terrible third party logistics...

So I've visited all of the in-house distribution sites for Abbott Nutritional division over the past 20 years and they were fantastic. Very clean and very nice employees. I've recently visited the new 3rd party offsite warehouses (since all the in-house sites had layoffs) and who the hell made that call? All of the 3rd party sites are super dirty and nobody has any clue what the heck is going on. Everyone had a neck tattoo and their were no protocols when it comes to anything at these sites. When did Abbott stop caring about the quality of their employees?

 

This is the plan for Abbott that started about 8 years ago but is now in full swing. Abbott would rather turn over the responsibility to the third parts and put their heads in the sand when a problem arise. They can then point the finger and blame the third party company and assume no blame or less. They think it is far less expensive to have as much of their business outsourced. What they are missing is the quality control and customer service is going to go down hill and they will lose business due to it but that will be in the future. I think Abbott is thinking short term profits to sell off to another company and then the now owner will have to deal with the loss of business down the road.

 

These are, unfortunately, the effects of splitting off AbbVie. With Abbott Nutrition suddenly becoming the largest division all eyes are now on it to be the predominant profit maker. North Chicago and the stockholders are putting tremendous pressure on AN to meet and beat aggressive goals it shows in every aspect of what they do. Also unfortunate is that their sales were always high but margin low and they are in an arena with only one major competitor (who is equally bad) and a diminishing market. Obamacare reimbursement cuts combined with institutions changing ownership from not-for-profit to private have also switched institutional focus from patient care to PROFIT meaning cutting back on supplements and specialty products.

This has caused the sales direction to change from low margin institutional sales to retail sales where they are faced with many more lower priced competitors.

Add to this perfect storm the need to cut operating costs (read personnel and benefits) resulting in outsourcing. What's more important, happy customers and employees or cutting costs? You figure it out.

 

Precisely why I left this place. Thinking long term when management has a short term mentality is not a fit. Thinking long term takes more thinking and it seemed to me that management didn't like all the thinking going on because it costs more $ because time is $. Imho they would prefer to believe its workers are drones without brains who have jobs that do not take brains. They'll cash out and don't give a $#!t. Unless they are charged with criminal negligence down the line, they will have so much $ by the time it all catches up to them it won't matter to them at all.

 

The sad thing is all these cost cuts were in the works long ago. So the big shots who met you at meetings for the past 2 years knew that some of the workers or all (in some cases) were going to get laid off. For instance, at ADC in Texas all the lab instruments were made there. Mgmt said that only a small part of the instrument would be made in Singapore. Everyone on the factory floor could see the writing on the wall. The Upper management got wind of the worry and said: "If you have heard rumors that Abbott is going to move all manufacturing overseas and close this plant I ORDER YOU to NOT believe these RUMORS .....EVEN If THEY ARE TRUE !" Right now that large Building is being rented out by ADC as they laid off all the workers and all manufacturing if done overseas. You are a fool to believe anything you are told.

 

This makes me laugh because so much of it is untrue.

 

This is 100 % true and you know it. The diagnostic hematology was made in Santa Clara and now Singapore. Same for the Imuno instruments that were made in Irving Texas. The Chemistry instruments were always make overseas. I was working in the Texas Plant and the Management said that we were no longer making one important part of the Immuno . A few years later ALL the equipment is made in Singapore ! All the USA employees are LAID OFF.

Now the Service end of the business (maintains these machines) is going through the same thing. First the low end equipment was given to 3rd party. Now the 3rd party does it all except key large hospitals. Those employees will be let go in the next wave as well as the management for them.

What is worse is Management would try to calm the employees down on each layoff and promise that it will go no further and it is a lie each time.

 

Went through something like this at two other pharma companies before I joined Abbott. Here's one thing you can be 10% sure of: when ever management makes an absolute statement like that, the exact opposite is what's actually going to happen ... and the plans are all written up and in their coat pocket.

"There is no plan to sell this division\close this facility".
Translation: The plan isn't quite done yet, just a few more details to work out.

"There are no discussions taking place regarding closing\selling this facility\Division\etc."
Translation: We're done talking about it, the decision has been made, we're doing it.

"That rumor is false."
Translation: The rumor is not 100% correct ... but close.

"There is absolutely no truth to that rumor!!!"
Translation: The rumor is 100% correct, and is in fact a leak.

"I run this facility\division, and I promise all of you I am not involved in any discussion to sell\close\out source it."
Translation: That's what the secret task force is doing ... I'm not on that.

"I am committed to this division\facility, and you have my word that I would not approve any proposal that involves closing\selling\out sourcing."
Translation: The CEO approves those things, not me; my job is to develop and execute the plan to lay all of you off and transition the operation to where ever it's going ... then relocate my family to my next assignment (with a nice extra bonus for the added pressure of what I have to do here). Wish me luck!

 

LOL! +1!

I'm sure you meant "Here's one thing you can be 100% sure of", but I'm smart enough to get that this was typo ... just in case the secretary that like to correct typo's needs some help clarifying the obvious.

 

During all of this I recall a few Abbott Execs moving on to " Molecular". I thought it was their next "assignment". In reality, they were figuring out where it would be safe to go for themselves and their families. The name of the game is to cover your ass (at Abbott) and to try to make it to retirement. These same Execs would tell all the workers in manufacturing that their jobs were safe: " Make no mistake about it....Irving TX is the home to all Diagnostic Instruments". This was a true statement for that moment but he (executive) knew it would NOT be a True statement in a year from then.

 

Please do not help the secretary!!! Mabel needs to learn to stand on his/ her own two left feet or we will have to cut her loose like we do all the inferior employees at Abbott ; ). Mabel, hows that lunch doing, btw? I'm starving. Please cease and desist all spell-checking, pronto.

 

+1!

MORON

 

Is that you, Mabel? You poor dear. The holidays must be so hard for you. It's so sad that you were laid off. But you need to get out there and find something! How about volunteering at you local library?

 

If your wife would quit calling me I would

 

The only people calling you, are debt collectors. Now please find work instead of
loafing all day on here. Us working folks have no time for losers like you!!

 

People in AV Santa Clara are being told that it is an "Efficiency Strategy"

 

Mabel, where are you? This posting needs some serious editing. Get to work!

 

Mabel, you missed the "us" which should have been a "we" in the second sentence. What is wrong? Are you feeling ill? OMG!!! What to do. What to do?

 

Did Mabel work in ACCS east Phila/SJersey Territory ?

 

Or Rocky Mt ?