-in-Time inventory, which has allowed companies to reduce expenses substantially and works very well (ask Walmart) 99% of the time.

 

Yep...Just-in-time...and Demand Flow Technology...mostly used these days to maximise profitability....