Supply Chain Humor This Week VIII

Today I bring you three more spenderific stories from the hat of The Satirical Sourcerer.

Cost Avoidance 101:
Stop spending ridiculous amounts of money on things that you know millions of people will try to break immediately. Australia spent $84.4 Million on a ‘porn filter’ for the internet. A 16 year old cracked it in 30 minutes. A predictable ‘Oops’. (News Australia)

Okay. Basic filters like NetDog are $24.99. What’s the other $84,399,975.01 for? If I was the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP), I’d be launching a full blown fraud investigation.

What company has released a report that says they save their clients on average 7.3% per year more than they did in 2004?
The same company also has a new slogan entitled “Save Money. Live Better“.
Iasta? Ariba? A sourcing consulting firm? Give up?

It’s Walmart. According to Wal-Mart, research commissioned from Global Insight demonstrates that as of 2006, the retailer has saved U.S. families $2,500 a year, up $7.3% from $2,329 in 2004.

But one has to wonder if the good times are over, because this picture, taken this month, seems to indicate that prices are actually rising … steeply … 21.5% to be precise!

How to combat the decline in the US dollar:
Remember the Pizza for Pesos (Dallas Business News) story? Well here is yet another update: Things have went so well since the company started accepting pesos, that 8 months later they have 6 more stores, with plans for 15 more by the end of ’07, and 40 more by the end of ’08. Now several other companies are considering following suit.

In the North? Then try Take-Out for Twonies! After all, the Canadian dollar is par now!


Bonus Story!

Would you like your coffee leaded or unleaded?

The organization running the West Coast Green conference in San Francisco this week ordered paper cups from the lowest cost supplier which, surprise, surprise, was located in China. But at least these cups came with a warning: Caution: Contains Lead.