Getting what one pays for

Just read a horrible story about cheap Chinese drywall that was installed in homes during the residential boom that, after being installed, "gives off fumes that can corrode copper pipes, blacken jewelry and silverware and possibly sicken people."

American companies used millions of pounds of this drywall because it was "abundant and cheap".  The drywall apparently "gives off a rotten-egg stench, which grows worse with heat and humidity."  Unfortunately, all the cities mentioned in this article are in the South were those two elements are the worst.

I know that no one that reads this blog is sick of my tirades against the danger of using price as the only qualifier, but yet again here's a story about the construction industry's perception that cheaper = uniformly better. 

More on this story here.

Jared Willis

Comments

[Jeff Willis]

It's truly unfortunate how many people only consider the bottom line when making a decision. Whether it's construction materials, office equipment, or even employment choices themselves, the price point so often drives the decision-making... when the reality of the situation is that a better outcome in the accounting ledger doesn't always mean a better outcome in the long run.

And how many organizations have had to replace troublesome products, equipment or personnel on a more frequent basis (and often at greater cost!) because the "bargains" they got at the outset ended up being a poor fit for their needs or the needs of their clients?

Thanks for the thought-provoking blog!