The difference between sales and supply
Why It Matters for ITAD
For ITAD businesses, confusing aggressive sales targets with robust, sustainable supply chain management can lead to accepting non-compliant material, failing to secure downstream partners, and compromising data destruction or environmental standards under pressure. This directly impacts compliance, profitability, and reputation in a highly regulated industry.
Dr Mike McDonagh explores how crisis-driven management at Tradtech led to costly missteps, strained morale, and ultimately a leadership shake-up, due to the difference between approaches to sales and supply. Over five decades of working I have observed many different directors, with different management styles. All aspire to be calm under pressure and to recognise…
Key Takeaways
- • Separate sales strategy from supply/logistics planning to avoid overpromising and underdelivering on service or compliance.
- • Crisis-mode management erodes staff morale and process discipline, increasing risks in critical areas like data destruction.
- • Leadership must understand the distinct operational demands of sourcing/processing versus client acquisition to build a sustainable business.
