Commercial vs. Gov't in a resession

[flew-da-coup]

No thanks.  I'm gonna feed at the government trough as long as I can.  I think this recession is gonna hit the commercial cal industry pretty hard.  Think about it.  You're not providing the customer a tangible product, the value is invisible.  All they know for sure is that they sent you a piece of test equipment and you sent it back to them with a piece of paper (the cert) and a hefty bill.  Those are the kind of expenses that companies will target first.  Most businesses view calibration as overhead and the first thing a company looking to cut costs will do, is trim overhead.

You obviously do not understand commercial calibration or the requirements to stay ISO certified.  Commercial cal would be significantly smaller if manufacturers didn't need us.  Do you honestly think manufactures use commercial cal for the fun of it? In recent years, it has been a requirement to have their own A2LA certfied or 3rd party calibration of their test intrument and/or tools.  As much as you'd hate to see it, commercial cal is here to stay.

We haven't been effected by the economy. Matter of fact we have picked up customers that just closed their own in-house labs because it was cheaper to have us do it. The recession has actually helped our company some.

[Duckbutta]

You would be wrong, Jim. I'm all too familiar with private sector calibration and the industries it serves. In fact, I probably forgot more about ISO requirements than you know. I worked many years in commercial labs and have spent a great deal of time on the road going to customer sites to calibrate their equipment. I have been to companies that were going through downturns and have seen lists that have been cut in half from the prior year. To assume that a company will always purchase the same amount of calibration services, regardless of their financial situation, is foolish and shows your ignorance and lack of understanding of basic economic principles. They do what any prudent business would do when times are tough, they reduce costs. They either do that by reducing the amount of items to be calibrated or request that you lengthen the cal intervals. If a company scales back on production, it will require less resources. Why would a company keep equipment for 20 test stations calibrated when it only has enough work for 10? I can tell by your post that you lack experience in this career field, or life for that matter, otherwise you wouldn't have made such an asinine comment. Stick around kid, you'll learn.

[Winterfire2008]

Duckbutta

In case anyone hasn't told you. . . . this is a Job Forum.    Unless you are looking to hire someone, or you are looking for a job, which I seriously doubt since you yourself said "I will feed at the government trough as long as I can".   Please take your comments to the general forum.

[jim]

You would be wrong, Jim.  I'm all too familiar with private sector calibration and the industries it serves.  In fact, I probably forgot more about ISO requirements than you know.  I worked many years in commercial labs and have spent a great deal of time on the road going to customer sites to calibrate their equipment.  I have been to companies that were going through downturns and have seen lists that have been cut in half from the prior year.  To assume that a company will always purchase the same amount of calibration services, regardless of their financial situation, is foolish and shows your ignorance and lack of understanding of basic economic principles.  They do what any prudent business would do when times are tough, they reduce costs.  They either do that by reducing the amount of items to be calibrated or request that you lengthen the cal intervals.  If a company scales back on production, it will require less resources.  Why would a company keep equipment for 20 test stations calibrated when it only has enough work for 10? I can tell by your post that you lack experience in this career field, or life for that matter, otherwise you wouldn't have made such an asinine comment.  Stick around kid, you'll learn.  :wink:

Duck. . . I must have hit a nerve.  You're posts are comical when they're not down right insulting.  In response to your ignorant remarks, we get new customers all the time.  We have more work than we do technicians.  More and more companies are coming to us because they have eliminated their in-house cal labs.  Bottom line. . . it's cheaper to have us cal their equipment.  Hmmm. . . I wonder why companies still require 3rd party calibration??? Keep up the posts duck. . . we all need a good laugh!

[Duckbutta]

Your responses reflect your feeble intellect. Unable to formulate a legitimate response of your own, you steal Coup's post. Pathetic. Debating with you is like clapping with one hand.

[jim]

Your responses reflect your feeble intellect.  Unable to formulate a legitimate response of your own, you steal Coup's post.  Pathetic.  Debating with you is like clapping with one hand.

Oh, I guess I've been out-smarted. . . you win.  Congratulations! Love the feeble coment too.   Keep the funny posts coming. 

[Old-Navy]

 Okay people!   I've had too many complaints about this thread and the posts contained herein.  If some of you insist on not following accepted "Netiquette", I WILL use my "special Mod Powers" and start removing bits and pieces and locking threads. 

Let's play nice, shall we?


THANK YOU   

[Hoopty]

This topic has been split.  Like Old-Navy said, let's play nice.  There's no need for personal attacks.  Please keep it professional.

[griff61]

Bottom line. . . it's cheaper to have us cal their equipment. 

I would disagree. It is easier for me to make the case for us to keep the in house lab rather than outsource. Mainly because after the initial outlay for equipment, the main expense is salary. Other than that, in a manufacturing environment, turn around time is king. If you have a well qualified tech, most everything can be done in house.
There will always be need for commercial labs to do those items that are not cost effective to buy the equipment for, In our case an example would be accelerometers. We simply don't have enough of them to justify the capital outlay.

[Bryan]

I'd guess commercial labs would have a rougher go of it in bad economic times as they have to get money from customers in exchange for services.

The goverment on the other hand has a lot of guns and the power to take money through taxation, not trying to be offensive, just that way of the world as I see it.

Been on both sides, had to leave the gun behind when I left the goverment.