As the world changes, the way people do business is changing as well. The way some people think something is or should be done is different than other people’s view. This is the case with things like ISO, packaging and delivery, and the metal market.
At Mid-West Screw Products we are ISO certified. There is a lot of discretion in what people think being ISO certified means. We are certified to do things a certain way, which might be different than what your interpretation of that is. We follow ISO faithfully, and will not take shortcuts to match what another company or person thinks ISO is. Mid-West Screw strives to keep our customers happy, and we swill stay true to our ISO principles and ethics to do it.
Packaging is another area where there can be some confusion between companies. There needs to be a lot of discussion today due to the one sidedness of contracts. Small companies are dealing with big ones, and there can be confusion over customer contracts vs purchase orders. The back of purchase orders have standard terms, which might not meet every situation and can lead to hidden costs and expenses that both sides were not clear on from the beginning.
The metal market is another area where there can be confusion over prices and terms. Buyers see a price on the metal market (CROMX) and think that this price is what they / we are going to pay for that alloy. The Market is trading futures on various metals, for example copper ore. They leave out the additional charges such as fabrication when you put these two items together, the ore cost added to the fabrication / labor cost, metals we purchase, as in sheet, bar or coil, are the result of these two thing coming together. At this point we are still not at the price we will be paying from a mill or their distributer. There are also other margins from the companies as well, such as surcharges on shipping and trucking. Hidden costs such as fuel surcharges, EPA surcharges and weight surcharges are not disclosed many times in the initial conversation and contract, which can lead to confusion down the line.
At Mid-West Screw Products we believe in uncompromised perfection in all of the machined parts we make. Our goal has always been total customer service and satisfaction, and it will continue to be even as the business landscape changes.